Tag Archive for: freelance HR

Why You Need a HR Professional on Your Team

How do you know when it is time to get expert HR Advice? We are all facing a volatile working environment at the moment due to Covid-19. Employers have to make difficult decisions on staffing levels.  

This creates an increased risk that an employee will seek compensation if you get it wrong.  So now is the time to ensure you get professional HR advice, to protect you and your business.

HR professional advising clients

Should You Outsource HR or Keep it In-House?

Outsourcing works best for small and medium-sized businesses who don’t have their own HR departments. Given the current economic uncertainty, it may not be the right time to expand your management team. However, at such times, it’s crucially important that you have access to HR expertise.

Outsourcing your HR offers a flexible solution to match your needs and your budget. Contact us to arrange to discuss your HR needs on  07858089006 or email julie@consulthr.co.uk.

How a HR Service Can Ease Your Business Through This Pandemic 

Running a business during a global pandemic is a constant challenge but good HR makes sure you have a strong team to help. A specialist HR service supports your business with cost effective and flexible advice to get you back on track. 

HR experts like Consult HR can help you make the changes needed to navigate the post-Covid business world.  We have the experience you need to offer year-round support in key areas like employment law, redundancy and restructuring We also help you shape the management team you need to lead your business through this crisis.  

Covid-19 and Company Staffing 

For businesses who need to streamline their staff, redundancies may have to be an option. The redundancy process can be a complex area and the procedures vary depending on the number of redundancies involved. 

Redundancies and Covid-19

You may need to reduce your staffing costs but don’t know how. We help businesses map out their options and guide business owners through the statutory procedures Let us take care of the legalities and provide you with the framework to streamline your business. We create plans to deal sensitively and supportively with staff, while providing on-site and offsite support, as needed. 

HR professional consulting

Restructuring During Covid-19

Where appropriate, HR professionals can provide advice on alternative options to redundancies. We support business owners to create a plan that fits with the vision of their business.  Restructuring your business does not need to be a difficult undertaking and may allow you to keep on staff you’re reluctant to lose. Sometimes job losses can be avoided by changing the role of staffHR professionals can guide you through the legalities of restructuring your business and creating new positions for existing staff 

Employment Law during the Covid Pandemic

Most business owners do not have the time – or inclination – to learn the ins and outs of employment law. This is where a specialist HR professional can save you a lot of time and money. A good HR provider will work with you to develop robust terms and conditions of employment. They will ensure these terms comply with legislation and are specifically tailored to suit the requirements of your business. 

At Consult HR we take care of all aspects of employment policies and procedures for the businesses we work with. We ensure your business is compliant with all employment legislation, which can also protect your Company in litigation claims. 

HR proffessional working

 Coronavirus and Dismissals 

 Employment law is particularly important right now, as many business owners are letting go of staff. Consult HR can advise and guide you through the process to ensure you comply with legislative requirements  

Consult HR are experts in the field of employment law and can provide you with advice on legally binding agreements. This helps you to avoid future litigation and unfair dismissal claims through the industrial tribunals.  

At this time of great upheaval for businesses, a professional HR service can ease the burden and hassle of employment issues. Consult HR have a range of service options to meet all businesses needs and budgets, from project work to pay as you go. Contact us today to find out how we can support your business,  

 

Contact Julie Pollock on 07858089006 or email julie@consulthr.co.uk.  

Visit our website here: www.consulthr.co.uk 

 

 

 

 

 

10 top tips for effectively managing discipline and grievances in the workplace

Whatever the size of your business and regardless of how informal its culture is, one of the key elements that it should have is effective disciplinary and grievance procedures in place. As well as being a requirement of the law, they serve to protect both employers and employees should either the need for disciplinary action or a grievance arise. Not following correct protocol can be a costly mistake. If an employee has been in service for one or more years, failing to take the correct course of action may lead to an unfair dismissal claim, with the potential for a compensation payout.

Thankfully, best practice guidance is available via the ‘LRA code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures’. But if you don’t fancy delving deep into it, we’ve put together some top tips on effectively managing discipline and grievances in the workplace!

discipline and grievances

1. Have relevant and clear policies in place

Having discipline and grievance procedures in place ensures that:

  • Everyone is aware of how disciplinary and grievance problems are dealt with
  • Proceedings will be fair
  • Such issues will be acted upon in a timely and sensitive manner

So that your company’s policies are appropriate, you should ensure that:

  • Staff are aware of their existence and they are readily available
  • All managers are fully trained on these procedures
  • Such issues are dealt with as soon as possible
  • Policies are updated in line with changes in the law or the business structure

2. Determine the best route to take

Each individual grievance should be dealt with accordingly, deeming whether a formal or informal route should be taken. Here, be guided by the employee’s wishes, or the severity of the situation. If, for example, an employee is offended by a comment given by someone else in the workplace, addressing the situation by speaking to the employee in question may effectively resolve it. On the other hand, where issues such as discrimination or harassment arise, treating it as a formal grievance is more appropriate.

3. Designated chairperson

If the need for a formal grievance procedure arises, an appropriate chairperson will need to oversee the meeting. It is essential that the person in question is deemed suitable. Often, the individual’s line manager will chair it. If, however, the subject is of a sensitive nature or the complaint is about the manager, a more senior member of staff may be better suited to deal with it.

4. Confidentiality

Throughout the process, this is of the upmost of importance. Employees concerned, and those who serve as witnesses should be made aware that they are not permitted to discuss the issue with anyone else.

discipline and grievances

5. Investigation

This fact-finding exercise is critical to collate all relevant information relating to the grievance or disciplinary. This stage is essential to establish the facts. Interviews with witnesses may be required, in which notes should be taken. Other steps such as reviewing CCTV, computer or phone records may also be required.

6. Hold a grievance meeting

It is important that a meeting is held as soon as possible, after the issue has been raised. It may be necessary to adjourn it until further investigations are carried out.

7. The right to be accompanied

Employees should be made aware that they have the right to be accompaniedat both disciplinary and grievance meetings. Often this is a trade union representative or a work colleague of the employee’s choice.

8. Reaching a decision

The panel should carefully consider all information and arrive at a fair and reasonable outcome. The employee should be made aware of the decision taken in writing.

So, in the case of a disciplinary process they should be advised if a warning is being issued, what level, the duration of the warning and the improvement expected.

In the case of a grievance process, the employee should be informed of the outcome of their complaints and what action will be taken to resolve the matter.

In either case, the employee should also be made aware that they have the right to appeal.

9. Appeal

If possible, an appeal should be chaired by someone who is more senior to the person who chaired the previous meeting, has not been involved in the process so far, and therefore deemed impartial. Again, employees have the right to be accompanied.

discipline and grievances

10. Seek the advice of a professional

Here at Consult HR, one of the key services we offer is flexibility in dealing with grievances and disciplinary action. We offer on site support or advice on how to conduct investigations, discipline and dismissal meetings, as well as providing advice on appropriate questioning techniques. Furthermore, we can conduct independent investigations or disciplinary hearings and present a report on our findings to ensure a thorough and fair process is conducted.

For more information, contact Julie on: 07858089006.

Top tips to reduce employee absenteeism in the workplace

We’ve just had a scorching May and early June and fingers crossed, the good weather is set to return. While the sunshine puts a spring in our step, it has brought with it some problems, with many employers reporting that they noticed a rise in absenteeism in the workplace.

In particular, employees are phoning in sick when employers suspected that they were basking in the sun in their gardens or soaking up the sun at the beach!

With the average UK worker being absent over six days annually, costing employers an average of £554 in sick pay per employee, no doubt you are keen to limit this cost within your business.

Effectively dealing with employee absence and differentiating between genuine absence and those taking advantage is a common challenge that many employers face.

So what exactly can you do to reduce employee absenteeism? Here, Julie Pollock from Consult HR provides her top tips on how you get a handle on it this summer.

employee absenteeism

Have a clear policy in place

The first and most important step is to ensure that your company has a practical, well-written policy in place, which is given to employees when they take up their post. The document should state the process which employees are expected to follow should absence from work arise. Having clear attendance and absence policies will keep employees versed on the standards expected of them, as well as assisting managers when dealing with proceedings. Furthermore, the policy should be readily available to staff, such as on the company’s intranet. This easy access and high visibility will enhance its importance. Finally, asking employees to read and confirm they have understood the procedures regarding absence helps improve compliance.

Conduct return to work interviews

The thought of having to sit down with a manager face-to-face to explain absence, after taking a ‘sneaky’ day off can be enough to make employees think twice about actually phoning in sick.

So having return to work interviews as standard practice can reduce your absence levels without you even noticing.

Ensure managers are approachable

If employees don’t have an understanding point of contact in the form of a manager, they may be less likely to discuss issues or requests which could avoid absence. For example, if an employee feels they can’t approach staff for a couple of hours off to attend a necessary appointment, the result of this may be calling in sick at the last minute, requiring a full day off work. Having an open, sympathetic ear will help put employees at ease and open the door for communication and ultimately reduce absence levels.

employee absenteeism

Monitor absence

If you aren’t already doing so, monitoring absence patterns and levels is an effective way of foreseeing potential problems. This will help you identify those employees you need to have a conversation with, distinguishing between those who genuinely need assistance with ongoing health problems and those who may be taking advantage of your company’s sick pay scheme.

Keeping a record will also help you to keep abreast of trends, ie those that have ‘Monday-itis’. Furthermore, this can help notify you of absence trends, which may reveal that the employee has some external issues, which are impacting on their ability to attend work and may be resolved in a short period of time with some support from you.

Communication Is Key

Where you identify some concerns with an employee’s attendance at work, address the matter early by having a conversation, advising the employee concerned what your concerns are. This in itself may be enough to correct the problem early without the matter getting out of hand.

Health and wellbeing programmes

Companies which offer health and wellness programmes, have been shown to have lower levels of absence than those which don’t. These programmes cover a range of conditions, such as offering on-site yoga classes at lunchtime, to helping employees quit smoking or lose weight. There should be no pressure for employees to participate but they should be made aware of such programmes should they wish to avail of them. As well as helping improve health and wellbeing, staff moral will be higher and good working relationships will be developed, not to mention improved attendance levels.

employee absenteeism

Instil flexible working hours

This is a big decision for a company to take, but one which can result in lower levels of employee absenteeism. Flexible working can take many forms such as working from home, job-sharing, part-time, term-time, job-shares and flexitime. Being able to fit working hours around the demands of a busy life, will again, ensure employees take fewer unexpected days off work. Furthermore, being accommodating instils a greater level of trust between the employer and employee.

Keep staff moral high

Keeping staff motivated is an effective way to ensure absence levels are kept to a minimum. Encourage good morale with incentives, recognition programmes, career advancement opportunities and arranging social events for teams. Undoubtedly, a combination of emotional and physical factors are responsible for preventing employee absenteeism. A positive work environment is a key factor in encouraging staff to come to work everyday.

If you are struggling with employee absenteeism in the workplace, help is at hand. At Consult HR, many companies have benefited from our outsourced HR services. For more information, get in touch here.