We’re fascinated each year to reflect on our most popular HR blogs. Every year we learn something new about what people want to read. Our Top 5 most popular HR blogs from 2019 In first place we have a blog on the pension rights of an employee with a terminal illness . This is one of the most difficult conversations for an employer to have with an employee. However, the topic obviously resonated with the 2029 readers . The second of our most popular HR blogs in 2019 advises employers on how to carry out a return to work interview . We’re encouraged that over 1700 people share our opinion that return to work interviews are an essential part of workplace attendance management. The thorny question of “Can I ban employees from eating breakfast at work?” takes third place in our most popular HR blogs of 2019. This was a particular pet hate of our Managing Director, Alison Driver, because she believes that once the start time has passed, employees should be working, not eating their breakfast! In the high tech world operating in today’s workplace we were expecting to see our blog on monitoring employees appear in the list. […]
Causes of Conflict Some people do not ask for help during conflicts at work because they are not always aware there is a problem or do not know when to ask for mediation. Conflict can arise in organisations because of miscommunication, misunderstanding, cultural differences, choice of language, poor leadership, ineffective management styles, unclear roles and responsibilities. As well as workplace issues creating conflict, work colleague’s personality types and personal issues are added to the mix at work, which can also create or exacerbate a conflict. Things like: personal problems at home, marital issues, cultural or gender differences, family problems, abrasive or submissive personalities (for instance, some personalities become annoyed with quiet, withdrawn type characters and others are fearful of loud or aggressive characters), some people are insensitivity to others feelings and what may seem trivial to one person could be a huge issue for another. Personal disappointments, coupled with unmet needs and a whole host of negative emotions, like guilt, fear or jealousy over promotion can also add to conflict. There are many emotions that are not directly related to work, but which people bring to the workplace that can cause conflict. The CIPD survey Managing Conflict at Work found […]
Clients regularly ask us does mediation work? Conflict is almost inevitable in most work relationships. Some conflict arises over technical issues – such as what tasks to do and how to do them which can be helpful at times as it drives a company forward to make improvements to processes and policies. However, interpersonal tension can easily damage relationships and lead to wider discord and malfunctioning teams. Some Facts 3 in 4 UK workers report good relationships with their line managers and almost 9 in 10 say they have good relationships with colleagues in their teams. By contrast, 1 in 10 reports a poor relationship with their line manager and 1 in 20 reports poor relationships with team colleagues. Despite this, a number of employees may experience flashpoints of conflict or unfair treatment at work: 3 in 10 workers report at least one form of bullying or harassment in the last year and 1 in 5 UK workers points to a blame culture among their managers and 1 in 5 also point to a lack of an inclusive culture in their teams. The organisational costs of conflict can include: management time being diverted to deal with the conflict instead of […]
It’s an awful conversation to have, being asked about the pension rights of an employee with a terminal illness. A recent decision by the Pensions Ombudsman seems clear that in terminal ill health cases the Ombudsman is prepared to closely scrutinise actions taken by the employer. Whilst decisions by the Pensions Ombudsman only apply to the case in which the decision is made, it seems wise to take note of what is being said. The recent decision focuses on the extent to which employers should provide information on pension rights of an employee with a terminal illness The Law There is no legal obligation for employers to advise employees about their pension rights The law prohibits anyone other than a person authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority from advising on pension rights. However, a distinction should be drawn between “advising” and “providing information”. There is no specific guidance about information relating to the pension rights of an employee with a terminal illness. This can make it tricky to know if you’re doing the right thing, but there is some good practice to consider. Good Practice For employees with terminal illness, there are likely to be different options available under their […]
There is a desperate need in the workplace for more mental health and suicide awareness. Every year between 5,500 and 6,000 people in Britain end their own lives – well over three times the number of people who die on our roads. Suicide is the leading cause of deaths in men under the age of 50 and men are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than women. Women in their early twenties are more likely to try and end their lives than other female age groups. And anyone who falls into a protected characteristic group (such as race, religion, sexual orientation etc) is also more susceptible to suicide due to possible previous experiences of bullying and harassment because of discrimination. Fortunately, this is something that most employers will never encounter, however, the potential risk of suicide is an important one and can often be linked to issues such as workplace stress, bullying or harassment. Suicide and work is a growing public health concern. There are a number of things that employers can do to try to prevent any employee feeling that they need to end their own lives. There are plenty of specialist organisations who can help employers to […]
Managing female employees in male dominated workplaces, on the face of it, should be no different than managing female employees in any work environment. Recent research published by Harvard Business School shows us that this isn’t the case. The research concluded that women engineers have a visibility problem. Like women in other ultra-masculine sectors, they are often excessively visible as women, but overlooked when it comes to their technical expertise. This paradox gets in the way of forming relationships at work and hurts their advancement. The interviewees agreed that the female body stands out in their workplaces in a sexualised way. One interviewee said that no matter what the work was that she was doing, some colleagues seemed to see her primarily as a potential date. Another said that rather than the quality of her work being the focus of attention, the way in which she looked in her overalls was a more common topic of conversation. The interviewees spoke at length about how their competence was obscured by their gender. They said that they felt sexually objectified, and they had to work harder than men to prove their technical competence. If employers want to become more supportive about managing […]
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 […]
We’ve been reviewing our 2017 files to find the 10 oddest non-work activities that employees have got up to at work when they should have been working! Our top ten list of the oddest non-work activities that employees have got up to at work is certainly memorable! The things that employees have been caught doing in 2017 when they should have been working include: An employee who was working on a scrapbook of her holidays that year. An employee who decorated their cubicle with chains of paper clips. The employee who used the privacy of his work cubicle to indulge his interest in origami. The female employee who brought her embroidery kit from home. She wanted to continue making embroidery items at work for a craft show that she was exhibiting at. The young worker who brought in a kitten she found outside the offices and tried to keep it quiet inside her large handbag. The employee working on her son’s school project that included using uncooked pasta shapes as decoration. The Care Assistant who was found lying on a patient’s bed talking to the patient while the patient sat in her wheelchair. The employee found watching YouTube videos of people shoving […]
If you have transgender staff employed in your business, you may to know what the legal situation is. A recent survey by Total jobs found that 43% of transgender people look for trans-friendly employers when they are job hunting. Employers who adopt HR policies in equality, diversity, gender transition issues, and transgender inclusive healthcare benefits are distinct. Lesbian, gay and bisexual employees may also take an organisation’s trans-friendliness as a good sign that they are welcome there. It is important that all employees know how to treat transgender staff employed in your business and the issues that may arise. Transgender Staff and Gender Reassignment Gender reassignment is a ‘protected characteristic’ under the Equality Act 2010. Treating an employee less favourably than others because of gender reassignment is unlawful and is an act of direct discrimination . It is also unlawful to discriminate indirectly by imposing a provision, criterion or practice that disadvantages transgender employees. These need to be justified objectively. The provisions also extend to businesses supplying goods and services to transgender members of the public. In a recent tribunal case, Bisson v Condor Ferries, a transgender passenger succeeded in claiming direct discrimination against a cross-channel ferry company. Condor Ferries had advised her to use the disabled toilet when she asked which facilities she should use. Toilet signs with the […]
This week, 3-9 September 2017, is Migraine Awareness Week. It made us reflect on a call from an employer we had recently helped with a female employee. She was absent from work because of a migraine for the third time in a month. His reaction of “it’s only a headache” made us reflect on migraines and the reality for some people. Claiming to have a migraine is one of the most popular excuses for “pulling a sickie” from work. A recent YouGov poll of 2,105 people found 15% of workers who admitted to making up illness to get a day off work used migraine as their excuse. The fact that people fake migraines puts real sufferers in a difficult position. Some employees say they fear they won’t be believed if they phone in sick with a migraine. Migraine Awareness Week statistics show that 1 in 7 people are affected by migraine. Migraine is the 6th highest cause worldwide of years lost due to disability. In the UK there are more people who suffer from migraine than with diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined. Over 6 million people suffer with a resulting loss of over 25 million working days. An estimated cost to the economy of […]
