The area of holidays and furlough has been clarified by the Government. So what do you do if you’re asked by an employee? Does annual leave accrue during furlough? Yes, employment rights continue including the right to accrue leave. Can you make an employee take annual leave during furlough? Yes you can make someone take annual leave during furlough. If you want to put people on leave whilst they are on furlough, you must give them the required notice to take leave pay them 100% of their normal pay If an employee has pre-booked holiday and now wants to cancel do I have to agree? No you don’t have to agree to this. If you require them to still take their leave you should pay them 100%. The legislation around carry over of leave has been relaxed. Employees are allowed to carry over 20 days of their entitlement from this year if they have been unable to use it. Employees have two years to use this leave that they have carried over. Can I make an employee take paid leave? This has been an employer’s right since the Working Time Regulations came into force in the UK. You have to […]
The area of holidays and furlough is still unclear. Government guidance doesn’t specifically address what happens with holidays and furlough. So what do you do if you’re asked by an employee? Does annual leave accrue during furlough? Yes, employment rights continue including the right to accrue leave. Can you make an employee take annual leave during furlough? We don’t know the answer to this because the Government haven’t answered the question. In all other areas of leave it isn’t possible for someone to have two statuses eg you can’t be on holiday and off sick, you can’t be at work and on holiday. On that basis we are finding it difficult to imagine that we will be able to put people on leave when on furlough. If you want to put people on leave whilst they are on furlough, the least you should do is pay them 100% of their normal pay give them the required notice to take leave If an employee has pre-booked holiday and now wants to cancel do I have to agree? No you don’t have to agree to this, but, see above, we think that you should pay them 100%. The legislation around carry over […]
One third of UK employees say that they’ve witnessed ageism in the workplace. It takes many forms. Many of use would like to think that we’re sensitive to others and wouldn’t wish to cause offence. Some others don’t seem to have that filter! Take language used. Least likely to cause offence are the terms “older” and “experienced”. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that terms like “sensei” “cougar” “grandma or grandpa” “wet behind the ears” “young whippersnapper” and “fogey” are more likely to cause offence. In 2012 a young worker won an age discrimination claim after showing that her line manager had referred to her as a “kid”, and even described her as a “stroppy teenager”. 88 year old employee Recently an 88 year old medical secretary became the oldest person in the UK to win a claim for ageism in the workplace Because the case has only just been decided we still don’t know how much the case will settle for – we won’t know that until October 2019. You can no longer require people to retire at 65. It’s increasingly likely that employers will have a workforce with older workers who choose to continue to […]
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 […]
If you’re looking for 5 simple steps to improve employee engagement you’ve come to the right place. Some of the things might not be considered trendy nowadays, but they have always worked as engagement strategies. They rely on some simple foundations, communicate well, praise sincerely and do what you say you’ll do! Get out from behind your desk Talk to your employees, listen to them, their problems and suggestions. Be ready to roll up your sleeves to help out when things are pressured, do whatever needs to be done. Show some sincerity Look for the good in people. When you see something you like, tell that person right away. Tell your people what you appreciate, and why. It’ll bring the best out in them. Role model Make it a priority to demonstrate your company’s values. If you really want to affect your culture, work hard to show your remployees your values and priorities. It makes natural that they will follow your lead. Get over yourself. This doesn’t mean that you lack self-confidence or that you don’t stand up for yourself. It means that you recognise that you don’t know everything and that you’re ready to learn from others. Demonstrate a […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
