HR Tip: Lateness caused by industrial action

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: To what extent should I take into account industrial action on the railways when dealing with lateness? A: In case of industrial action affecting the means of transport, employees should take all […]

HR Tip: A live issue

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: An employee has started bringing his stick insects to work. Some employees have complained but the man says that his situation is no different from people who have potted plants on their […]

HR Tip: National Insurance Numbers

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: What can be done to minimise the problem of missing NI numbers? A: Most employers have difficulty in obtaining a National Insurance (NI) number for every employee. Some new employees are just […]

HR Tip: Right to car parking spaces

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: We need to use part of the existing staff car park for an office extension and the employees are complaining and claiming that custom and practice allows them to continue using the […]

Top ten HR tips for 2006

Learn HR, author of our HR tips series, present their top ten tips for a claim-free new year. 1. Three-two-one: Several of our clients have looked at the new three-step statutory discipline and dismissal procedures that came into force just over a year ago and concluded that there is nothing to worry about. Their existing […]

HR Tip: Losing talent

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: How can we stop staff going to a competitor? A: If someone has already given notice to leave, don’t rush to send them off with pay in lieu but try to keep them […]

HR Tip: Publishing discipline and grievance procedures

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: How should we publish our discipline and grievance procedures? HR Tip: The contractual statement that you give to new employees must contain, among other things: Details of the rules, and discipline and […]

HR Tip: Banning alcohol in the workplace

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: Can we ban alcohol from the workplace? If so, how? HR Tip: You can do so simply by making and publishing a rule. However consider the following points before rushing to print: […]

HR Tip: Recovering relocation expenses

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: We paid a major part of the removal and allied expenses of an employee whom we recruited from another part of the country. After just over a year with us he has […]

HR Tip: Redundancy and “bumping”

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: We have changed our telephone system and as a result no longer need a telephonist. She has been with us for eight years and is a good worker. She could do the […]

HR Tip: Written confirmation of disciplinary sanction

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: What exactly should we put into a confirmation letter after we have imposed a sanction on an employee following a formal disciplinary hearing? HR Tip: You should leave the employee in no […]

HR Tip: The burden of proof in workplace discipline

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: Can we dismiss an employee if we do not have absolute proof of his guilt? HR Tip: You can but must take great care. In a criminal court the judge or jury […]

Payroll Tip: Entitlement to benefits during maternity/adoption leave

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: What are the cash and non-cash benefits entitlements during maternity/adoption leave? A: The first important point to make is that employees remain employees for the full period of their ordinary and additional maternity […]

HR Tip: Definition of full-time and part-time work

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: What exactly is the definition of a part-time worker? Is it someone who works for less than 16 hours? A: There is no longer a precise ‘number of hours’ definition. In law a […]

Payroll Tip: Returning to work following maternity or adoption leave

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: What control do we have over when an employee can return to work following a period of maternity or adoption leave? Payroll Tip: When giving notice to take maternity or adoption leave, […]

HR Tip: Holiday pay for long-term sick absentees

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: We have two employees who have been absent through sickness, one for eighteen months and the other for over two years. We don't really want to dismiss them as both may return. They […]

Payroll Tip: Handling payments in weeks 53, 54 and 56

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q:Why are there 53 paydays this year and how do we handle the payments? A: A year has 365 days or, in a leap year, 366 days. That means that there are 52 […]

HR Tip: Care of employees’ property

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: To what extent are we liable for damage to employees' property? Recently an employee brought to us his personal handheld computer that was badly damaged as a result, he claims, of a […]

HR Tip: Immigrant workers

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: We have a South African working for us. He is an extremely good worker. However we have been given reason to suspect that he is not entitled to work in the United […]

Payroll Tip: Medical check-ups and eyesight tests

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: Is the provision of medical check-ups and eyesight tests a reportable benefit? A: The provision of private medical treatment or private medical insurance is an employment-related benefit and must be reported on […]