Tag Archive for: Employment

24 March 2022 – NQHR – Essential HR for Line Managers

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Date: 24 March 2022

Time: 9.00am – 12.30pm

Event Type: In-person

Cost: £125.00 + VAT

Register Now

The session will cover:

  • handling disciplinary issues fairly and conducting a formal disciplinary
  • identifying and managing grievances
  • how to conduct a workplace investigation – including the role of the investigator, gathering evidence and writing the report
  • how to manage performance

The session will be interactive and include case studies and practical exercises to get you thinking about:

  • subject access requests
  • the right to be accompanied
  • discrimination
  • keeping notes of conversations
  • other common management issues

What others say… 

“I want to say how much I am enjoying today. It has totally demystified things for me.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought every part was relevant to my role. Engaged all day long.”

Where?

This session is being held in our Bristol office and run by specialists from Narrow Quay HR.

When?

Thursday 24 March 2022

9.00am – Registration and Refreshments
9.30am – Start
11.20am – Break
11.40am – Resume
12.30pm – Finish

The session is suitable for any managers who deal with HR issues as part of their role.

Speakers:

We hope you are able to join us. If you have any queries, please contact the Events team.

Fire and Rehire, A Last Resort

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With ‘fire and rehire’ becoming an increasingly used practice for employers, we reflect on the risks of this approach and why it should be a last resort.

What Is ‘Fire and Rehire’?

There are many instances when you might need to change an employee’s contract of employment and there are a variety of ways of doing it.

However, when discussions break down over a proposed change, some employers have resorted to dismissing employees, and then offering continued employment on new terms. This practice is often referred to as ‘fire and rehire’.

In light of its increased use, ACAS have published new advice on making changes to employment contracts and in particular, the risks of adopting the practice of fire and rehire. The new guidance stresses this is an extreme approach to take.

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The Risks

You need to consider the risk of tribunal claims from employees who refuse the new terms. You also need to consider the risks and consequences of losing a substantial part of your staff if they refuse the new terms.

One recent Teachers’ Pension Scheme consultation that we did carried that very real risk for the employer. Several senior experienced teachers indicated they would refuse the new contracts and instead apply to work at other local schools.

Finally, do not underestimate the potential damage to staff morale as dismissing an re-engaging employees is almost certainly going to have a chilling effect on the employer/employee relationship.

For the above reasons the fire and rehire option should be treated as an last resort and we recommend you should try to keep discussions constructive, be open to exploring alternative options to reach a compromise and stay focused on trying to reach consensus.

For support with making changes to employee contracts, please contact Sue Meehan Boyes in our team on 07384468797.

COVID-19 Vaccinations Mandatory for All Frontline Health and Social Care Workers From 1 April 2022

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From 11 November 2021, care home staff working in a Care Quality Commission registered care home would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Catch up our previous article for more information on who this includes.

On 9 September 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a consultation on whether this compulsory vaccination requirement should extend to other health and care settings, and whether it should also include mandatory flu vaccinations.

What Was The Result?

The DHSC has now published its response to the consultation and confirmed that individuals carrying out CQC-regulated activities in the health and social care sector whose roles involve direct face-to-face contact with patients and service users must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This will include front-line workers such as receptionists, ward clerks, porters and cleaners, and will apply whether the regulated activity is delivered through agency workers, volunteers, trainees or contracted parties.

For individuals who are exempt, they must show evidence of their medical exemption before they can deliver care. Employers should be reminded that only those with a medical exemption will be able to perform regulated activities without being fully vaccinated. Until 24 December 2021, such individuals may use the self-certification procedure, but after this date, they must apply for proof of their exemption.

The mandatory vaccination requirement will be implemented via amendment to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/2936) and will come into force on 1 April 2022. There will be a 12-week grace period to allow time for the employers and workers to meet the new requirements.

The DHSC has decided not to include flu vaccination as part of the mandatory requirements.

If you have any questions, or are concerned about the implications of the new legislation, please contact Caitlin Anniss on 07909 683938.

Hybrid Working – How Prepared Are You?

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A recent survey found that 65% of employees expect to work from home at least two days a week, while 31% believe that a return to five-day office working will not happen until 2022, if at all.

What Can Employers Do?

  • Consider how to better plan your ‘future workplace’.
  • Review the ways you can help and support remote workers.
  • Engage with your workforce to find out their views on working arrangements and plans for the future.

Hybrid working is a feature for our workplaces certainly for the foreseeable future. To discuss your plans and get advice, contact Sarah Martin in our team on 07799 136091 to find out how we can help you.

Menopause in the Workplace

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With World Menopause Day last month, and the continued press coverage, Menopause at work remains a significant focus for employers.

Are Your Employees Supported Enough?

A recent poll found that of those individuals experiencing symptoms of the menopause:

  • 23% have left jobs due to symptoms
  • 1 in 5 said they were not given a pay rise or promotion
  • 13% said they had to go through a disciplinary procedure

All this was despite the fact that nearly all businesses polled (95%) recognised that symptoms negatively impacted on work.

What Can Employers Do?

  • Start the conversation – hold open forums, consultations, surveys.
  • Introduce a menopause support policy.
  • Train your line managers on how to support impacted employees.

We can support you on developing training and guidance materials, please contact Helen Couchman in our team on 07799 901669 to find out more.

Podcast – Redundancy Support for Small Scale Redundancies

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HR Consultant, Sarah Martin, discusses how Narrow Quay HR can support smaller businesses and SMEs through redundancy process involving less than 20 redundancies

 In this podcast, we discuss:

  • planning
  • getting into the correct mindset
  • what areas we can support with

How Can We Help?

Our specialist HR consultants can help your organisation by:

  • providing support with your day to day HR issues
  • auditing your HR policies and procedures to identify problems and suggest improvements
  • training for your staff
  • practical support with consultations and other HR projects
  • carrying out investigations into grievances, disciplinaries and other matters

Related Resources

If you require specialist HR support relating to workplace investigations, please contact HR Consultant Sarah Martin on 07799 136091.

Podcast – Redundancy Support for Collective Consultation Redundancies

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HR Consultant, Simon Martin, discusses the support Narrow Quay HR can offer to organisations going through a redundancy process, including those dealing with a collective consultation process.

 In this podcast, we discuss:

  • what constitutes a collective consultation process?
  • support we can provide throughout the process

How Can We Help?

Our specialist HR consultants can help your organisation by:

  • providing support with your day to day HR issues
  • auditing your HR policies and procedures to identify problems and suggest improvements
  • training for your staff
  • practical support with consultations and other HR projects
  • carrying out investigations into grievances, disciplinaries and other matters

Related Resources

If you require specialist HR support relating to workplace investigations, please contact HR Consultant Simon Martin on 07384 81376.

What’s New In Employment in 2018

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Employment : What’s new in 2018, after 2017, a significant year for employers and employees, with the Taylor Review and the Supreme Court’s ruling on tribunal fees taking centre stage.

Employment status will continue to be a hot topic in 2018, with individuals designated as self-employed by their employer seeking the protections offered by worker or employment status. We expect the Government to provide a response to the Taylor Review on modern employment practices and this is likely to impact those working in a gig economy industry.

The ECJ’s decision that workers who are wrongly informed they are not entitled to holiday pay can carry holiday rights over indefinitely and also be paid in lieu for any untaken holiday during their entire period of employment on termination. A Court of Appeal decision will be highly relevant to those who have been classified as self-employed during a contract but are then subsequently shown to be workers or employees.

In April, the first of the mandatory gender pay gap reports for large private and voluntary sector employers will be due. This follows the obligation on large employers to publish an annual report containing data on their gender pay gap, which was introduced last year. Public sector employers that fall within the remit must report by 30 March 2018.

Of course we will also see the introduction on 25 May 2018 of the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which covers a host of changes in regulations regarding the collection and holding of personal data. Some of the considerations include, but are not limited to:

  • greater penalties for non-compliance
  • increased requirements around record keeping and reporting
  • the requirement to include additional information in privacy notices and contracts with data processors
  • increased information security
  • a far narrower definition of consent
  • changes to the rules around the handling of subject access requests
  • new rights for individuals in relation to their data

Get in touch with us to discuss your current and future employment challenges. We’d be delighted to help.