HR Tip: Expiry of disciplinary warnings

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 long should disciplinary warnings remain on file? A: Really there are two questions here. For how long is a warning valid, and when should we remove it physically from the file? Ordinarily […]

Payroll Tip: Recovery of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay

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: When can an employer recover all of the SMP and other statutory payments paid to employees? A: The rate at which employers can recover payments of SMP, SPP and SAP is currently 92%. […]

HR Tip: Recouping training costs

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: All new recruits are sent on an expensive, externally run training course designed to give them the specialist, technical skills required for their work. Unfortunately, we have recently lost some staff to […]

Payroll Tip: Reservist training and paid time off

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 there an obligation on employers to allow paid time off for reservists to attend annual camp? A: Reservists are part-time members of the Armed Forces, or ex-members of the Regular Forces with […]

HR Tip: New recruit fails to show

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 recently made an offer of employment to a man who accepted in writing. However he failed to turn up for work on the agreed day and instead let us know indirectly that […]

Payroll Tip: Deductions from wages

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 ensure that our rules for making deductions from pay are lawful? A: The key issues to consider are those defined under the ‘Protection of Wages’ provisions of the Employment […]

HR Tip: Failure to attend a disciplinary hearing

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: One of our employees was given a letter summoning him to a formal disciplinary hearing but he has not turned up for work since. What should we do? A: Write to the […]

HR Tip: Notice definitions

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 is a month’s notice? If I give someone a month’s notice on 15 April does it expire on 15 May, or four weeks later, or on 31 May? HR Tip: That […]

Payroll Tip: Employee making purchase on company credit card

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 procedure should be used when an employee makes a purchase using the employer’s credit card? A: When an employee makes a purchase in a shop, restaurant or petrol filling station for example […]

HR Tip: Is stress a disability?

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 stress a disability? A: Stress certainly is an illness and you should study carefully the guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive to determine how to minimise and deal with […]

Payroll Tip: Part of property used for business purposes

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 should the reportable value of living accommodation be apportioned when it is partly used for business purposes? A: The benefit of living accommodation can be restricted where a part of the property […]

HR Tip: Dealing with CV liars

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 an employee in our sales department who stated on his application form that he has GCSEs in English and Maths. We have subsequently discovered that he failed English. Can we […]

Payroll Tip: Deduction for capital contributions towards a company car

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: Does a payment to obtain a better car qualify as a capital contribution? A: When an employee makes, or is required to make, a capital contribution to the purchase of a company […]

HR Tip: Managing staff with criminal records

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 discovered that one of our employees who handles money as part of his job has a criminal record. It will be difficult to put in special arrangements to monitor his […]

HR Tip: Behaviour at work functions

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: Our office parties are held in a local hotel where we provide a free bar and supper. Last time some employees got drunk, started a bit of horseplay and smashed some furniture. […]

Payroll Tip: Pay and jury service

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: Should the financial loss allowance paid for jury service be made up to gross or net pay? A: The intention is that a person should not be “out-of-pocket” as a result of jury […]

HR Tip: Employee handbooks

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 employment handbook that we issue part of the contract of employment? A: I don’t know. If the handbook or the contract of employment or statement of particulars says that it […]

Payroll Tip: Employee contributions to accommodation

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: Can a payment by an employee, who is provided with living accommodation by the employer, towards the improvement of that accommodation be used to reduce its reportable value? A: The reporting requirements […]

HR Tip: Providing basic details for references

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: When asked to provide a reference we only give the dates of employment and the title of the job or nature of the work. Is this alright? A: The essential criteria for […]

HR Tip: Interview notes

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 recently turned down an applicant for a job. He subsequently telephoned and asked the reason for his rejection and we gave admittedly a vague reply. He has phoned again and asked […]