The 7 most popular HR blogs in 2016 were varied topics, some perennials that continue to tax employers from all walks of life down to a very specific blog down for employers in the hair and beauty industry. Winners and loser in the grievance process – are there really winners in the grievance process? Monitoring an employee’s email – can you? should you? New legislation (April 2016 update) HR Mistakes made by employers in hair and beauty salons – specific cases from the hair and beauty industry, but they could be in any industry Handling employee smoke breaks – still problematic, and how about staff who “vape”? How do you deal with them? Job interview questions you shouldn’t ask – in 2016 we still see some people asking questions that make them easily vulnerable to a claim Managing Work Experience – mediocre to meaningful – how do you make your work experience placement students talk about your company in glowing terms? We’ll report on the 7 most popular HR blogs in 2016 in March 2018, but in the meantime, there’s anything specific you would like us to blog on please let us know and we’ll gladly oblige. Contact Us Metis HR is a professional HR Consultancy based in […]
An effective handover in a care setting is key critical to good quality care, regardless of setting. The Social Care Workforce Research Unit has studied handovers in 5 settings delivering care to the elderly. So that, they can evaluate the importance of the content, purpose and effectiveness of a handover. In so much as, care home staff going off duty and those coming on duty. However, the research concluded that handovers varied onsiderably between different establishments. Not surprisingly, most participants believed that an effective handover encouraged good communication between staff and residents. Also, it encouraged the continuity of care and safety for residents. Interestingly, not all employees were paid to attend handover meetings. This strikes us as odd. An effective handover is about ensuring continuity of care and safety of residents. Therefore, attendance at the handover should not be optional. A decision not to pay staff to attend would seem odd. If an employee didn’t attend a handover, wouldn’t an employer seek to take issue with this failure? If it is not working time, how can an employer complain about a lack of attendance? 9 Features of Effective Handover Processes Being able to listen/hear – not too many distractions or interruptions Understandable and clear communication Opportunity to ask questions; […]
We have looked at Why we need to do a return to work interview after absence, now we shall look at how to do a return to work interview. These should be undertaken to acknowledge each absence. How to do a return to work Interview Welcome the employee back to work. Seek confirmation that the individual is fit to work Give the employee the opportunity to highlight any relevant issues and reasons for absence. Try to offer solutions if the employee raises any issues. If appropriate, refer to employee support mechanisms. Agree a review period and/or any actions required if appropriate. Here’s our 6 step guide to how to do a return to work interview In advance, review the employee’s attendance record over the previous 12 months. Take notes of any points arising from previous return to work discussions or meetings. Print off copies of the employee’s attendance over the last 12 months. Meet with the employee on the first day back at work, or shortly afterwards. It is important that a record of the Return to Work interview is kept by the manager. Decide what your objectives for the return to work interview are. During the Meeting: Welcome the employee back […]
Return to work interview Besides knowing how to do a return to work interview, it’s good to know why we do a return to work interview. They are necessary for good housekeeping in your workplace. They are just one of the things that companies may wish to consider introducing to keep track on the comings and goings of employees. The interview will let you see what was behind the absence. This is important because after a while you might start to see trends. For example, you have an employee absent a lot with back pain or headaches, which could indicate a problem with seating, lifting or lighting, for example. Remedying these issues could save you lots of absences – not to mention legal action. There’s evidence that companies who introduce Return to Work interviews experience a reduction in sickness absence. It shows that you are taking absence seriously and possibly also a “fear factor”. Some employees who might in the past have taken the odd day off when they just couldn’t be bothered to come to work might be wary of being “found out” if they slip up in the interview by contradicting their original cover story. Companies don’t demand […]
People are going to be off sick from time to time. Most employees feel bad about letting down their colleagues, but how do you deal with frequently sick employees? Absence because of sickness, or another unexpected reason, can put your business in a tricky situation. Particularly if you have no policies in place for dealing with it. It can result in lost productivity and unhappy customers. It can adversely affect the other employee’s morale, if the absent employee’s duties are added to their workloads. This may also leave you having to pay for both the absent worker and their temporary replacement. Frequently Sick Employees A sickness policy, conducting return to work interviews and line manager training on dealing with sickness absence are helpful tools. You need to know why staff are off and when they will be back. Some of the types of absences you may have to deal with as an employer: short-term sickness absence which lasts less than a week. repeated short-term sickness absences which may, or may not, follow a pattern. unauthorised absence for other reasons. Sickness absence can be caused by a mixture of: an employee’s general physical condition. working conditions, including health and safety standards, […]
Improve Recruitment and Retention of Staff in the Care Industry. Since the Care Act was passed in 2014 we have needed to look at how to improve recruitment and retention of staff in the care industry. It is estimated that by 2030 the number of people aged over 85 will have doubled. Advances in healthcare mean people with disabilities and long-term health conditions are living longer. This means in future, care services will be an important part of more peoples’ lives. Effective recruitment and retention of a caring and skilled adult social care workforce is needed. It has a central role to play in delivering high quality care and support to people who need it. The Care Act 2014 has created a need for a refreshed recruitment and retention strategy. This will take into account many of the changes the Act will bring in. Without the right workforce, employers cannot deliver the promise of the Act. (Norman Lamb MP, Skills For Care) Recruiting the right people is key to the success of receiving ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ ratings. Dropping recruitment standards to fill vacancies, potentially changes a ‘person-centred’ culture. It may create a short term solution to staffing problems. However, it may create bigger problems for the Registered Manager and […]
Many of us are aware that there are Job Interview questions we shouldn’t ask, but many of us are not aware of what NOT to write in a job advertisement. If a job advertisement is worded incorrectly, it could be disastrous for you and your company if a potential job applicant made a complaint about the potentially discriminative advert, even if posted quite innocently with no discrimination intended you could find yourself in a legal pickle. If you look at the general guidance coming out of the Equalities Act this will give you some legal grounding. The focus is to be purely on the advert referring to essential skills and knowledge, and don’t forget a posting on facebook is still a legal job advert and we are increasingly seeing companies leaving themselves vulnerable to discrimination claims. Discrimination in job adverts You must not state or imply in a job advert that you’ll discriminate against anyone. Only use phrases like ‘recent graduate’ or ‘highly experienced’ when these are actual defendable requirements of the job. Otherwise you may be implying you are discriminating against younger or older people who might not have had the opportunity to get qualifications or experience. Where you […]
Yes you can sack an Apprentice, but this blog is about ending apprentice employment for other reasons. If you have concerns about the performance or behaviour of an apprentice and you are thinking of ending apprentice employment, you must do it fairly and reasonably . Otherwise, you may find yourself being challenged by the Apprentice. This blog is more about what you tell an Apprentice up front about their apprenticeship. So that when it comes to ending apprentice employment, there are no surprises. We’ve put together some tips for you. These are based on recent enquiries that we’ve received from employers experiencing difficulties with an apprentice. We are often surprised at the minimal contracts that employers give to Apprentices. Often they seem to have been simply drafted by the Apprentice’s training provider. The Apprentice is your employee. You need to clarify the terms on which you engage them, not the Training Provider. Metis HR offer clients an Approved English Apprenticeship Agreement. This has been drafted to take account of legislation which came into force in May 2015. It introduced an ‘approved English apprenticeship’, which replaced apprenticeships under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 in England. However, does not include Wales). This document clarifies responsibilities […]
Halloween can be a fun time of the year, especially for employees in the workplace. Here’s a short guide on how to celebrate Halloween at work without causing offence. Sometimes though employers can be faced with challenging and sensitive issues. Here’s some tips on coming up with safe, clever and inoffensive ways to observe a classic children’s festivity in an adult setting. Halloween celebrations can range from those focused on employees’ children, like a trick-or-treat parade to those with a more grown-up flavour. Such as, employee fancy dress parties. The trick to successful Halloween celebrations at work is providing fun without alienating employees who find it offensive or frivolous. There’s no hiding from Halloween these days and employers may find it hard to ignore. It’s becoming big business in the UK as well as in the US. Halloween’s popularity in the workplace is growing, too. Some of you may ask, why celebrate it? Or how do my staff or myself benefit from something as apparently lighthearted as a Halloween party? In demanding workplaces, filled with high workloads and expectations, Halloween celebrations maybe a way to defuse tension. It can introduce fun into the workday and help reduce stress, build teams […]
Cannabis and drug misuse at work, whether intentional or unintentional, can harm the user physically. As well as mentally and through the misuser’s actions, harm other people and the environment. Drug misuse can be a serious problem. Not only for the misuser, but also for the organisation where they work and possibly for their co-workers. As an employer, you could be breaking the law if you knowingly allow drug-related activities in your workplace and fail to act. You could raise your awareness and that of your managers or supervisors on how to spot cannabis and drug misuse at work. Drugs can affect the brain and the body in a number of ways. They can alter the way a person thinks, perceives and feels. Therefore, this can lead to impaired judgement and concentration. Also there is a possibility of general neglect of a person’s health and well-being. This may create poor performance at work, even when the misuse takes place outside the workplace. Signs of cannabis and drug misuse at work which you might look for include: ❑ sudden mood changes; ❑ unusual irritability or aggression; ❑ a tendency to become confused; ❑ abnormal fluctuations in concentration and energy; ❑ impaired job performance; ❑ poor […]
