Workplace banter is one of the most common causes of conflict at work. What is workplace banter to one person, maybe workplace bullying to another. But how do you know how someone will react? Firstly, look at yourself and really ask yourself how good are you at maintaining your professional boundaries? How good are your staff at maintaining professional boundaries. Exceeding professional boundaries with employees and colleagues can lead to over-familiarity and create unfair expectations of workplace relationships. Examine how much time and attention you give to individual members of staff. Although some employees need more energy than others. However, you musn’t treat one employee differently than you do others. This may be a red flag that you are overextending your professional boundaries. Be discriminating in your use of social media. Avoid “friending” staff on Facebook and other social platforms to prevent confusing work and personal boundaries. Use regular one-to-one meetings to determine and reinforce professional boundaries. Also address any recent behaviour that gives you cause for concern. Be attuned to workplace behaviour. Reserve the same courtesy and respect for your staff and colleagues that you would use with clients. Role model this behaviour for your team. Become alert to interpreting body language and […]
Workers have a statutory right to be accompanied in a disciplinary hearing. Or any meeting where a formal warning will be issued. As well as some other disciplinary action will be taken or in appeal hearings. They can be accompanied by a fellow worker, a trade union representative or an official employed by a trade union. Employers must agree to a request from a worker to be accompanied in a Disciplinary Hearing by any one from these categories. The March 2015 ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures amends the right to be accompanied in a Disciplinary Hearing by: employers having to agree to a worker’s request to be accompanied by any companion from one of these categories giving workers the right to alter their choice of companion, However, they must choose a companion who is suitable, willing and available on site. Rather than someone from a geographically remote location for example). Therefore, to exercise the statutory right to be accompanied in a disciplinary hearing a worker must make a “reasonable request”. What is reasonable will depend on the circumstances of each case. You must rearrange the meeting at least once if the worker’s chosen companion is not available for the proposed hearing. Providing that the alternative time is […]
Rossendale Business Awards Employer of the Year Metis HR Ltd is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Employer of the Year Award at the 2015 Rossendale Business Awards. Alison Driver, Managing Director of Metis HR Ltd, said “This is the fourth year we have sponsored one of the Rossendale Business Awards. It is the second year we have sponsored the Employer of the Year Award. There are 550 businesses in Rossendale that employ over 5 people. The Employer of the Year Award is designed to recognise good quality employment practices. It is designed to engage staff to move the business forward to achieve its potential. And what a great recruitment tool to say you are Rossendale’s Employer of the Year!”. The 2015 Rossendale Business Awards will be held on 11 November 2015 at The Riverside in Whitworth. For more information see the Rossendale Business Awards website
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) is being billed as one of the most complex pieces of employment legislation ever introduced. Shared Parental Leave is for children due to be born or adopted on or after 5 April 2015. SPL replaces additional statutory paternity leave and runs alongside ordinary paternity leave maternity leave adoption leave ‘normal’ unpaid parental leave The amount of Shared Parental Leave to which an employee is entitled depends on when the mother ends the maternity leave. She can choose to return to work quickly and hand over her unused allowance to the other parent, provided that they also are eligible for Shared Parental Leave. Qualifying parents can share up to 50 weeks’ leave from the child’s birth to its first birthday. Parents can alternate leave, or be off work together and can take up to three blocks of leave or use it all up in one go. Eligibility for Shared Parental Leave A mother or father of a child with an expected week of childbirth (or placement for adoption) on or after 5 April 2015; their husband, wife, civil partner or joint adopter; the child’s other parent; and their partner (if they live with the parent and the […]
Whilst employees helping themselves to a little stationery or turning up a little late sometimes does not feel like a massive workplace concern. Turning a blind eye to employee misconduct could potentially lead to real HR trouble. With appropriate workplace guidelines in place, as the employer, you can take immediate legal action to combat them. Here are 5 workplace behaviours that are actually employee misconduct: Persistent Lateness Employees who consistently come to work past the time they are expected to arrive can be dismissed for continued lateness. Moreover, their behaviour can impact upon the work being done. For example, an employee who is expected to open up a retail outlet by a certain time or attend a morning meeting. Chronic lateness can impair the day-to-day operations of the business. It can also affect the performance of co-workers. The expectations must be clearly written in company guidelines. That way there is no doubt as to what time employees are expected to arrive and what behaviour is deemed as misconduct. Unwanted Gift Giving Giving gifts to another co-worker, subordinate or manager can be deemed as employee misconduct. In particular, if the gifts are unwanted, but the employee giving the gifts persists. This behaviour can be a form of harassment, even sexual harassment. It is imperative […]
Redunancy during maternity leave – Can you make a woman who is on maternity leave redundant? The short answer is yes. However, do it properly or you risk facing claims for either unlawful discrimination or automatically unfair dismissal. Maternity Leave is classed as a “protected period”. Unfavourable treatment of a woman who is on maternity leave is unlawful. Selecting a woman for redundancy during maternity leave may be interpreted as because of her pregnancy. Maternity leave or a related reason is automatically unfair dismissal and quite likely to be unlawful discrimination. A woman on maternity leave has the right to return to the same job that she had before she started her maternity leave. Although, even if you think that the temporary person you’ve used to cover her leave is a better worker. If you’re satisfied that you have a genuine redundancy situation, make sure that you consult with the employee on maternity leave. Remember, if she’s at risk of redundancy during maternity leave she must be offered any suitable alternative vacancy that you have. You must also be aware that she doesn’t have to apply for it. Contact Us: I f you are considering redundancies and want to do the job fairly and lawfully, […]
