Preventing People Problems

National Apprenticeship Week 2012

2012-02-10T09:52:00.000Z

No this isn’t a blog about a reality TV show whereyoung apprentices are sacked with the ominous words “You’re fired”, but to promote National Apprenticeship Week (#NAW2012). NationalApprenticeship Week has been going full steam this week, raising the profile ofthe benefits of taking on an apprentice in a business. Apprenticeships are agreat way for individuals to gain qualifications and workplace experience dueto the on-the-job learning alongside a mentor. Though an apprenticeship doesn't guarantee a permanent role at the end of it, it is a great positive endorsementof creating more apprenticeship schemes as well as helping reduce thecatastrophic million 16-24 year olds currently unemployed. An apprentice becomestrained to a high standard in a profession or trade. Research has shownrecently that older workers, not your traditional school leaver at 16-18 yearsold, are turning to apprenticeships to gain new skills and an actual job.

From a business perspective apprenticeship schemes aregreat if you get a good, hard working apprentice and there is program oflearning and development. Modern apprenticeships usually include a day releaseto a local college to enhance further the vocational learning with industryspecific NVQ’s. This means apprentices can get on-the-job training leading toa nationally recognised standard, developed by industry. There is a minimumwage for an apprentice currently set at £2.60 an hour, but to take on an apprentice/employee for cheap work is not a traditional ormodern apprenticeship. As the old saying goes, you only get back what you putin. Business Secretary Vince Cable announced earlier this week that from nextweek small firms will be able to apply for an incentive payment of £1,500 totake on their first apprentice in 2012/13.

Ifyou have never employed an apprentice before, naturally you may not know theins and outs of apprenticeship schemes. The CIPD have released a comprehensiveguide on apprenticeships. Download for free here

Be warned though apprenticeship contracts are usuallyfor a period of time, i.e. until the apprenticeship is served. Dismissing anapprentice prior to the completion of their time has hit the news before

Apprenticeshipsare a great way to help train and give skills in an industry or trade and wewould be delighted to help anyone considering doing so with more information onhow to set an apprenticeship up.

Havea good weekend, Lord of The HR Dept.

To tie or not to tie?

2012-02-03T10:06:00.001Z

Werecently ran a poll that stated 63% of respondents (SME business owners) statedthey have an enforced dress code policy in their business, though the formalityof the code varied depending on the industry and nature of employee. This weekBritons were accused by the newly appointed chief at the Victoria and AlbertMuseum of being scruffy in their ‘dress down’ approach at work, specificallythe lack of men wearing a tie.

Firstimpressions still count and whilst having a relaxed dress code for creativestaff for example may seem ‘cool’, the people they are selling to are often less tolerantand consider ‘laid back’ to be scruffy and assume the quality of the work willbe the same. We are not suggesting dress codes should include formal suit andties; after all the likes of David Cameron and Prince William often wear opennecked shirts, in a bid to relate to their audiences.

Havinga policy and enforcing it consistently is the key, but what does your dresscode say about your business?

Whatis the oddest request you have seen in a dress code policy; Send us a tweet@thehrdept

By theway;

Webelieve Mickey Mouse could be in line for 'beard of year' in the annual Beard Liberation Front awards in 2012,following the story that cast members at Disneyland can now grow facial hairwhich had previously been banned under their strict dress code since 1955.

It's a number's game

2012-01-27T11:10:00.001Z

Wehave compiled a weekly round-up of HR and business news in numbers:

0.2% - UK growth contracted 0.2% in the last three months of 2011. Whatdoes 2012 hold for everyone?

£300 could be what businesses in a Scottish city are charged for their ownparking spaces provided to employees. A reserved car parkingspace at work is often highly prized... Early bird catches the worm!

At the time of writing, it is 182 days, 10 hours, 56 minutes and 6 secondsuntil the British Olympic Games begin. Basically, it is 6 months todaythat the hype of the Olympics will reach its peak. There could be anopportunity for your business to take advantage of the Olympics, but also beaware of employees wanting time off to attend /watch/volunteer at the games, soplan ahead.

£963,000 - The bonus paid to RBS chief Stephen Hester, who will be receivingthe hefty sum as a bonus in shares. It has caused an outcry given the bailoutprovided to RBS and their ongoing cost cutting exercises.

2.69 million is the unfortunate number of rising UK unemployment. Withoutwearing rose coloured glasses, it is positive that the government has announcedits’ Youth Contract to help and support employers inrecruiting young people. This needs to get moving quickly.

£68 million is the substantial amount of compensation given to ex-Woolworthsstaff. An employment tribunal ruled that administrators had failed to followredundancy procedures and awarded ex-workers a protected award for failing toconsult.

£158 million - You will read more information about salary sacrifice schemes inour upcoming newsletter (which you can subscribe to here for free) butthis week we find recruitment firm Reed could lose up to £158m in a ruling in atribunal that it’s tax bills were incorrect when providing a salary sacrificescheme to its’ temporary workers.

£1 trillion – British debt hits £1 trillion mark in December.

Difficult to comprehend really because writtenout it is - £1,000,000,000,000

Balancingthe books is always a priority!

Time to Change - let's talk about mental health

2012-01-18T10:19:00.000Z

It was during a TV advertbreak this week that a particular advert appeared that caught our attentionand led us to discover more and promote the ‘Time to Change - let’s talk aboutmental health’ campaign launched by the Department of Health. The advert focuses on an employee returning to work following a periodof absence due to a mental health issue. A colleague asks them, ‘how are you?’

It is a powerful advert andno doubt many people have been afraid to ask the same simple question in asituation where they know someone has been away from the workplace due to mental illness.

There is a stigma attachedto mental health, and we are encouraging all organisations to sign up to find out more about the campaign anddispel that stigma by talking about the issues.

Handling these oftensensitive subjects can be tricky for anyone within a business and often we areunaware of any issue until something happens or an individual confides in you.Being supportive, understanding and pointing someone in the right direction ofsupport is imperative.

Just saying ‘cheer up’ or‘you have got to pull yourself together’ are not effective methods of support –being non-judgemental, confidential, supportive and listening is a good place tostart.

You can make a pledge ofsupport by clicking here, we have.

'Blue Monday'

2012-01-13T10:07:00.002Z

Producing a better workplace environment will increase productivity of employees. We've recently heard that workplace plants can ‘reduce depression, anxiety andoverall stress’, as well as other suggestions like reducing the amount of thecolour red within the workplace, and ensuring you sit so your back is notfacing the entrance to your work.

Theseare all relatively minor suggestions to help employees/workers get over ‘BlueMonday’ - Monday 16^th January 2012 which apparently is the most depressingday of the year. After the highs of Christmas/New Year, people then tend tohave a lull in emotions. Obviously this isn’t to be confused with depression.

Whetheror not it will cost the UK economy £93 billion in lost productivity/absence isdifficult to measure and imagine to be honest.

Havinga physically better working environment as well as fostering a positive workethic is naturally going to assist in the growth of a business and its’personality too.

Togive you food for thought, imagine if you worked here...

Health,happiness and prosperity for 2012 to all.

Youthful encouragement

2012-01-06T10:25:00.001Z

Youth unemployment is already a growing problem and the Government are concerned that 16-24 year olds may become a ‘lost generation’ to the current and future workforce. This demographic has record high unemployment figures across the board, a staggering 1.02 million. Therefore much debate has started about how to create more jobs in general, but a focus has been placed on the younger generation in recent government initiatives.

This year we will see the launch of the £1 billion ‘Youth Contract’ which will provide 410,000 work places over a 3 year period for 18-24 year olds, with wage subsidies worth £2,275 handed to employers to take on 160,000 young people through The Work Programme. The subsidy will certainly be useful in its encouragement to get any size employer to take employee(s) on through this scheme and provide vital experience. More details need to emerge about the scheme in general but it is a positive step forward. The scheme will be open to the voluntary sector and there are also payment incentives to provide apprenticeships.

The HR Dept is encouraging business owners to sign up via a new website to get more information about the scheme when more details emerge.

For further information click here

Twas the night of the office Christmas party...

2011-12-19T10:10:00.001Z

Let’sall deck the halls with boughs of holly

Partytime, the season to be jolly

Withshort skirts, earrings and reindeer hats

A fewvodkas at home and then off to get rats'd

As grumpyJohn from accounts asks Edna to dance

Inwalks the boss, just back from France

Hemakes straight for the bar, full of French bonhomie

Andsays “Over here folks the drinks are on me”

Thisis the moment when he should have known better

Butit’s all a laugh, bit of fun and he’s a go getter.

Nextthing he knows Lucy’s perched on his knee

Andhe’s fooling about and his hands are quite free.

Herboyfriend takes umbrage, Lucy heads for the loo.

Itgoes down in history as a “hell of a do”.

Butcome the next day with his head in his hands

Heopens a letter that makes big demands:

Sexualharassment and a promised pay rise

Willhis wife believe that it’s really just lies?

From all at The HR Dept, we wish you a very Merry Christmas

Why letting loose snakes into the office isn't the best idea...

2011-12-13T10:21:00.000Z

Thisweek we came across a rather unusual report of an angry Indian snake charmerletting snakes loose in a government office! Apparently Mr Hakkul, who wasthe go-to when there was a snake on the loose in the area, campaigned for aplot of land to keep his snakes. After several delays in dealing with hisrequest, Mr Hakkul had come to the end of his tether and had his revenge on theofficials, causing chaos.

Photo from BBC

Thiscleverly links us to the importance of leadership and management within anyorganisation. The HR Dept continues to preach about being proactive rather thanreactive. Sadly no one has a crystal ball; however foreseeing issues beforethey come to a head, is the key to dealing with issues effectively. In thiscase, there had clearly been miscommunication, confusion and upset felt by MrHakkul. Ignoring a problem and assuming it will go away will not achieveanything, in an extraordinary case like this or in the office environment.

The HRDept advises managers as always to identify an issue quickly before it becomesa problem and escalates. Following policies and procedures will enable you todeal with difficult situations more successfully. The role of a manager is notjust in the title, it is the ability to manage people and ‘prevent peopleproblems’...

"Help Wanted"

2011-12-08T10:55:00.001Z

Why itis never good when you see an advert posted for your own job...

After seeing a ‘helpwanted’ advert in a newspaper for a position that looks suspiciously like yourown and included your boss’s phone number, what might you do? We recently cameacross this tale and this is exactly what happened to an employee of anarchitect’s firm in Florida.

Theemployee, confused, believing they were about to lose their job, made the rashdecision to go to the architect’s office and erase an eye watering seven yearsworth of drawings and blueprints, estimated to be worth $2.5m (£1.5m).

Naturallythe employee was caught, arrested, charged... and then fired.

Makingmatters even worse, it turns out the job was for the owner’s wife’s business.

Wonderingwhether the employee submitted an application for the other role? Probably not.

Unemployed youth: Disillusioned or misunderstood?

2011-12-02T11:01:00.001Z

The HR Dept is disappointed and concerned to see that figures of youth unemployment have recently reached record highs. We recognise that the majority of unemployed 16-24 year olds do make every effort to get on the job ladder, but at the moment there are limited opportunities. However, Conservative politician Norman Tebbit has gone further and criticised the lack of ‘get up and go’ from UK graduates, sparking an interesting debate on motivation of the younger UK workforce at a time of high unemployment generally.

The reality is though, that the figures are likely to get worse before they get better. The Government will launch a £1 billion ‘youth contract’ to fund six month work placements for up 410,000 individuals. This is very positive, as it is so often the case that young workers have the theoretical knowledge but not the practical application. It has the potential to help build a younger worker’s confidence as everyone remembers their first day of work as it can be daunting stepping into an unknown environment! Once we know more about it, we will put more information out.

Find something you enjoy and are good at and you will hit the ground running

The critical point about younger workers disillusionment with the working world can be highlighted with some research we discovered recently - finding that a staggering 48% of people aged 16-24 said they would not work for a firm that prohibited social media use. Whether for work purpose or not, it shows a new trend of younger individuals looking to use social media in every part of their lives, whether it be personal or working.

Advice is to any young worker looking for their first role:

Look for something you want to get involved in or a role which you can match your skills against and present yourself as a positive, hard working and ambitious candidate and deliver on that promise.

Christmas parties - Where has the fun gone?

2011-11-23T09:15:00.001Z

Whereindeed?

It isthe definition of fun in regards to a Christmas party that needs some refining:

Asocial meet up at Christmas to thank staff members for theircontribution to the business, whether paid for or not.

Theproblem is that there are so many stories that come out of Christmas partiesthat it means it can all sound like employment law and HR is the ChristmasGrinch!

Thoughit may not sound like the Christmas spirit the reality is a business can beliable for the action of their staff and be the ones footing any legal bill.

HRDept top tips for a Christmas Party without further cost;

Make sure all of your staff (including directors) are aware that the Christmas party is an extension of the workplace. Yes, people should enjoy themselves but as a business owner you have a responsibility to them and you could be the one picking up the pieces
Ask employees to use their common sense. Regardless of where you hold it, they are employees representing your business brand
Be mindful if you have any staff under the age of 18
If the party is in the office, keep the photocopier out of bounds
Have a range of food and soft drinks available so that individuals religious observance is catered for
If the staff do is during the week, make clear that everyone is expected at their desks at normal time the following day - or organise it on a Friday!

Here are some examples why:

'Gossip about an employees pregnancy following a Christmas party'

'Teacher loses sacking appeal after punch up'

'Explicit text message told husband of wife's affair'

'Millionaire boss humiliated as tribunal rules he sexually harassed employee'

We aren’t part of the ban the Christmas party brigade,it is these and many other untold stories that did not hit the media serveas a reminder of an employer’s liability when organising an event that shouldbe seen as reward and time of enjoyment.

Anti Bullying Week 2011 “Stop and think – words can hurt”

2011-11-18T10:11:00.001Z

This week is Anti Bullying Week, with the theme “stop and think - words can hurt”, a campaign that the HR Dept echoes.

Creating a policy to combat bullying and harassment is great down on paper, however it is the example set by management and proactive actions of all staff which will determine the success of any policy, especially in regards to action against bullying and harassing behaviour.

There have been several cases in the past accompanied by hefty compensation payouts for victims of bullying and harassment where is it is clear there have been fundamental failures in regards to dealing with incorrect behaviour.

Being left out in the workplace can be a form of bullying

Bullying and harassment comes in many shapes and forms and is defined by the eye of the beholder. There is no exhaustive list stating ‘this is bullying or this is harassment’ but it comes down to not treating another human being with dignity and respect.

The ability of management to set an example but to also spot the signs of any incorrect behaviour in the workplace is crucial in order to deal with any issue promptly and professionally.

Delivery of your policy is fundamental and here is The HR Dept advice:

Foster a culture of openness
Zero tolerance on bullying - set this out from day one
Treat everyone with dignity and respect - this is your brand and reputation
Investigate thoroughly any allegation of wrong doing
Be aware of the rise of social media and actions of bullying/harassment can take place outside the actual work environment

Winter 'Trips'

2011-11-10T10:17:00.003Z

This week we have a special guest blog from Maxine of The HR Dept’s Healthand Safety Service. Get in touch via twitter @MMatthewsHRHS

As the winter season approaches, employers should be hoping theonly ‘trips’ their staff experience this winter are for late winter sun and skiing. Slips, trips and falls account for 33% of all majorinjuries in the workplace - which results in 2 fatalities a year. On averagethere is 1 slip, trip and fall every 3 minutes, an alarming number ofpreventable accidents. So with figures so high how can we reduce these,especially with winter and the inevitable snow creeping up on us?

Maxine has provided some top tips on how to avoid slipstrips and falls in the workplace this winter season:

· Carry out work place inspections -ensuring nothing is left in walkways for example; boxes, trailing cables, workequipment.

· Get your staff involved in hazardspotting, carry out workplace risk assessments.

· With the cold and icy weather, ensureoutside areas are gritted to prevent slips and falls. Encourage staff to wearsuitable footwear during the cold snap, high heels look good but are really notpractical on ice and snow!

· Ensure spillages and melted snow arecleared up – without forgetting the all important yellow sign.

· Implement an efficient housekeepingprocedure.

· Ensure any damaged flooring isreplaced or fixed.

This should get you off to a downhill start on controllingtrips in the workplace…

The HRDept is promoting awareness of Health and Safety in the workplace, and wishingall places of work an accident free environment.

@MMatthewsHRHS

National Stress Awareness Day 2011

2011-11-02T12:34:00.000Z

Todaymarks National Stress Awareness Day, with the theme this year being ‘Wellbeingand Resilience at Work’. With cut backs across the board, especially in smalland medium sized businesses and ‘survivors’ of redundancies picking up theslack, we at The HR Dept are not surprised to hear that stress levels in theworkplace have doubled in the last 4 years.

Wealways advise employers to have a proactive approach in HR, but particularlywith issues related to stress. Kate Stuart, a massage therapist who worksthrough one stress related knot at a time, has provided a great way foremployers to spot the signs of stress in their workers:

S -houting

T - earfulness
R- eddening or blushing
E- xhaustion
S- leeplessness
S- ighing

Itwas recently revealed that stress was the main cause for long term absence, as demonstratedby António Horta-Osório, Chief Executive of Lloyds Banking Group who has taken temporary leave due to fatigue. Kate adds “where the responsibilityof the level of care is falling on the shoulders of employers, offering wellbeing services for employees could be a small investment”.

By identifying issues early,employers can prevent stress related absence and waning performance.

To find about more about NationalStress Awareness Day, go to http://www.isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day/

Having a Quiet Word

2011-10-28T10:02:00.001+01:00

Making the considerablefinancial investment to recruit, train and then hold onto talented workers isan even more time consuming activity during unstable economic times, but thoroughlyworth it in the long run. Your brand will only grow if you have committedemployees talking positively and proudly about your product or service.

This week has seen proposals for sacking lazy workers, a report leaked in The Daily Telegraph about abolishing unfair dismissal rights and the idea of being able to‘have a quiet word’ in an under performing employees’ ears without repercussion. This has totally shifted the focus that good management standards andleadership are a vital force in being able to motivate and manage a workforcefor success.

Any reduction in red tapeis always going to be welcomed whether in large or small businesses; however theyaren’t really that helpful. Any amendment or abolishment to any employment lawtakes time, and will always throw up other issues. In the case of the threeproposals above, this will lead to an increase in discrimination,whistle-blowing and health and safety claims at employment tribunals. Thesetypes are often the most expensive claims to deal with in terms of actuallygetting to a tribunal to defend a case.

The reality is (and we knowthis because we speak to SME business owners everyday) a claim by a disgruntledemployee is an employers biggest fear, because even if there isn’t a legalbasis to the claim, they have to spend money defending it robustly and theirtime is taken up dealing with it, not focused on growing their business.

HR rant over – onwards andupwards

Is it OK to dismiss staff by text message?

2011-10-21T10:14:00.000+01:00

Let’s quickly answer that one: NO!

Text messaging is a great way to communicate quickly to contacts, but it is impossible and unethical to convey a difficult and delicate dismissal message in 160 characters.

What might that text message read like? It might resemble what Lord Sugar says in “The Apprentice”, “It is with regret that you are fired” [ending with a finger pointing emoticon?]

It has The HR Dept running for the hills!

We’ve also come across other shocking ways in which employees have been let go; a schoolgirl was sacked from her Saturday job via Facebook:

"I had to tell the owner bout u losin that tenner coz obviously the till was down at the end of day. She wasn’t very pleased at all and despite me trying to persuade her otherwise she said I have to let u go. I'm really sorry”

Another case we dug up reported a store boss setting the fire alarm off to gather his staff outside only to tell them they’re out of a job!

We haven’t spotted any Twitter dismissals yet, but we are sure it is only a matter of time. With only a 140 characters to use, it would be short and sweet. But again the advice is resist...

If you need to dismiss a member of staff for whatever reason and feel yourself reaching for Facebook or that fire alarm, reach for the phone instead and call The HR Dept!

On Strike!

2011-10-14T10:14:00.000+01:00

This week Unison revealed more than 1 million public sector workers are to vote for potentialstrike action, in the row over public sector pensions – with a day of actionplanned for 30^th November.

We were asked a question recently by a concerned SMEemployer on the affect this may have on their workplace, not because theirstaff were going out on strike but...

Q: Some of my staff are expecting not come to work on30^th November because schools are closed and they have to look aftertheir children? Do I have to pay them?

The HR Dept answer: Oh dear it appears now is thewinter of our discontent! The reality is, no, you don’t. I would tell them theyhave plenty of time to plan ahead, so it won’t be a dependent emergency andthey can get into work. Alternatively, start a crèche!

Naturally, all employees have the right to havereasonable unpaid time off for dependents in emergencies. This could be caringfor a sick child or dependent, when childcare has broken down or dealing withan unexpected incident involving the child during school hours. With timelinesbeing prepared in advance however, pragmatic steps should be taken by a workerto ensure alternative arrangements are made. Of course there are alwaysexceptions, so being a supportive employer and encouraging workers to discusscare issues is advisable.

Are you an employer experiencing something similar?Please leave a comment below!

Dress Codes

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

Business dress codes have changed dramatically in the last 50 years. Did you know in the 1960’s, Bowler Hats were favoured by city gents as it was the ‘hat that won the West’.

We have therefore commissioned a short survey to find out how many employers still have a formal dress code for their staff. The survey will identify which employers and industries have a formal dress code and how they enforce it.

Employers have a right to establish a dress code for employees for many reasons – image, health and safety, but the HR Dept is looking to see whether employers are still thinking in the 60’s when considering a dress code.

Click here to kindly answer our 30 second survey (all kept anonymous!)

Don't let your employees crack!

2011-09-30T09:45:00.001+01:00

How satisfied are you with your job? The annual World of Work survey was published this week, finding a whopping 62% of UK workers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their employers, as workloads increase with no extra reward being received

Employers are still facing the plight of hard and very uncertain economic times. With increased workloads, employees are feeling disengaged and unmotivated due to longer working hours and pay freezes.

Let’s put our violins down for a minute and be proactive: there are many ways that an employer can boost morale amongst employees and recognise a job well done without the need for a cash injection.

Here are our top tips:
·   Know your employees as individuals. Take an interest in their lives: families, pets
·        Say thank you, and mean it!
·        Public recognition: if an employee gets positive feedback from a customer, announce it so the whole team can hear.
·        Have an awards ceremony! Most improved performer, star sales person, best suggestion etc. Make sure prizes are relevant to the employee. It is no good giving free car parking to a non driver. The prizes don’t have to be high value and you can make them fun!

Bear in mind HMRC tax on benefits in kind. Trivial gifts such as a bottle of wine, bunch of flowers or chocolate would be regarded as trivial but all cash payments should be declared on P11d’s.

Most important tip: don’t let your employees crack!

Office Olympics!

2011-09-23T12:23:00.000+01:00

With allthe hype around the Olympics we have found some interesting office Olympicsantics…

(HS Dept please cover eyes and ears)

Here we having Office Rowing:

And here we have Office Hurdling! We hope there wasn't too much injury!

Let’s behonest, it made us laugh but not something we would encourage in any workplace…

Working Mum's Balance of Career and Family

2011-09-16T15:37:00.000+01:00

HR Magazine published an interesting article this morning discussing the work/life balance that working mothers face. Famed Hollywood actress Sarah Jessica Parker is returning to the big screen this weekend with her new film ‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’. Based on a novel written over a decade ago, it follows the difficulties a working mother faces with balancing her career and her family. Unfortunately, it turns out that Kate (Parker) cannot ‘have it all’. Women have been balancing their careers and motherhood more and more in recent decades and the questions begs: “is it possible to successfully combine career and family?”

In today's modern times, we think yes. With the increase in family friendly employment legislation steadily over the last decade working parents are now able to request:

More flexible working arrangements
Better pay and benefits when on maternity or paternity leave.

If all businesses were like a Hollywood movie, it would mean that it is all resolved happily in the end. However advice to business owners, there have been many high profile cases surrounding a business’s failure to deal with flexible working requests by members of eligible staff for example Commotion Ltd v Rutty 2006

Don’t count on Hollywood to give any answers – Get in touch with The HR Dept!

‘I love your new bob!’ ‘I love yours too!’

2011-09-09T13:12:00.000+01:00

Employershave a right to establish a dress code for employees for many reasons – image,health and safety etc. When considering a dress code you might think that hardhats would be appropriate for factory workers, and suited and booted in anoffice. But when a Japanese company recently ordered 2,700 staff to get thesame haircut, our eyes widened and mouths dropped.

AJapanese construction firm has requested that men go to the barbers and ask fora ‘short back-and sides do (slightly longer on top) while the women adopt a‘cute bob’ with a longer fringe that can be swept to one side.
Whileyou gather yourself, it is worth mentioning that the company maintains thatthese identical hairstyles will reduce power consumption, a key environmentalissue in Japan.

Itappears this isn’t the first case of environmental friendly hair loss with aJapanese City back in 2010 seeking to ban beards at work.

Beardsin the British workplace have even reached the Employment Appeal Tribunal withthe famous case Mohsin Mohmed, a former customer serviceassistant at Euston Station, who claimed religious discrimination when he was dismissed for refusingto trim his beard to a fist's length - fourinches. The appeal tribunal found that he and Virgin had agreed that he trimhis beard to this length and that his treatment was no different from anon-Muslim employee. The case was dismissed, but does highlight the point aboutproducing a fair dress code for both men and women and different religiousbackgrounds. As always, advice would be to use common sense.

Tweeting in the workplace: Do you have clear guidelines set?

2011-09-02T14:56:00.000+01:00

Recent research by ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) found just over half of all workers (55%) now use social media sites at work, either on computers or mobile phones, costing British firms billions of pounds a year in lost productivity.

The problem is created when employees are spending time on personal profiles and pages when they should be working. What is of deeper concern however is when employees use social media platforms to speak negatively of their place of work or worse, their boss. Another study conducted showed almost 40% of British employees criticize their ‘workplace’ on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In addition, one in five admitted slandering their bosses on them.

There have been some high profile cases of employees being dismissed for bringing the company into disrepute because of comments either about work or colleagues on these social media platforms and The HR Dept is certainly dealing with more cases where employers have discovered tweets or messages which have caused issues within the workplace. The key of course, is communicating to all staff what your IT and Social Media policy is!

The HR Dept has written an IT/Social Media policy for employers containing guidelines on how to manage employees in this complicated area. If interested, contact your local HR Dept for more information.

www.hrdept.co.uk

Italian firm deems female employees ‘not the main bread winners anyway’

2011-08-26T11:26:00.000+01:00

The uncertain economic climate poses many worries for companies these days, and it is likely that many redundancies need to be made in order to survive the ‘storm’. You would think then as an employer, you would consider performance of employees, absence, and time management as factors when making the difficult decision of who to give the bad news to.

However recently, a small, Italian engineering company did not consider such factors. The firm decided that the best decision was to let the majority of the female employees go, while keeping its’ male workforce. The women were made redundant on the grounds that they could then spend more time at home with their families, and ‘weren’t the main bread winners anyway’.

Jaw drop!

Sex discrimination still counts for the highest number of claims in employment tribunals in the UK and are usually the most costly in terms of time and solicitor fees. If this had happened in the UK, then we would advise: Bring your cheque book...

Let’s hope these attitudes stay in Italy!

Grow Your Own

2011-08-19T15:09:00.000+01:00

NEET is a government acronym for 16-24 year olds who are currently "Not in Education, Employment, or Training". It was first used in the United Kingdom but its use has spread to other countries, including Japan, China, and South Korea. Which just goes to show that David Cameron is right; we are all in this together. The statistics are terrifying; almost 1 in 6 youngsters are now on benefits and unlikely to get off them unless something dramatic takes place. In response, the Coalition has launched a funding programme to try to encourage employers to take on apprentices. There are apprenticeships from a variety of industry sectors; in fact anything from accountancy to floristry and IT to veterinary nursing.

There are three levels of apprenticeship; Intermediate, Advanced and Higher with some leading to degree courses. The Company employs the apprentice and pays them. Currently the rate is a measly £2.50 per hour for all apprentices in their first year but thereafter those over 19 get the minimum wage. Fortunately many employers do pay more than the minimum, recognising everyone has to eat. Although most of the training is in the workplace, external training costs for 16 and 17 year olds are met 100% by the Government with a 50% contribution given for older employees.

The HR Dept recommends that you have an apprenticeship contract in place. This differs from the normal employment contract in that you commit to supporting them until they achieve their qualifications and it becomes difficult to terminate their employment before that date. On the positive side there is nothing as rewarding as growing and developing your own staff and by sharing their success you also get the return on your investment.

Blue skies... Broken Hearts...

2011-08-08T10:40:00.001+01:00

Abolishing paid maternity leave and ignoring certain EU employment laws were more like a grey sky thinking initiative rather than probably just a free idea session by Steve Hilton an aide to PM David Cameron, which has been released to media. But it is worth a comment or two..

It doesn’t appear there were calls for maternity leave itself to be cancelled but the burden of payment.

An individual going off on maternity and of course additional paternity leave will have an impact on a small team when a member of staff leaves for up to 12 months, that probably is the most unspoken gripe from business owners.

It is widely commented in the media that maternity leave creates a barrier for women seeking employment and an anonymous survey of business owners would probably indicate that the maternity leave/flexible working/discrimination rules puts off employers, both male and female, off employing women of child bearing age.

But these are the rules and every business has to adapt to a changing business environment both internally and externally to survive and flourish whatever the economic times.

The reality is at some point in the near future paid maternity leave will increase again and Mr Hilton’s may again come to the surface.

We just hope that “blue sky thinking” doesn’t return to the day to day management vocabulary to be honest!

Brits hunger for holiday!

2011-07-25T11:59:00.000+01:00

According to a recent survey conducted by Post Office Travel Insurance, heavy workloads and long working hours mean that the average Brit now needs six holidays every year to avoid becoming ill, anxious or aggressive. Long gone are the days when a week in Butlins did the trick; a quarter of today’s workers now feel so pressured at work that they are ‘desperate’ to get away every few weeks. However, any small business owner will be quick to tell you that this is simply not feasible, given business needs. That said, when it comes to overworked, stressed employees, something’s got to give and that will most likely be productivity or an increase in sickness absence. So it becomes clear that what’s needed is the ever elusive balance.

So how are other people motivating their employees? Well, Dynamo Kiev, the Ukraine’s top flight football team, deduct players’ salary each time the team lose. Not something we at The HR Dept would advise that’s for sure. Sometimes it’s the simple ways to inspire your staff that work the best. Taking time to celebrate the small things like birthdays, weddings or anniversaries or even a monthly celebration shows that management does care. The best reward you can give an employee is to give them what they want. Cool rewards and motivators can include an extra day to work remotely for the new mum, a nice lunch for an employee who rarely gets out; time to attend extra religious services for the devout and chocolate for the chocoholic. The most important thing to remember is that your staff appreciate being appreciated and sometimes a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way.

To intern or not to intern?

2011-06-06T12:56:00.004+01:00

With news coming out that BBC has used more than 6000 unpaid interns, it continues the debate as to whether internships are a loophole in the national minimum wage legislation or an effective training and development exercise for people taking the roles?

Answer to both: Yes!

Ideally, an internship is designed to offer graduates or those starting out in a chosen career a time limited work experience placement, which includes an element of training and can be used to gain experience and create opportunities, even a prospect of a paid role at the end of it. Over a third of internships are currently unpaid, with a loophole in national minimum wage legislation creating confusion over whether interns should be paid. Back in August The HR Dept backed the CIPD proposal for a £2.50 per hour guaranteed minimum training wage, in line with current minimum rates of pay for apprentices.

It is probably likely, as with apprenticeships, that it isn’t just the graduates who are seeking internships as a way to either seek gainful employment and or gain valuable experience in an industry but also older workers looking to boost their prospects during times when full time paid roles are harder to come by.

Perhaps there should now be a show called ‘The Intern’.

No right royal knees up!

2011-02-08T11:43:00.003Z

A Lancashire-based floor company have been accused of a "bah humbug" management style after about 400 staff have been told to work on Royal Wedding day, even though the government has declared it a bank holiday. Similarly, a concrete group, based in Somerset, had stopped staff from taking holiday on the wedding day, citing as one reason the number of other bank holidays in April and May. http://tinyurl.com/5to5hpv

There is no statutory right to time off for bank and public holidays and any right to time off or extra pay for working on a bank holiday depends on the terms of an employee's contract of employment. Nonetheless, the government hoped employees would be given the day off to mark the wedding. Naturally in these cases it comes down to what the business wants to do and what an employees’ contract state. Unions has urged employers to offer more incentives on these days, such as double pay or time off in lieu to ensure an employee isn’t getting a too bad of a deal, but again in these times of uncertainty an employer has to make difficult decisions about their bottom line.

The additional bank holiday on Friday 29th April 2011 could present employers with challenges. There will undoubtedly be an increased number of holiday requests. Employers need to have clear policies in place so that they have sufficient staff to run the business and so those refused do not feel demotivated. This is not the only year this problem will occur. On Tuesday 5th June 2012, there will be a special bank holiday in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and so, again, there will be nine bank and public holidays in England and Wales in 2012 instead of the usual eight days.

Warning employees that any sickness absence on the bank holidays will be investigated thoroughly could also deter ‘sickies’ being pulled but we predict that calls to workplace for sudden stomach upsets, colds etc may increase on these newly created bank holidays.

Caught Off Side!

2011-02-01T17:35:00.001Z

Thank you to Jennie Horchover, The HR Dept Ruislip and Harrow for this post.

The recent incident at Sky Sports, resulting in the sacking of Andy Gray and the resignation of Richard Keys has certainly put the issue of sexism in the spotlight. The huge variety of responses both within the media and in day to day conversations among friends and colleagues show how complex the issues of sexual harassment and discrimination can be. Where is the line between having a laugh and being offensive? Does it make a difference if the comment is made in a private conversation which happens to have been overheard? Should things such as the underlying culture of the company or the seniority of the alleged offenders matter?

Unfortunately, these issues are not confined to the world of tv punditry or the football sector, and all employers have a responsibility to take these issues seriously. Ignoring incidents of harassment and discrimination can easily lead to employment tribunal claims. Employers should also ensure that they deal with all involved legally, fairly and with dignity.
Work place teams follow unwritten rules of behaviour created collectively by the group, and the level of jokes, comments and banter, and thus the cultural definition of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, can vary enormously between different teams and different organisations. However, in every workplace there are key measures that employers should put in place to protect themselves and provide an acceptable working environment for their employees.

• Have an up to date set of policies and procedures dealing with issues of discrimination, bullying and harassment.
• Ensure that these documents are distributed and understood by all employees
• Train employees, especially managers, on how to recognise, prevent and deal with these issues, and the implications of not doing so.
• Deal seriously, fairly and speedily with any discriminatory issue raised, combining a confidential and supportive approach with a thorough investigation, and instigating disciplinary proceedings when appropriate.

If you want assistance with any of this, then please contact the HR Dept.

Winter travel advice for your staff

2010-11-26T12:03:00.016Z

It is inevitable that you and your staff will face difficulties getting to and from work when either severe weather conditions, accidents close motorways or there are disruptions to public transport through strikes. Whilst the health and safety and wellbeing of all our staff is in the forefront of our minds, we must also ensure that the business runs effectively and are customers are not disadvantaged due to these external problems.

All staff have a contractual obligation to report for work regardless of the situation. Staff should therefore make every effort to get to work in all circumstances. When severe weather conditions or major disruptions to public transport are forecast in advance, take appropriate advice and allow extra time for your journey or make alternative travel arrangements if possible. Staff are expected to attend work on time and uacceptable absence or lateness may give rise to disciplinary action so it is important to discuss any concerns with management in advance.

Accepted Absence or Lateness

Naturally there will be occasions where even the best attempts to attend work will be in vain and in this case staff should contact their Manager as soon as possible to discuss the position.

For all staff who have genuinely used their best endeavours to attend work but are unable to do so or are late one of the following options may be offered:-

• Make up the time at a later date.

• Take any absence from work as part of that staff member's annual leave entitlement.

• Take any absence from work as special unpaid leave (in this case, that member of staff's pay will reduce accordingly to take account of the hours/days they have not worked).

• Be paid as if they had attended work on the day(s) of absence.

• Work from home or otherwise work remotely.

You as the company owner, manager or director reserve the right to allow different solutions to reflect an employee’s individual’s circumstances. You must take into consideration your staff's distance from home to work, their mode of transport and how viable it is for them to work from home, and on the needs of the Company.

Leaving Work Early to Avoid an Oncoming Risk

Where there is a risk to staff travelling safely home a manager will decide whether to allow staff to leave work early (and to make up the time at a later date if necessary). As a responsible employer you will again base your decision on staff members individual circumstances.

Find out more by watching the video!

Don't call Time on the Christmas Party

2010-11-24T10:26:00.004Z

The Christmas party still remains a strong tradition amongst small and medium sized business (SME’S) customers of The HR Dept, a national outsourced HR business.

Despite the Queen cancelling her staff Christmas party this year, in a recent survey 58% of The HR Dept SME customers surveyed stated they would be holding a Christmas party in some form.

Despite the past couple of years being particularly economically challenging and businesses looking to match austerity measures felt by the country, the Christmas works party season is nearly upon us. Newspapers and blogs fill with stories of the tales of the Christmas party night and would make make any business owner wince if it happened anywhere near their own organised Christmas party. Given the stories about employers being liable for third party actions at events, grievances against members of staff who act inappropriately and the token photocopying body parts story or not asked for kisses under the mistletoe, the Christmas party can leave an unwanted staff legacy and a cost.

The Key to a Xmas Party

The HR Dept advises that “though letting your hair down" may seem like a good idea, many firms shy away from providing open bars or organising pub crawls in the modern times because of the religious sensitivities and potential HR issues that can come from the party with too much alcohol involved, whether the behaviour of people or even how they get home. The key is to always remind your staff that a Christmas office party is still an extension of the workplace; normal rules about behaviour still apply.

Though Santa traditionally delivers presents, it appears this tradition is not continuing in the workplace as nearly two thirds of SME’s surveyed, decided against buying gifts for their staff. With the rise of office ‘secret Santa’s’ and a potential focus on a staff party as a reward, it is not unsurprising that many employers are deciding against presents. 66% seem to be aware that you can spend more money per head on a party itself than buying gifts at certain higher values and making it deductable to HMRC for both employers and employees. The HR Dept clarifies that “the basic position is that employers can spend up to £150 per head on annual staff events without it being treated as a taxable perk.”

End the Year on a High, Avoid a New Year Tribunal!

Cue the inevitable HR and legal policies about behaviour at Christmas parties, but remember, if managed properly, it can be a great high to end the year on, whatever the economy and of course the cold winter weather.

Turn to the positive, big rise in new UK start-ups.

2010-10-14T11:14:00.000+01:00

It is really encouraging to read the latest figures http://tiny.cc/vial6 that the number of small business start ups in the UK in the first six months of 2010 was the highest amount in a decade.

Good on them!

It is natural after a recession that there may be a boom of people starting their own businesses as they may have been fed up in their workplace; they may have access to capital due to redundancy or just have a brilliant idea and are running with it. Dragons Den may have a few more pitches in 2011!

This positive news makes a real difference and is welcome relief from the daily media outpouring of job cuts and losses. With the October spending review looming, there may be more people encouraged to start their own business when they find themselves without a job.

Running your own business can produce some of the biggest rewards in life and every entrepreneur who tries to start up their own business does so for different reasons. There is no right answer, but of course there is no kidding it always takes hard work, dedication and a few learning bumps along the way...

Some of the new start up businesses will face the daunting challenge of taking on their first employee potentially at some point and growing further. Recruiting the right person can be a distraction initially but without a team your business may be limited in growth, therefore, taking the time to plan the job role and person specification will be important in the early stages and advertising cost effectively will be a priority. Word of mouth recruiting in the early stages of growth can sometimes be the most effective...

Whether you take on your first or hundredth employee, they should always be given up to date terms and conditions of employment within eight weeks from when they started. Ensuring your contract of employments actually fit your business, role and the environment is crucial, most small businesses start off with giving the statutory minimum and look to expand on this further when they continue to grow and seeds of success are planted. Nothing wrong with that...

Policies and procedures do not have to be developed from day one; a start up grows and changes, this part of the dynamic business change that will happen over time.

Ok the reality is when starting a new business you should never be bogged down by employment and HR red tape but you should be aware of what you legally should be doing. HR and employment legislation won’t be a barrier to anyone wanting to set up their own business, it is just likely you may have to deal with issues that come up and getting it right so it doesn’t cost the earth.

Onwards and upwards for the start ups of Britain, The HR Dept salutes you!

HR Workshop - Equality Act 2010

2010-09-01T15:16:00.000+01:00

You may or may not be aware that the Equality Act, which brings together various pieces of legislation in regards to diversity, discrimination and equality under one act, comes into force on 1st October 2010 and has implications for all sizes of businesses - small and big.
The HR Dept is keen to assist small businesses in understanding their obligations and making sure they are kept up to date and legal.
The HR Dept is running a workshop in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough areas for small business owners.

For more information follow the link.

http://tiny.cc/na8zu

Growing your business - those next scary steps!

2010-08-27T16:25:00.001+01:00

When it comes to being a small employer, it can be quite daunting taking on your first couple of employees and growing your business. How should you recruit? What can I, and importantly, what can't I say? There are also lots of confusing and horror stories about employment law mistakes for a small businesses and where can you get the most up to date and cost effective support from - without paying through the nose for it! Well the shocking truth is that whether you employ 1 or 1,000 people every aspect of employment law applies to you and your business.

You probably didn’t dream of starting and running your business so that you could spend hours embroiled in employment law issues, contracts, payroll problems and everything else that comes along with employing people!

Some practical tips to consider when considering the growth of your business;

Do you employ or could you outsource?
Round pegs in round holes! – How do you recruit the best person? Given there is a huge amount of talent currently in the marketplace you want to attract the best possible candidate and naturally retain them.

Can you afford it?

What is the return on your investment likely to be?

Have you got a job description and person spec for the roles?

We always say.. Think big and follow that dream!

Sue Isaacson - HR Dept Cambridge will be at the Evolving Business Roadshow in Biggleswade on 9th September from 6pm where you will learn the most common management myths surrounding employment law.
As a speaker at the event The HR Dept will be providing practical tips on recruitment, contracts of employment, your obligations as an employer and how to avoid costly mistakes!

To find out more and to book your place: http://tiny.cc/zyoja

Witch is wicked

2010-08-19T17:19:00.000+01:00

Given that "sickies" cost the UK economy and businesses £2.5 billion a year - reality tv shows must add some cost to this figure ...

Take for example the wookey witch!

Recruited in a locally high profile campaign, the acceptable candidate was required to have skills such as potion-making, cat-friendly and be able to cackle ...

Well it appears the witch's curse has struck - the current witch was spotted on auditions for X Factor, by her bosses, and excuse the pun, has ended up in a cauldron of hot water!

http://tiny.cc/am5c4

I mean the story headlines can write themselves ... 'witch put's curse on employer' ... maybe as an afterthought.

The reality being, even a witch can be put through a disciplinary procedure for trying to pull a "sickie". Good on the employer for being consistent and not being left green in the face.

Win HR Starter Toolkit

2010-08-18T09:56:00.000+01:00

The HR Dept – Guildford have a stand at the “Woking means Business” Exhibition on the 7th October 2010, come and visit us for the opportunity to win a “HR Starter toolkit” worth £275 packed with advice, sample forms and procedures for your employees. For more information click here http://tiny.cc/s9i9c

Stand tall in the face of discrimination

2010-08-05T17:11:00.000+01:00

Employment law may make it feel like employers can’t say anything to employees these days without getting themselves into trouble …
Well, in a very recent tribunal case http://tiny.cc/uhl2c a manager clearly overstepped the mark by humiliating a member of staff, but it's the reference to their height that has caught the headlines. The term “short arse” was used more than once to humiliate the suffering worker. Bullying and harassing behaviour is clearly not acceptable. This highlights the dangers for employers or managers who take it upon themselves to hold personal vendettas, height related or otherwise…
Lesson learnt here no doubt!

Contracts of employment

2010-06-10T12:36:00.004+01:00

Naturally like mortgage terms, a bank loan, a contract for buying an item on hire purchase you should always read the terms! It is goes the same for contracts of employment, but actually how many employees have terms that are up to date and relevant, not that they don’t actually read them and take on board what they receive and are entitled too...

http://tiny.cc/6r890

The focus actually should be on the employer to provide up to date terms and conditions, but our own experience is that small business don’t have the time to draft their own terms nor the expertise because a standard template just might not be right for their business and environment. It is important to ensure they fit.. Just because a large corporate gives 12 full pay sick pay, a small business doesn’t have to!!

Remember a new employee should be receive up to date and relevant terms and conditions of employment within 8 weeks of starting their employment – there is a penalty for failing to do so…

World Cup: Accident at Work

2010-05-05T13:55:00.002+01:00

Following World Cup hype in the office, the team of engineers at ABC Ltd, decide to re-enact famous World Cup goals in the company car park during their lunch break. One of the lads has a football so the game begins... Following a truly sensational re-enactment of Michael Owen’s 1998 solo goal against Argentina and the team effort of Brazil climaxing in Alberto’s goal against Italy in 1970, as one of the employees jumps to perform Maradona’s "hand of God" goal, he is pole axed by the oncoming Peter Shilton impressionist and is knocked unconscious.

An innocent accident at work, but an ambulance is called and the employee is off sick for 4 weeks following a serious concussion and later discovered to have fractured his collar bone too.

Is this a problem for the employer?

Well, yes.

Despite the inconvenience of the employee being away from the workplace for four weeks, this would also have to be treated as an accident at work. The employer would have a duty to inform Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) because the accident resulted in a serious injury and was off work for more than 3 consecutive days. You will need to record the accident in your accident book and conduct an investigation into the incident due to its seriousness.

The other question is what do you pay the employee for the time they are off due to an accident at or in work?

It would be wise to refer to their contract of employment to see whether a member of staff is entitled to receive Company Sick Pay or just SSP for the period they are off. Under the circumstances it would be difficult to withhold sick pay if they were contractually obliged to receive it as it did happen on Company premises, not technically during a working period, but did involve another work colleague. Given the circumstances, it would not be clear if the Company could be blamed for the accident but remember there are a lot of "no win no fee" lawyers out there…

With the World Cup starting in June 2010 it might be an idea to start reviewing your policies on accidents at work just in case this theoretical scenario (or something similar) comes true.

Our company accepts no liability for the content of this document, external links or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, as with all employment and Health and Safety issues HR advice should be sought at the beginning of any issue from professionals.

Position of the Week

2010-04-06T16:20:00.004+01:00

There’s no doubt that for any UK employer, a well thought out job advertisement is essential when recruiting the right person for the job. After all, any business owner knows that the recruitment process can be an arduous task.

With the 2010 general election announced in today’s news, here’s a great example of a comprehensive job spec:

http://www.tinyurls.co.uk/V902

Only question is … who will get it?

What's going on down the farm?

2010-03-25T15:09:00.000Z

Social networking sites seem to be multiplying faster than the H1N1 virus! Whether you are a facebooker or you love to tweet there are a million and one ways to waste time online. Any employer knows that social networking and online gaming can pose a serious threat to productivity in the workplace. Just today in the news, a Bulgarian official has been sacked after being caught milking a virtual cow on the hugely popular online farming game, FarmVille. Whatever next?! One thing’s for sure, small business owner’s need to get smart and make sure they have a clear IT policy which outlines internet use in the workplace. After all, in a couple of month’s ‘World Cup Fever’ will be upon us and with it, another reason to be checking online updates or even, dare I say it, watching matches online while at desks! Don’t say we didn’t warn you …

Dismissed by Facebook?

2010-03-23T12:05:00.002Z

Thanks to Richard Lowe, The HR Dept West London, for this interesting snippet.

I picked up an interesting idea of management from the daily paper yesterday.

A manager dismissed a coffee shop worker due to a shortage in the till. However the big problem with this is that the manager dismissed the worker by a ‘facebook message’ not the best way to get your marching orders.

Aside from the obvious ‘not following a standard procedure’ there may well be a claim for ‘emotional distress’. If this is taken on face value then it could cost the company up to £60,000 just for the unfair dismissal!

So if your clients would like to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ rather than the aroma of an employment tribunal chamber, seek advice about the right way to conduct dismissals.

Great Expectations!

2010-03-19T15:13:00.000Z

Read what Jennie Horchover, The HR Dept Ruislip & Harrow, has to say about employees sacked for failing to meet expectations ...

http://lawdonutblog.co.uk/2010/03/17/sacked-for-failing-to-meet-expectations/

What's love got to do with it?

2010-02-04T10:09:00.000Z

Quite a lot actually. In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s that time of year again. Love is in the air, or should I say, in the office. With over 70% of single employees becoming romantically involved with someone on the job at some point in their careers, today’s workplace has become the new “singles bar”. In fact, the workplace has also become the number one place for married men and women to meet affair partners and conduct extramarital affairs. I suppose it’s not surprising seeing as we spend a third or more of our lives at work. But for employers, the office romance can make for dangerous ground. Handled well, it can lead to a relationship. Handled badly, it can lead to a lawsuit for harassment.
The HR Dept says: “While relationships between colleagues are commonplace, it is important for employers to try to restrict activities that are harmful to the business. It is your responsibility to make the company policy on harassment clear to all employees, and if you don’t have one, you need to generate one right now.”
The difficulty comes in distinguishing when flirting crosses the line to become harassment. If an employee is not interested in, or receptive to, an advance from another employee, it should end there. Playing around, banter, etc. are appropriate preludes to dating, but only if the receiving party is comfortable with them. In most cases, mutually-agreeable relationships pose no danger to the company. However, there are instances where they are inappropriate. For instance, The HR Dept suggests, “it is never a good idea for a manager to be romantically involved with a subordinate in their own organisation. Situations such as this should be clearly spelled out in the company policy as inappropriate and subject to corrective action”.

The HR Dept specialises in advising small and medium sized businesses on all employment issues. Here are their 3 top tips for managing love in the office.

• Have a clear policy on what someone should do if they have a relationship at work.

• Treat everyone like adults, not like renegade teenagers.

• Have the tissues ready, should it end like a teenage romantic crush!

Business as usual

2010-01-06T11:07:00.000Z

In consideration of the bad weather we thought we would give anyone a bit of free advice on what is reasonable to do when an employee is unable to make it into work because of snow and bad weather.

Business as usual

All of us will face difficulties getting to and from work from work when either severe weather conditions, accidents close motorways or there are disruptions to public transport through strikes. Whilst the health and safety and wellbeing of all our staff is in the forefront of our minds, we must also ensure that the business runs effectively and are customers are not disadvantaged due to these external problems.

All staff have a contractual obligation to report for work regardless of the situation. You should therefore make every effort to attend work in all circumstances. When severe weather conditions or major disruptions to public transport are forecast in advance, take appropriate advice and allow extra time for your journey or make alternative travel arrangements if possible. Do feel able to discuss any concerns with your Manager in advance. We do expect you to attend work on time. Unacceptable absence or lateness may give rise to disciplinary action

Accepted absence or lateness

Naturally there will be occasions where even the best attempts to attend work will be in vain and in this case you should contact your Manager as soon as possible to discuss the position. If for some reason your Manager is not available do speak to one of the Senior Management team.
For all staff who have genuinely used their best endeavours to attend work but are unable to do so or are late one of the following options may be offered:-

• Make up the time at a later date.
• Take any absence from work as part of your annual leave entitlement.
• Take any absence from work as special unpaid leave (in this case, your pay will reduce accordingly to take account of the hours/days you have not worked).
• Be paid as if you had attended work on the day(s) of absence.
• Work from home or otherwise work remotely.
The Company reserves the right to allow different solutions to reflect an employee’s individual’s circumstances We will take into consideration your distance from home to work, your mode of transport and how viable it is for you to work from home, and on the needs of the Company.

Leaving work early

Where there is a risk to you travelling safely home your manager will decide whether to allow you to leave work early (and to make up the time at a later date if necessary). We will again base its decision on your individual circumstances.

Health and safety

We will always put the health safety and well being of our staff first and will always listen to any concerns that you may have. You also have a duty to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions. This includes taking extra care when travelling to and from work in severe weather conditions and allowing more time for your journey, including making alternative travel arrangements where appropriate.

National Plain English day

2009-12-07T12:54:00.000Z

On the 8th December The HR Dept will be celebrating National Plain English day. The use of plain English is something we feel strongly about, it’s part of who we are as a brand. So often employment contracts are incomprehensible and they really need not be.

National Plain English day was established by Chrissie Maher to mark the launch of Plain English Campaign. The campaign came to life on 29 July 1979 when Chrissie and a number of campaign supporters publically shredded stacks of jargon-filled government documents in the centre of Parliament Square, directly opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Plain English Campaign was born, with the right to ask for a clear explanation of any public information that could not be read, understood and dealt with in a single reading.

National Plain English Day is a reminder to;

· sign the People’s Plain English Charter at www.plainenglish.co.uk

· celebrate the global shredding of jargon at www.global-shred.com

· send poorly written public information back to the sender or to info@plainenglish.co.uk

· shred your own jargon

· start thinking clearly, writing and speaking clearly and getting a clearer understanding of good communications.

Plain English, it’s plain common sense.

On your bike!

2009-11-27T16:01:00.000Z

If saving the environment or shedding a few pounds isn't reason enough to start pedalling, The Department for Transport is now promoting what it calls the "Cycle to Work Guarantee". Employers who sign up will enjoy certain tax exemptions, so long as they guarantee to provide, amongst other things, safe bike parking facilities and changing and locker facilities.

It seems that currently, more than 30 per cent of the staff of large urban employers live within a half an hour bike ride of their place of work, but only about 3 per cent currently cycle to work. The government aim is to double or treble that figure.

Since most of the employers currently participating are public sector, the tax benefits may need to be improved if private sector employers are to be persuaded to take part in significant numbers.

To qualify for the tax exemption, cycles and cyclists' safety equipment are loaned to staff by the employer. Details can be found on the website http://www.cycletoworkguarantee.org.uk/

It's worth considering that an employer's responsibility extends to include those employees required to cycle as part of their job. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents reminds us how important it is that adult cyclists are trained and that an employer has a duty of care.

This is precisely the thinking behind The Police Cycle Training Doctrine, a draft 93-page, two volume booklet which includes a diagram on "deployment into a junction" and advises constables to wear padded shorts for "in-saddle comfort". However, growing opposition to the manual from the Taxpayers' Alliance mean that Police chiefs will not be going ahead with the training booklet since it is estimated that it would cost thousands of pounds to produce.

Lying in a tribunal - not a good idea

2009-11-18T17:21:00.000Z

We always say to all of our clients that paperwork is so important when dealing with employee issues, having the right piece of paper and ensuring you have a paper trail could mean you being able to defend what ever is thrown at you by an disgruntled employee..

However trying to 'invent' documents is not recommended as a Scottish employer found out recently. By trying to produce forged documents to get out of paying the worker some compensation they were due and by inventing a contract of employment and further letters in regards to their case, the employer ended up with a £29k award and for his ignorance a four month jail term...

Not recommended...

An employee should receive a written statement of their employment terms and conditions within 8 weeks from their start date...

Paper trail is vital in HR...

Childcare Vouchers

2009-11-11T09:57:00.000Z

From an equality point of view this seems to a bit of a bad idea...

From April 2011, employees who join a Company supported childcare voucher scheme will not get tax or NICs relief exemptions. Parents who are on existing voucher schemes (those who joined their employer scheme prior to April 2011) will continue to receive both tax and NICs relief and are not affected until April 2015 – when the voucher exemptions will be withdrawn completely. Instead of this, the Labour Party has announced plans to provide 10 hours of free childcare a week for 250,000 two-year olds for families who are on modest or middle incomes. Already, the proposed changes have caused public outrage, resulting in over 52,000 people having currently signed the official Downing Street petition.

The voucher scheme is both benefical for the employee and the employer so we genuinely believe this is going to meet quite a bit of opposition, expect the petition the grow..

Graduate Recruitment

2009-08-24T12:26:00.000+01:00

It is a shame to see BT pulling its graduate training programme, I hope this is not a sign of things to come in larger organisations. Though it takes only 130 graduates on a year I think this sends out a message to the recent graduates and people about to go to university that they will struggle to find work on completion of their degree. The recession affects everyone but apparently the under 25's suffer more than any other demographic... http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/24/bt-axes-graduate-recruitment

It must be a daunting prospect leaving uni at the moment, what you have to hope is that this doesn't damage the talent train further on in the future because of a lack of graduate placements and people's desires to go to university. In reality there could be a lost generation. http://www.economicsuk.com/blog/000964.html

Twitter

2009-08-03T17:37:00.000+01:00

Hands up, I confess, it was over ten days since my last Twitter post, over a month since I have done anything on Linked In and well this is my 2nd blog so I have been the equivalent of a boring person, obviously!

It is totally fascinating that we now have so many tools at our disposal to connect to people, I actually ditched Facebook a while because it got silly, 'No, I do not want to battle you in an online poll for control of the galaxy, I am not even sure I know you!'. I wonder how many businesses are actually utilising all these tools though? Are they relevant? What time is actually devoted to putting meaningful information onto the super Internet highway these days?

With all of these forms of online networking and information sharing, it always worries me that a post or a message is misconstrued, it is fine face to face and to a certain degree on the phone because you can gauge a reaction or emphasis a point... I guess that is why LOL was developed (I believe it stands for Laugh Out Loud)... But it does worry me, the wrong wording could offend someone!

In our own field of HR, communication between employers and staff has never been more important, in a small business environment it is critical, the left hand must know what the right hand is doing. Now whether this is management speak or the reality is that even in a small team of 10, if you don't talk or communicate the right information things can wrong, feeds like Twitter and Linked In have the power to really take away that rapport or relationship built up by face to face or phone contact which aids any communication process... So call me old fashioned but I think I will still plug away at the Twitters etc.. But always ring The HR Dept if you fancy a chat, otherwise I will start ending emails with LOL to be on the safe side!

Promise to myself, I will blog and tweet more...

Stay positive!

1000 Degrees

2009-05-29T16:57:00.000+01:00

Despite it being extremely hot in the HR Dept office at the moment due to the excellent weather we are experiencing, we often get asked 'is there a maximum temperature that a worker can be forced to work in?' Bit more health and safety but a common question in the summer time on our advice line for employers...

If you see someone melting then that is usually a good indication, but in reality there is no maximum temperature but you have to take into account the health and well being of your staff. Simple things like being allowed to take off a tie or providing fans can easily cool hot people and make the working environment more bearable... Extended or more frequent breaks can often help too…

We all do it as well, pray for the summer and when the hot weather comes we moan it is too hot! I think it is just because we are not outside playing in the sunshine and going a slight shade of lobster that gets under peoples skin

I thought the other day with more and more news about skin cancer linked with the strength of the sun I wondered if construction businesses will be providing their often shirtless workers with sun tan lotion and shaded umbrella's...!