Conflict is a huge contributor to workplace absence and stress. Many people ask, how mediation can resolve conflict and absenteeism. It seems if an organisation can develop a culture of conflict resolution, then conflict can be nipped in the bud. Rather than leaving it to fester and grow, causing the stress that may lead to absenteeism. Howver, there is a process which allows individuals in conflict to find an informal resolution to their issues quickly and effectively. An organisation could invest time in training line managers to hold difficult conversations. Ones that many of us attempt to avoid, It teaches listening techniques and can promote a culture of openness, dialogue, honesty and integrity. If conflict is already an issue in your organisation, considering strategies to deal with existing conflict may be beneficial to you. Mediation is a technique that can be a powerful intervention with a high success rate. It is a confidential, voluntary and informal process that allows members of staff in conflict to have open and honest discussions through a qualified mediator. It allows them to clarify the issues that so often lead to communication breakdowns and misunderstandings. So, How Mediation Can Resolve Conflict and Absenteeism Mediation focuses on re-establishing a working relationship […]
The National Minimum Wage is due to increase on 1st April 2017. The hourly rate for the minimum wage depends on your age and whether you’re an apprentice. You must be at least school leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage. At least aged 25 to get the National Living Wage. And the minimum wage will still apply for workers aged 24 and under. The New Rates are: 25 and Over £7.50 21 to 24 £7.05 18 to 20 £5.60 Under 18 £4.05 Apprentice £3.50 Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are under 19 years of age. Or if they are 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. After the first year, the national minimum wage appropriate to their age will be applied. Please be sure you have implemented these changes with your employees pay by 1st April. If you want to discuss The National Minimum Wage or any other pay or salary issues in the workplace, give us a call – 01706 565332 Metis HR is a professional HR Consultancy based in the North West of England supporting clients across the country. We specialise in providing outsourced HR services to small and […]
We have written blogs about Christmas parties and how to avoid problems in the past. In this blog we look at other Christmas issues in the workplace. Can you withhold a Christmas bonus? There are two types of bonus scheme, discretionary and contractual. The terms of a discretionary scheme need to be clearly set out. You will be entitled to exercise discretion and withhold payment of a bonus. An employee may apply to an employment tribunal for unlawful deductions of wages if you do not pay contractual bonus’. The criteria applied to either sort of bonus scheme should not be discriminatory. Christmas Hampers or Other Regular Gifts to Employees Employees could argue the provision of a hamper or gift has become a contractual right as a result of custom and practice. However, this can only happen if you have done this for several years on a regular basis. This could be the case if employees have come to expect to receive a hamper. The employer must also tell employees that such gifts are not guaranteed. Before deciding not to provide hampers, you should explain to your staff why you feel you are unable to do so. Alternatively, you may consider providing a smaller, […]
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 […]
Managing staff with mental health issues can be challenging. We all have physical and mental health, and in both cases, our health can vary on a daily basis. It is estimated that one in four people experience a mental health issue in any given year. One in six employees is depressed, anxious or suffering from stress-related problems at any time. This is not necessarily work-related! However, many of us know little about mental health. We often don’t spot the signs that a colleague, employee, or we ourselves are struggling. Therefore, this delays help and recovery. Last week Business in the Community (BiTC) released a Mental Health at Work report. Worryingly, the report uncovered the fact that over three-quarters of employees have experienced poor mental health. Almost half of workers would not talk to their manager about a mental health issue. Although employers are talking more about it, there appears to be not enough being done about it. There seems to be a difference in the perception of company bosses and the reality of employees when it comes to mental health. Most board members believe their organisation is supportive on the issue. But 56% of people who have disclosed a mental health issue at work […]
These are actual examples of HR Mistakes made by Employers in Hair and Beauty Salons. Some HR horror stories that have cost salon owners over £78000 and, in some cases, damaged their reputation. 11 months after starting her job in a local beauty salon an employee told her boss she was pregnant. She suffered very bad morning sickness. So, the salon owner dismissed her telling her “you’re not dismissed I’m just letting you go”. The employee received £12 000 compensation. A hair salon owner allowed a stylist to work in her salon on a self-employed basis. The self-employed stylist refused to arrive for work 30 minutes before the salon was due to open. On the basis that the self-employed stylist was self-employed, the salon owner advised her that she no longer needed her services. The self-employed stylist took the salon owner to an employment tribunal. She won her case because she was not self-employed. As she was in fact an employee who had been unfairly dismissed. Therefore, she won and was awarded £5000 for unfair dismissal. A trainee hairdresser was awarded £ 20 500 compensation from her employer for months of sexual and racial harassment. Including him deliberately dropping his comb and forcing the trainee to bend […]
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 […]
