How to monitor remote employees and increase productivity is a question we are often asked by those managing remote workers. Where you manage a remote workforce, understanding the dynamics and how you influence them is a key part of your role. Your remote workers must maintain a productive mindset that fosters success. This is achieved by engaging employees and removing the potential feelings of alienation of working away from the office. Keeping your employees in a productive and consistent working state is an essential part to success. Disengaged and unmotivated employees aren’t likely to share your mission for success. But how do you track productivity levels? Monitoring is one approach. It can help encourage healthy productive habits. However, some people view employee monitoring as intrusive. They may also consider it an act of spying on the employee. To eliminate feelings of distrust, we must combine effective leadership skills and technology to increase productivity without alienating your team. As a leader you can look at using technological tools to stay in touch with the tasks being worked on. Taking time to find software that promotes productivity and communication is a good idea. Team communication is necessary to ensure engagement in a remote […]
If you think your employee is faking illness to take time off work, here’s a recent case to help you decide what you may need to do. An employee was on sick leave after a workplace accident. He was put under surveillance after suspicions were raised to the employer. He was seen to be walking easily. The employee was dismissed for fraud. However, he claimed that while he could walk, he could not perform his contractual duties at work. Furthermore, this required him to remain seated for long periods. The Employment Appeal Tribunal confirmed that an employee who dishonestly claims they cannot work because of an illness or injury breaches the trust and confidence. This is required of any employee in the employer/employee relationship. Their dismissal is a result of their conduct, not their capability. The procedures to be followed are those for dismissal for misconduct. The employer in this case was found to have carried out a reasonable investigation. As they genuinely and reasonably believed the employee was acting fraudulently. The dismissal was therefore fair. In cases of employees believed to be faking illness to take time off work, the issue is one of conduct. Therefore, this should be dealt with as a disciplinary issue. Employers should: ensure they […]
When the unemployment rate is low, how to create an effective employee retention plan becomes an urgent piece of work. Replacing employees is expensive. It can cost up to a third of the worker’s salary to find a replacement. The latest ONS statistics show that the unemployment rate in the UK continues to fall (the latest rate for 2018 is 4.2%). Organisations that aren’t serious about retention are risking real money. With around 727,000 jobs available, workers have plenty of opportunities to jump ship if they want to. The 2017 Investors In People Employee Sentiment Report shows that 25% of employees are actively seeking new employment. Whatever sector you’re in, establishing how to create an effective employee retention plan is critical. It isn’t a science, and it isn’t easy. Employee retention in a competitive market In today’s competitive labour market, keeping workers on board involves more than just making them happy on the job. Employers have to engage employees enough to avoid the temptations being dangled in front of them by other companies. A higher salary on its own can be a powerful incentive to leave; but the number one reason why people leave their jobs is because they don’t […]
How to manage world cup matches in work time could be tricky. With the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting this week, expect coffee breaks, lunches and hallway chats to be dominated by talk of this, for some, a beautiful game. Football can be a powerful icebreaker, allowing employees to transcend job titles. It is inevitable that some employees will want to keep up with the latest scores during working hours – ten games in the group stages will take place during European working hours. Don’t worry though, this doesn’t have to be a waste of time and resources. According to Gallup’s 2017 global survey, only 15% of full-time workers are truly engaged at work. Almost a quarter of employees surveyed by recruitment agency Adecco said they don’t think their employer tries to improve their happiness. The best predictor of workplace satisfaction, according to the Glassdoor research group, is the culture and values of the organisation, while compensation and benefits were consistently rated among the least important factors. The World Cup is a timely opportunity to engage workers. With an estimated audience of 3.5 billion worldwide, it’s the most-watched sporting event in TV history. Beyond the excitement of the tournament, it […]
A plumber has won a legal battle for working rights in a Supreme Court ruling. It is expected to have huge consequences for freelance workers across the UK who are classed as self employed contractors in the Gig Economy. The plumber had worked solely for Pimlico Plumbers for six years and despite being VAT-registered and paying self-employed tax, the court ruled he was entitled to workers’ rights. He argued his working relationship with Pimlico Plumbers meant he should be classed as an employee and not a subcontractor and therefore be entitled to certain employment rights. The worker wanted to reduce his working week from five days to three after suffering a heart attack in April 2011, but Pimlico Plumbers refused the request and took away his branded van. The employment tribunal found that he was classed as a worker, and therefore could proceed with his claims relating to unlawful wage deduction, statutory leave and disability discrimination. All cases like Uber, Deliveroo and now Pimlico, are all very different in how they work as companies and employees have different issues. Therefore, to protect yourself from any claims, try this simple test. If you use people who you think are self-employed contractors, check below to see if you have self- employed […]
Managing employees with piercings can create uncertainty about what you are, or are not, allowed to do as an employer. Body piercing (other than ear lobes) is more prevalent in women than men and more common in younger age groups. 46% of women aged 16-24 have had a piercing (other than in their ear lobe). This suggests that most employers will have have to think about a dress code policy for piercings. Whilst it’s acceptable in law for employers with employees with piercings to ban piercings, there are some things to think about. Some employers may feel that visible, non-earlobe piercings are at odds with the image that they’re trying to project. Because if this they may ask employees with piercings to remove them whilst at work. It’s worth stopping and considering how many of your employees are actually having client contact if this is one of your reasons for objecting to piercings. In today’s informal society, there’s actually a great deal of evidence to show that the most successful dress code is, by and large, to encourage your customer-facing employees to dress more or less like your customers. This puts your customers as well as your employees at ease, and will […]
Many clients ask, what is the best way to conduct a redundancy meeting? Making people redundant will never be an easy or enjoyable process, but there are some things you can do to handle the situation correctly and hopefully make it as painless as possible for all concerned. Announcing news about organisational change and subsequent redundancies is an emotional process for all parties involved. Unless you work for a huge PLC, most Managers and Directors know all their employees and find redundancies difficult conversations. You have probably worked with your employees for a number of years and maybe even developed a friendship with them so knowing what is the best way to conduct a redundancy meeting is important. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to do what is considered one of the worst roles a manger/director must perform in the workplace. Prepare for the redundancy meeting It’s not an easy task to deliver a redundancy notice. If you’re charged with making people redundant, it’s vital you prepare and practice to ensure you correctly deliver the desired information and help the person receive it accurately. Depending on your personality will depend on how you wish to approach […]
We’ve had a spate of enquiries this month about dealing with an employee who keeps taking time off to look after their child. Short term, no notice absenteeism is a really difficult issue for employers to cope with. It affects planned work, it affects other team members and it can affect customers. It can be very frustrating especially if it happens a lot. It’s important to remember that your employee has a contract of employment with you. That contract of employment will usually say how many hours a week that they are contracted to attend work. There’s an obligation on both sides here. You as the employer need to provide the hours of paid work that you’ve contracted with your employee. Your employee needs to attend work for the hours that they’ve signed to do, unless they’ve agreed to take annual leave or in some other way agreed to a change. An employee who frequently fails to be available to carry out their contracted hours can be accused of “frustrating” the contract of employment. Frustration of contract can lead employers to a decision to terminate the employment relationship. This kind of decision needs care. The law Parental Leave Parental leave can be used […]
Emergency Leave An employee is allowed time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. A dependant could be a spouse, partner, child, grandchild, parent, or someone who depends on them for care. The employee is allowed a reasonable amount of time off to deal with the emergency, but there’s no set amount of time as it depends on the situation. For example, if your child falls ill, they can take time off to go to the doctor and make care arrangements. As the employer, you can ask the employee to take annual leave or parental leave if they want to look after their child for longer. There are no limits on how many times you can take time off for dependants. However, as the employer, you may want to talk to the employee if you think time off is affecting their work. Nor do you have to pay the employee for this time off. Make sure there is a clause in your Staff Handbook regarding this type of leave though. Employees may be entitled to time off when a dependant is involved in the following emergencies. Illness, injury or assault – This includes mental or physical illnesses that […]
