Today is National time to talk day. It is a day that helps people to become more aware of mental health issues and how to talk about them. Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet too many people are made to feel isolated, ashamed and worthless because of this. Time to Talk Day encourages everyone to be more open about mental health – to talk, to listen, to change lives. The need to deal with mental health in the workplace is becoming increasingly prominent. According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in seven people are experiencing mental health problems in the workplace and 13 per cent of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental ill-health. Therefore, we created this guidance blog to help employers understand and learn how to manage mental health in the workplace. Encourage conversations Starting a conversation with an employee about mental health doesn’t have to be difficult. Encouraging an open culture where employees feel like they can talk to each other and/or managers will help alleviate stress in the workplace. Dealing with sick notes It is important for you to deal with a medical certificate stating mental ill-health […]
In April 2019 new legislation on payslips and employers’ responsibilities were introduced by the government. The new law states that itemised payslips must be given to employees or workers. But a recent report shows that one in ten UK workers still doesn’t get a payslip, and thousands of businesses are at risk of prosecution. Today, you need to give itemised payslips to all workers, including staff on casual, agency and zero-hour contacts. It can be difficult to tell the difference between employees and workers, and many UK businesses hire a mix of both. In short, employees have a “contract of employment” with you and workers don’t. For now, the most important thing to remember is that all workers and employees need payslips and all payslips must be itemised. That means they must show: Gross and net pay. Deductions from pay. The number of hours worked where pay varies based on the amount of time worked (more on this shortly). How you pay your workers’ wages if you use multiple payment methods (such as if you pay part in cash and part in BACS). Depending on the types of contracts you have with your staff and what hours they work will […]
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 […]
Seven Things to Look For Deciding whether to promote an employee to a management position and succession planning in general is a challenge for many of you. However, not every employee is a born leader. When looking at succession planning there are seven characteristics of a potential candidate that may not be what you’d like to see when thinking about offering a promotion. Do not fall into the trap of promoting someone just because they have been there the longest. Here are some traits to look out for that may make you want to think twice about that promotion offer. Never asking for help When a high-performing employee never asks for help, it might seem that they are extremely talented and self-driven. However, a self-sufficient employee doesn’t always make for a good candidate for a managerial position. A good manager can effectively delegate tasks and ask for input from their teams. If an employee never asks colleagues for help, this may be a sign that the person would not reach out to staff once promoted. Ignoring colleagues’ problems Employees who go above and beyond on their own projects, but never lend a helping hand to co-workers in need, may not […]
Further to the previous blog: 4 Ways Employers Lose Money Through Poor HR Policies, we continue to look at how some Employers lose money unnecessarily because they haven’t followed legislation, or simply do not have the right policies and procedures in place. 1. Health and Safety Make sure you provide the required basic health and safety training when an employee starts. There could be a £20,000 HSE penalty if you don’t. The risk to new employees is doubled in their first 6 months of employment. At the very least new employees should be given information on your fire alarm, evacuation and first aid provisions. What if there is a fire or someone injures them self and does not know what the procedure is? In a serious case this could lead to investigation by the HSE, prohibition order and fines. Make sure you have an adequate induction process in place for new employees especially for young or inexperienced workers. With the introduction of Intervention Costs (where an inspector identifies issues during a visit), can you afford to think Health and Safety is just another burden to be ignored? 2. Staff Motivation Hang onto good staff by providing the motivation good staff […]
We are asked regularly, how do you get good managers? There are many ways to get good managers and get the best from them. Communicating Communicating clear expectations mean that both managers and employees understand the role of organisational leaders. Certainly, the best leaders find a way to thrive within an organisation. However, they also need effective organisational support to fulfil their true potential. Therefore, given the right tools and a proper support network, there’s no reason why your managers can’t become the influential people you need to lead your business to success. Strategising Great leaders are brave enough to make sweeping changes and need a range of skills. However, one of the most important traits in any leader is knowing when something is or isn’t working. Some managers can get caught in a loop of reactive activities, like solving functional problems or achieving short-term objectives. Great leaders need to be strategic in nature. Therefore, they need to meet operational goals whilst planning for future success. Analysing Good managers can see how their decisions will affect the organisation. Therefore, their decisions can be interpreted by everyone from employees, to competitors, and to the media. So, this involves different levels of […]
The 6 essential aspects of workplace culture are : Purpose Connecting employees to your organisation Opportunity Providing employees with the opportunity to learn Success Giving employees the opportunity to do meaningful work and be in winning teams Appreciation Acknowledging and recognising employees contributions Wellbeing Paying attention to employees’ health and physical and social wellbeing Leadership Connecting employees to purpose and empowering them to do great work Research by OC Tanner* shows us organisations that marginally improve in each of the 6 essential aspects of workplace culture see dramatic improvements. Those improvements show in recruitment, retention, satisfaction and other business metrics. Not convinced? 1 in 5 employees think that there is no reason for their organisation to even exist 38% of employees think that their organisation negatively affects the lives of others More than 1 in 3 employees are often bored with their work responsibilities Nearly half of employees feel that their skills are under utilised in their current role 1 in 5 employees say they do not do their best work because no one else does Almost 50% of employees feel that their employer takes them for granted 49% of employees say that the recognition they receive is not authentic or […]
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 […]
Yesterday we were asked “What is the difference between an HR Consultant and an Employment Lawyer?” That got us to thinking. Cost is the obvious difference. An Employment Lawyer is possibly more expensive than an HR Consultant. We decided that the differences were probably more detailed than that if you’re an employer trying to make a decision. Obviously we are likely to be making generalised statements in this blog. We advise that whether engaging an HR Consultant or an Employment Lawyer you check out first their experience of dealing with your kind of issue. Why Choose an HR Consultant? An HR Consultant is likely to have spent many years “in the trenches”, dealing with employee challenges within organisations. They may even have been an operational manager and know what it’s like managing people on a day to day basis. They will likely have a proactive approach to managing your workforce. We would expect that they translate theory into practice for you, helping you to implement HR best practice, helping you to respond reactively to issues which arrive. You can expect that the HR Consultant will undertake continuous professional development. They’re unlikely to have a law degree but they should have a […]
Outsourced HR is when an employer pays a monthly fee to an external HR Consultancy Services company for professional HR advice and support. One third of small/medium sized companies now use outsourced HR support. Why should you consider using outsourced HR? If you already have some HR support in your business, consider what aspects of that support the Company would benefit from being improved? There are many different areas of HR. Different HR professionals will be experts in their own field. For example, an experienced employee relations HR professional will be effective at managing complex people problems. They do this whilst maintaining the reputation of your business. An HR professional experienced in recruiting will have the industry contacts to find the best places for recruiting talented employees and managing the candidate processes. Why use Metis HR for your outsourced HR? We take the burden off you letting you focus on your core business rather than your HR challenges. We’re likely to be more cost efficient than you employing an HR professional in house who potentially won’t be fully utilised. Using Metis HR for your outsourced HR will give you access to very experienced HR expertise that maybe isn’t available inside your Company. […]
