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. […]
We have had a few of our clients ask for more information on the Good Work Plan 2020 for Agency Workers. We have tried to establish the status of the legislation surrounding Agency Workers. However, it’s still showing as a draft piece of legislation, which is likely to be in place on 6 April 2020. However, the General Election may affect this. Consecutive Contracts to be Banned Assuming that the legislation goes through, from 6 April 2020 you will be required to provide your workers with a statement of their rights on day 1 of their engagement. This means, what you will not be allowed to do is to offer a worker consecutive 12-week contracts in the same role. That is to say, this practice is expected to be banned from 6 April 2020 as an exploitative method of employing people. Same Rate of Pay Your obligation to pay temporary workers the same rate as employed staff remains unchanged if they are on an assignment in the same role for longer than 12 weeks. Agency workers can, at the moment, opt out of receiving the same pay as employed staff after the 12 weeks, this will no longer be the […]
If you’re planning on introducing Return to Work Interviews, your next move is likely to be wondering how to carry out a return to work interview. 64% of employers believe that Return To Work (RTW) interviews reduce absence levels so it’s certainly worth considering doing them. RTW interviews can be an effective method of reducing absence, but only if the interviews themselves are carried out effectively. RTW interviews are much more than the old fashioned “sick parade” approach to dealing with people coming back to work. They are not an interrogation of employees reasons for absence. Why carry out a return to work interview? By carrying out RTW interviews, and making it clear in your sickness policy that you will do so, you can discourage unauthorised and non-genuine sickness absence. When should you carry out a return to work interview? Ideally the line manager would meet with the employee on their first day back from absence, however long, or short, that period of absence was. If the employee is field based, or geographically distant, a RTW interview by phone is acceptable. What should you cover in the Return to Work Interview? welcome employees back and check they are well enough to […]
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 […]
HR issues in British Manufacturing are looming large. Britain’s manufacturers are facing the biggest shortage of skilled workers since 1989. The UK has record levels of employment and falling numbers of EU nationals coming to the country to work since the Brexit vote. The recruitment difficulties come as the UK employment rate stands at the highest level since 1971, while unemployment is at its lowest since 1975, making it harder for companies to hire new workers without offering higher wages. A massive 80% of manufacturers struggled to hire the right employees in the final months of 2018. This shortage isn’t restricted to manufacturing with 70% of service sector firms reporting similar difficulties finding employees with the right qualifications and experience. Net migration from the rest of EU to the UK has slumped to a 6 year low. The weaker pound has made it less attractive for foreign nationals to come to Britain to work, while Brexit has also raised the prospect of tougher immigration rules in future. Production in the manufacturing sector hit its fastest pace of growth in six months in December as firms stockpiled in preparation for potential border holdups in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Create a […]
We have been asked in the past who should pay National Minimum Wage? The answer, quite simply is everyone. Some employers think they are above the law when deciding what they will pay their employees. The National Minimum Wage applies to every employee in the UK regardless of the number of hours they do, what work they perform or even what age or nationality they are. Employees may make a claim against their employer any time with the tribunal service if they believe they are being underpaid the national standards. Those employers who have been questioned and fined by HMRC have come up with some great excuses, here are just a few: Unbelievable Excuses why Employers do not pay National Minimum Wage. The employee wasn’t a good worker so they didn’t deserve to be paid the National Minimum Wage. Offer a performance review meeting, do some training or discipline the employee for poor performance. Don’t under pay them. It’s part of UK culture not to pay young workers for the first three months as they have to prove themselves. No it is not. Although younger workers (under 25) are given a lower wage band, employers still have to adhere these […]
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 […]
Most work places are beginning to think about the office Christmas party that’s coming up rather than thinking of recruiting this side of Christmas. However, December is actually a prime time for snapping up talented staff. Despite the general perception that January is when everyone starts looking for new jobs, December is far more ideal. Planning Ahead If you’re planning to recruit more staff, it would be logical to think that January is the time to start looking. It’s true that many people will return to work after a Christmas break and make a New Year’s resolution to find a new challenge. There will always be plenty of candidates available in January. Equally, there’s likely to be plenty of jobs on offer too. Companies also see the New Year as a fresh start and the right time to recruit too. Therefore, competition will be high in the New Year. If you get ahead of the opposition, you have the advantage of offering an individual a job instead of having to negotiate. Especially if they have been offered alternative employment elsewhere. You may end up having to offer a higher salary than you’d planned in order to secure the person you […]
Toxic Workers Every organisation has at least one Toxic Worker, those people who exude negativity. They don’t like their jobs or they don’t like the company. They dislike their bosses and they feel they are always being treated unfairly. You can’t control how people act all of the time, but you do have control over how you react with them. Calling them to a meeting for an informal chat to discuss their behaviour may be your first port of call in nipping their toxicity in the bud. Be clear about which workplace rules they are breaking and how it affects the workplace as a whole. However, if the toxic worker is more than just irritating and annoying – they may be abusive, behave inappropriately and unprofessionally. If you think they are bringing the company into disrepute or another employee complains, this is the time to take more formal action. Some toxic workers operate under the radar of their employers. They may come across positive and outgoing openly with their managers, whilst talking negatively to belittle, criticize and slander those workers they feel they can control and manipulate. They could possibly persuade other co-workers to do their dirty work for them, whilst outwardly they maintain their angelic façade! What to do? Don’t allow the […]
It’s a goal that many organisations have, how to make new employees more productive more quickly. You’ve spent a lot of time, money and energy on recruiting them in the first place. It’s not unreasonable that you now want a quick return on your investment is it? In theory, no, but in practice, probably, yes. There are a number of answers to how to make new employees more productive more quickly. The simple and most straightforward is to design a really thorough induction programme. Just because the new recruit has the skills you were looking for, doesn’t mean they will telepathically know what you want from them as an employee. They need to know “how things work round here”. You have to ensure that they get that information early on, and are monitored to assure them (and you) that they are picking it up correctly. The new recruit, hopefully, will be enthusiastic, keen to learn and keen to make an impression. Your induction programme needs to capitalise on this. How enthusiastic would you be if you spent your first week just following people around, listening to what goes on, reading brochures and watching company videos? Not as enthusiastic at the end […]
