We dream of owning our own business, we work hard to make it happen, then we start to grow the business and arrive at employing others to help in the project but how does Post Brexit compliance for employers impact us? Employing others is a huge step, complicated by responsibility to welfare, health and safety and the minefield of legal responsibilities placed into law by various governments past and present. How do you know if you have it right? What are the risks of getting it wrong? Who can I talk to, to ensure I get it right first time every time? Just when we’re feeling we have a handle on things the law changes, new laws are introduced. Our responsibilities move and the focus shifts. No one tells you things have changed! Because of this you’re left wondering how to resolve the matter Post Brexit Compliance for Employers Where are you in terms of legally employing people? The UK is a growing mix of races and cultures which makes our existence highly varied and colourful. We need to be ready to ensure we do not get swept along without realising the changes that impact us. In 2020 the government […]
Why won’t employees take responsibility for their actions is a question that many employers ask themselves. When you want someone to take responsibility you need to tell them, make sure that the conditions are right and monitor their outputs. But sometimes it’s not obvious that people are avoiding their responsibilities. The signs to look for are Lacking interest in their work, and in the well-being of their team colleagues. Blaming others for mistakes and failures. Making excuses regularly – they may often say “It’s not my fault,” or, “That’s unfair.” Regularly complaining about unfair treatment by team leaders and team members – and engaging in self-pity. Missing deadlines. Avoiding challenging tasks and projects, and not taking risks. Avoiding taking initiative, and being dependent on others for work, advice, and instructions. Lacking trust in team members and leaders. What can you do to change the situation? Start by talking to the person. Find out if there’s anything contributing to the situation. Are they work based issues that you can resolve? Or is stuff happening in their personal life that is affecting work? Do they lack skills or experience? It’s not uncommon when people leave an organisation to put their work responsibilities onto […]
Loads of research has been done to answer the question what makes a work team effective. Surprisingly, research is debunking the myth that a team either works or it doesn’t. It turns out effective team working is a skill that can be taught. I’ll qualify that, you can teach what makes a work team effective but you can’t overcome a lack of capability or skills to do the job! Have you recognised that your work team isn’t performing? It’s likely to be because they don’t have the right skills to work together effectively. What can you do? train your team members in how to work effectively in a team, or recruit for those skills Team working is a skill, a capability. It’s not an attitude or a personality trait. Yes, there are some people who are more naturally able to work effectively in a team. But, the skill can be learned, just like the technical skills to do the job. What are the skills that you need to work effectively in a team? Research shows that there are 4 capabilities for people to be effective working in teams. But the good news is you can train people to develop these […]
New employee not working out? Are you thinking that you have a new employee not working out? Do you think the person you appointed isn’t right for the job? The cost of recruiting a new employee in the UK averages out at £11,000.00. From a commercial perspective £11K isn’t small change. If you’re spending this kind of money regularly what can you do to save money and recruit the right person first time? As a manager some years ago, I appointed a new glass cutter to my team. In a matter of days, it became obvious that he couldn’t cut glass. He was a bad appointment. At that very moment one of my colleague managers needed a glass cutter for their shift and I chose that opportunity to off load my guy on to him. A few weeks passed. I bumped into my colleague manager and asked how his new glass cutter was getting on. He told me he was the best glass cutter he had. I was amazed at this. I wanted to understand how he’d achieved this. He replied, I watched him at work and identified where he was going wrong in his role. Once we addressed the […]
We have been asked recently can I check my employees COVID or vaccination status? First, you must be clear about what you are trying to achieve. By asking for an employee’s COVID status and how asking people for their COVID status helps to achieve this in your organisation. A person’s COVID status is special category data, as it is their private health information. Therefore, your use of this data must be fair, relevant and necessary for a specific purpose. Residents of England can now show their COVID status through use of the NHS COVID Pass. COVID status shows a person’s risk of transmitting COVID-19 and is based on vaccine and test data. People in England with a low risk of transmission can get a COVID Pass through the NHS App, 119 service or online. Residents of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can use other means of indicating their COVID status, should they need to. Data protection is only one of many factors to consider when thinking about implementing COVID status checks. You should take into account: employment law and your contracts with employees (if you are considering checking employees’ COVID status); health and safety requirements; and equalities and human rights, […]
Wondering how to deal with employees suffering with Long-COVID? Long-COVID is thought to have affected 2 million people in the UK who had symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks. Inevitably the Government is starting to face pressure to have long-COVID classed as a disability. Symptoms of long-COVID typically include extreme tiredness, brain fog and dizziness. A recent survey by the TUC showed that just over half of people with symptoms of long-COVID have experienced some form of discrimination or disadvantage at work. The most common reaction from employers has been reported as disbelief and suspicion with 19% of respondents saying that managers questioned the impact of the condition. The Equality Act 2010 defines “disability” as a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on a person’s ability to do normal daily activities. As such, there is a school of thought developing that there is a strong case for the emerging condition to be classed as such. How to deal with employees suffering with Long-COVID so that you appropriately manage the return to work is key. Managing the long-term effects on workers, so that you can put appropriate measures in place to support staff is challenging because we […]
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a serious, long-term condition, so how do I manage an employee with IBS? We are asked. IBS can cause disability and disrupts the working lives of many. Around 10-20% of the UK population living with IBS, this represents a significant number who are affected in the workplace. It is estimated that Britain’s businesses lose almost £3 billion every year through sick days related to gut health. As an employer, you may be unaware of IBS and its debilitating effects on those who have the condition. Understanding ways in which you can help your staff who have IBS will allow them to continue working to their full capacity. Be aware that stress is often an important factor in those with IBS. If they feel unable to approach you, it might make their condition worse. Although you may find it a little uncomfortable at first, talk to your employee about what you can do to support them. Workplace changes to consider flexible working, provide easy access to toilets, allow your employee to take regular work breaks, and ensure effective monitoring and management of workload. Am I Obliged to Make Special Allowances for Them? If an employee’s IBS […]
We are asked by clients; can I demote an employee? It can seem an attractive option, but it’s not without its legal risks. Demotion should be approached by employers and HR professionals with a degree of caution as an option in managing the workforce. As a potential sanction, it represents a significant change to an employee’s employment arrangements and one that they may be less than happy to accept. Demotion can take various forms including a change in job title, role, duties, and subsequently salary. An employer may look to demote an employee for a number of reasons, for example: Work performance. You may look to demote an employee as an alternative to dismissal. Usually after going through a performance management procedure, if stipulated in a contract of employment as an alternative sanction; As a disciplinary sanction. An alternative to dismissal in a case involving allegations of workplace misconduct and/or where the employee has substantial length of service; Changes in economic circumstances may result in a need to reorganise the employer’s business, including seeking to demote certain individuals. There are potentially legal pitfalls associated with demotion. It can mean a significant variation to the employee’s contract of employment. A change […]
How do I decide how much to pay someone is a surprisingly common question. Although not everyone is motivated by money, we know that most people reading job adverts are looking at the salary So is it as simple as that, pay more than your competition? No. Although it’s useful to do a search on sites like Indeed or CV Library to see locally how many organisations are recruiting to the same job as you and what they’re paying. We need to look at the factors within a job, and it’s comparison with other jobs in the organisation, to decide what is a fair rate of pay. Factors to consider in determining pay We are talking about jobs here, not people. Deciding what to pay people rather than what the job is worth is risky. It’s seemingly arbitrary decisions to pay different people different pay which leads to claims for equal pay or work of equal value. There are 4 main factors within a job to consider in when answering the question “How do I decide how much to pay someone?”. skill responsibility working conditions effort Skill There are lots of different kinds of skills that a job can require. […]
Following the successful rollout of vaccines against the COVID19 virus, we have been asked by clients, what should employers do when employees have been vaccinated from COVID19? Most people receiving the vaccine in the first wave are elderly and retired people. However, some younger working people have received the vaccine in the first wave. This could be because they are clinically extremely vulnerable or they are a health care worker or engaged in a similar sector. Following Lockdown Rules Anyone who receives the vaccine must continue to follow lockdown rules and your COVID-19 secure workplace procedures. These must still be adhered to as even vaccinated employees could potentially transmit the virus to unvaccinated people. Vaccination does alter an employer’s approach for some clinically highly vulnerable staff. Having the vaccine means these workers can better protect themselves. After both doses have been received, they may be able to finish shielding and return to the workplace. However, only if it’s essential that they return to the workplace and following an individual risk assessment. Current lockdown rules will apply to other employees who may still need to work from home, depending on the nature of the role. Planning for Wider Rollout Vaccinations in […]
