Ask the expert: Probation problem
What steps should be taken to dismiss an employee who hasn’t completed their probationary period? Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, and Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, provide legal guidance. The question:We took on a new member of staff three months ago and have a six month probation period. […]
Talent Management: Don’t dismiss, talk. By Louise Druce
You can’t help but secretly relish the moment when Alan Sugar delivers the immortal line “you’re fired” to the crest fallen entrepreneurs about to take the walk of shame on BBC Two’s The Apprentice. For anyone who has ever been in that situation though, taking the decision to dismiss an employee is rarely as simple […]
Change management: Use your common sense!
Management consultant John Pope despairs at the poor way change is handled in many UK organisations. I see a lot of articles on change management and on overcoming resistance to change. Some of them focus on the need for change, some of the writers show interesting models of human behaviour; some have models of phases […]
It’s about time…
HR practitioners are always strapped for time because they waste too long on pointless tasks and miss the point of their job, argues consultant Denis Barnard. It’s commonly known that Human Resources departments are always strapped for time. The usual reason is that there is too much administration, although for some practitioners who suffer from […]
HR tip: Disciplinary and the police due to criminal damage
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "One of our employees entered the site unlawfully at the weekend and caused criminal damage. A neighbour saw this and called in the police who are charging him with an offence. Must […]
Can an employer give a bad reference? By Charles Price
“It is important that employers do not ‘churn out’ a reference on a whim but should speak to the line manager of the employee before praising an incompetent employee he or she knows nothing about or denigrating the class star,” warns barrister Charles Price. There is no general or statutory obligation on an employer to […]
Q&A: Bullying and harassment in the workplace
Employment law specialists Empire HR advise best practice for tackling bullying and harassment in the workplace. Q1. What constitutes harassment? I’ve noticed that some of my employees indulge in light hearted banter. As it often seems to be at the expense of one individual I am concerned that this could possibly be construed as harassment. […]
Colborn’s Corner: Leading staff to their deaths?
A rise in deaths in the construction industry must force the government into reversing policies of cutting safety inspectors and inspections, a coalition of trade unions has insisted. Should we be paying more attention to health and safety or are we just trying to wrap staff in cotton wool? I address this topic with a […]
Ask the expert: Discrimination?
Is it discriminatory to expect an employee to work full office hours despite his family commitments? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills and Reeve, offer legal advice. The question:I have a colleague who feels that he is being discriminated against as he is the only […]
Improving performance and setting goals. By Annie Lawler
Failing to give employees clear direction of what is expected of them is a common cause of underperformance, argues consultant and member of HR Zone, Annie Lawler. As we’ve touched on in earlier articles, communication is central to maintaining balanced stress levels in the workplace. Poor communication contributes massively to underperformance and demotivation in any […]
Court orders Home Office to re-employ sacked interpreters
In a highly unusual move an employment tribunal has ordered that two Home Office interpreters who had previously been sacked should be given new jobs.Marti Khan and Odette King were dismissed after writing to then Home Secretary Charles Clarke to complain that they had been employed for 15 years to ‘do nothing’.The case saw Judge […]
Pensions consultation: keep it simple
The government should adopt a ‘keep it simple’ approach to private pensions and focus on basic incentives for employers to run simple, transparent pension schemes.That’s the message from Mercer Human Resource Consulting in its initial response to the government’s consultation on proposals to change the regulatory framework for occupational pensions.The consultation explores the scope for […]
Culture shift required to help ethnic minority women in the workplace
The Equal Opportunities Commission has released the final findings of its two-year investigation into the employment opportunities for black and Asian women – and it’s calling for a fundamental cultural shift in the way they are treated at work.Moving on Up: Ethnic Minority Women at Work, the largest investigation of its kind in Great Britain, […]
You can’t be a slob if you work a McJob. By Sarah Fletcher
Fast food restaurants are often accused of employing dull eyed halfwits, but according to new research, the industry's people management is not as slack-jawed as you may think. Working 'undercover' in various burger bars across America for 14 months, Jerry Newman, author of My Secret Life on the McJob (McGraw Hill, 2007), aims to explain […]
Vodafone: Improving the employee experience. By Sarah Fletcher
Sarah Fletcher spoke to Andy Hill, head of executive resourcing and development at Vodafone, about engaging and developing employees and why a teaser campaign is the key to improving career opportunities. Attracting job candidates isn’t difficult for Vodafone, but that’s part of the problem. As head of executive resourcing and development, Andy Hill faces a […]
Flexible benefits for a flexible workforce
Flexible benefits are a key means of engaging and attracting employees; but what are the main issues involved? Consultant Sandra Beale explains. It seems the government is intent on improving flexibility with the nation’s workforce by proposing to extend flexible working to all, which can improve employee recruitment, retention, motivation and commitment. Companies, in turn, […]
HR tip: Analysing poor performance – is it misconduct or incapability?
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "I understand that Misconduct and Incapability both are fair reasons for dismissal. Which do we use if the problem is one of poor performance?" HR Tip: You need to have a discussion with […]
Jobless rate falls – along with the employment rate
The latest labour market figures from the Office for National Statistics shows that there has been a fall in the number of unemployed but also a fall in the employment rate.Jim Murphy, minister of state for employment and welfare reform, said: “This is a strong set of figures. The numbers on each of the main […]
EU pushes ahead on cutting red tape for business
Less than two months after it pledged to reduce the business red tape in 13 areas – including the working environment and employment law – the EU has produced its first proposals.Admittedly, the early fast-track process is particularly aimed at reducing the administrative burden on SMEs. But the overall programme aims to cut red tape […]
Age discrimination bites again
Just when you thought age discrimination couldn’t possibly cause any more problems, it’s come up in the context of the national minimum wage.The Employers Forum on Age (EFA) is campaigning against the 18-21-year banding, saying it discriminates on the grounds of age.Unlike the challenge to the statutory retirement age by Heyday, EFA has not taken […]
