Joanne O'Carroll - Manager of HR Division
"News from the HR Services Division"
Well a warm hello from the HR Services Division!!
It's been a busy time for us here since we first set up in March, establishing the service and already we have some satisfied clients. Our first client, Potter's Herbals were delighted with our support and we have been celebrating our success - here's what the Managing Director Steve Elting said:
"Joanne delivered the project objectives to an extremely high standard of professionalism, on time and on budget. Her HR experience is considerable and she was able to inspire confidence amongst affected staff through her excellent interpersonal skills and natural ability to relate to people going through difficult circumstances. Joanne proved to be decisive and at all times focussed on the company's objectives."
Great news for the Division!
When Sickness comes before – or after - a holiday………..
July and August are traditionally holiday season months – we’ve saved up and planned for that 2 week break in the glorious sun.
However from an HR perspective, there can be problems…….
Some employees seem to find it hard to tear themselves away from the holiday atmosphere and the call we received recently here at the HR Services Division from an irate client ( employer) is not uncommon.
Our client found himself in a situation where one of his employees had returned from his authorised holidays one week late.
What’s more, he did not contact our client at all during that week and now says that he had a stomach upset. Understandably our client wants to know - can he be disciplined?
Whilst we fully appreciate how difficult and annoying this situation can be, we need to remain objective and establish the full facts – so that we can advise our client sensibly.
Why has the employee not returned?
If there is a valid reason, such as sickness or an airline strike, then disciplinary action is not appropriate – however there needs to be a very good reason why the employee didn’t get in touch - and this by itself could warrant disciplinary action.
What about pay?
The details contained in the handbook will guide us on this – in this case, our clients had a rule which requires a medical certificate for such absences before and after periods of annual leave. No medical certificate – no pay.
However, if the employee has deliberately extended his leave, or, knowing the importance of his return on time, travelled on a stand-by ticket and could not get a seat, then we would advise and guide our client on appropriate disciplinary action. One of the benefits our client receives, is the paperwork prepared for him – so he doesn’t need to worry about the wording being ok etc.
Deliberate extension of leave could justify dismissal, but travelling stand-by might only warrant a warning.
An equally common and frustrating problem occurs when an employee who, when refused their holiday request because of the workload, is then off sick for that period.
The normal process of dealing with sick staff should be followed as well as a thorough investigation - it is important to await all the facts just in case they were recommended to take a holiday for medical reasons by their GP.
It is easy to respond on the spur of the moment – but caution is advised – as an employer – the last thing you want is to end up with egg on your face.
We make sure this doesn’t happen.
Give Joanne O'Carroll a call and arrange a no obligation chat to see how we can work together: 0844 412 8105 or email her at joc@mentorcorporatecoaching.co.uk
Hot off the press is the news that the Government plans to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children aged up to 16 years of age.
The current legislation limits the right to request flexible working to parents where the children are under 6 years of age - or disabled.
This news has predictably been received with a mixed response; the TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has hailed it as great news for parents struggling to combine work with often hectic family lives. However the Federation of Small Businesses chairman Alan Tyrrell feels this puts small businesses in an impossible position.
In practice, whilst employers retain the right to refuse a request if there is a sound business reason to support the decision, research completed by Imelda Walsh (Human Resources Director at Sainsbury's) has found that employers approved more than 90% of requests for flexible working last year.
In fact Ms Walsh said: "I am convinced that the challenges which parents with older children face are considerable, and that the arguments for raising the age to 16 are compelling. This change would offer an important opportunity for parents to have extra flexibility at key times in their children's lives."
Luckily for my colleagues and myself, here at Mentor Corporate Coaching, our MD Gill Fitzmaurice, whom many of you have met, has long recognised the need for us to be able to juggle our professional responsibilities with the need to manage our family commitments.
In return, Gill has a highly motivated and committed team, who are often up at the crack of dawn to support the company at our popular early morning seminars and willing to work hard for the good of the company.
So, the news that flexible working rights are to be extended is not such a bad thing, if you take the right approach.
Our HR Services Division can help you make the most of your employees and your business - a motivated workforce is crucial in today's competitive environment, to provide excellent customer service and go that extra mile for your customers.
Give Joanne O'Carroll a call and arrange a no obligation chat to see how we can work together: 0844 412 8105 or email her at joc@mentorcorporatecoaching.co.uk
DID YOU KNOW?
The median compensation awarded by tribunals today is around £5000, but that average hides a whole range of awards from as little £00s to £000s. Can you afford to take that rish - per employee?
Heard the one about the Government that lost the personal details of over 25 million people?
It wasn’t funny!
This blunder took place in October 2007 when the UK Government managed to lose the personal details of 25 million people.
Not only was this an example of appalling management – it also represented a serious security breach, in a climate where identity fraud is on the increase.
Identity fraud occurs when the personal details of another person are used to commit crimes, such as obtaining goods (using credit card details to make purchases over the Internet or telephone).
As an employer…..
It is imperative that you safeguard the personal details of your employees to protect them from identity fraud – and make sure you comply with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Under the Act all employers are expected to take “reasonable and appropriate” measures to protect personal data. The Act creates a number of criminal offences, which are punishable with a fine and it is possible for an employee of an organisation to incur personal criminal liability.
It is important, therefore, that every step is taken to ensure that an employer complies with its obligations under the Data Protection Act. The Act is broken down into Eight principles to guide employers, but vigilance is vital.
Both Marks & Spencer and Skipton Financial Services have recently been found to be in breach of the Act, and ICO ( Information Commissioner’s Office) has stated, “Organisations which process personal information must ensure that information is secure — this is an important principle of the Act. If organisations fail to introduce safeguards to protect information they risk losing the trust and confidence of both employees and customers.”
The breaches both related to stolen laptops – containing sensitive employee information - which had not been encrypted.
What can you do?
The ICO recommends that you check for viruses and install firewalls on all computers. A clear policy on what can and can’t be downloaded is vital to support this.
You also need to train your employees to be wary of people who may try and trick them into giving out personal details, and make them aware that they can be prosecuted if they deliberately give out personal details without permission.
Our HR Services Division can help you……
To put the right policies in place to keep your data secure so that you can avoid being the next joke.
Give Joanne O’Carroll a call to talk about protecting your business and your employees on:
Temper's the one thing you can't get rid of, by losing it.
Mentor Corporate Coaching is offering a unique opportunity to learn how to deal with anger in your workplace - so that you can keep productivity high and fulfil your obligations from an employment law perspective.
Anger is a normal human emotion - everyone has experienced it and we all know that when it gets out of control it can affect the overall quality of your life. Being unable to control your temper can cause significant problems - at work and at home.
However, for such a common emotion, it is really difficult to get help to manage anger!
Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Dr Andrew McCulloch said: "In a society where people can get help for depression and anxiety, panic, phobia, eating disorders and a range of other psychological and emotional problems, it seems extraordinary that we are left to fend for ourselves when it comes to an emotion as powerful as anger".
So as an employer, you are on your own!
How do you cope with employees who lose their temper at work?
Do you struggle to communicate with some of your employees because they are so volatile?
Do other employees complain about someone's volatile behaviour in the work place?
Do you spend too much time trying to keep the peace when you could be driving your business forward?
Often angry behaviour can be a sympton of a current situation that the employee finds themselves in, when you have an employee who is usually very good at their job, it can be difficult to deal with sporadic outbursts of anger.
Working with Mentor Corporate Coaching, you will no longer have to:
- Persuade yourself or others that it would be difficult to replace the employee.
- Tread carefully around volatile employees or delay making operational changes for fear of an outburst.
- Hope that the outburst will die down quickly and that it won't happen again.
You will be able to:
- Handle angry employees with confidence.
- Help them overcome their issues and work better for you.
- Reduce resentment in other employees - who have become unhappy with poor behaviour going unchecked.
- Get better results from your workforce.
Are you sure all your workers are legal??
Changes to the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, mean that you really should find out.
The Government has announced that employers who negligently hire illegal workers could face a maximum fine of £10,000 for each illegal worker found at a business under a new system of civil penalites.
If employers are found to have knowingly hired illegal workers then they could incur an unlimited fine and be sent to prison.
To make sure that you protect yourself and your business from this threat you should check the relevant documents are on file - for all your employees.
In the two long lists of documents described in the Act (List A and List B) all employers are provided with instructions so that they can make checks.
You also need to do all you can to check the validity of the documents and keep them on file for a period of two years after the employment has come to an end.
These changes are in anticipation of the new points-based system to manage immigration set to attract younger, more skilled migrants into the UK.
The National Minimum Wage is set to go up in October 2008
The Department for Business and Regulatory Reform yesterday announced the new rates of the National Minimum Wage which will apply from 1st October 2008.
The new rates will be as follows:
| Existing Rate | New Rate | |
| Workers aged 22 + | £5.52 | £5.73 |
| Workers aged 18-21 | £4.60 | £4.77 |
| Workers aged 16-17 | £3.40 | £3.53 |
If you need any help with the changes identified above or any HR issues then contact the HR Services Division - we're here to help you get on with the running of your business.
Telephone: 0844 412 8105
joc@mentorcorporatecoaching.co.uk
