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Top tips for managing a negative employee

September 10, 2019/in News/by Consult HR

Here at Consult HR, one of the most common complaints we hear about from managers is dealing with a negative employee. Whilst it might be common it is one of the areas that managers find most difficult to deal with. Passing the blame onto others when work is incomplete, moaning about workloads or someone ‘discretely’ spreading negativity within the team… sound familiar?

Someone of a less than sunny disposition tends to spread their negativity to others. Dealing with a single negative employee is one thing, but a whole team of pessimists can be harder to handle. Therefore, when you spot those not-so-admirable qualities in someone, you’ll probably be keen to nip it in the bud before that negative energy spreads.

Therefore, with this in mind, here are our top tips for effectively dealing with a negative employee.

Don’t avoid the problem

The thing about negativity is that it can spread like wildfire. As well as having a knock on effect by impacting the mood and stress levels of others in the workplace, productivity and customer service can suffer too.

It’s easy to dismiss negative behaviour with remarks like “that’s just her personality.” But, as the manager, your failure to take action is likely to affect others in your team and before you know it you could have a toxic working environment on your hands which in turn, can lead to high levels of staff leaving, absenteeism, poor productivity and ultimately a negative impact on your business’ reputation and profits. Before you know it, the positive, motivated, engaged team that you dreamed of disappears due the work of ‘one bad apple’.

Effective ways to deal with a negative employee

While this is most likely to be one of the more awkward conversations you’ll ever have with a member of staff, it is of the upmost of importance. If you fear negativity is creeping into your workplace, put the following steps in place to minimise it:

Set the scene

From the outset at induction and/or during team meetings, management should discuss with the staff the type of working environment you want all staff to work towards. If staff have any problems, they should be aware of who they should address these with and overall sending the message that the working environment you are working towards is one of a ‘can do’ attitude with lots of positivity and the benefits that staff will get from this and encouraging all staff to get behind this.

By doing this, you are not identifying anyone in particular and this may be enough for the rest of the team to get behind the company ethos and turn ‘negative nelly’ around.

Make it known

Having a quiet chat (quiet being the operative word) is vital when dealing with a negative employee. Don’t be tempted to bring up this behaviour in front of others as you run the risk of making the situation worse. Bring the employee in for a chat about the problem. There is a chance that they weren’t aware of their attitude. Or, they may use the time to share a problem that they are facing. Getting it out in the open is the easiest way to resolve the situation.

It is also important to remind your employee that they control their attitude and that complaining and fault-finding is a choice. If the employee is coping with a personal matter that is affecting their attitude at work, be sympathetic without condoning the behaviour.

Change their mindset

If your discussion doesn’t go the way you intended and the employee in question can’t see the issue or blames those around them for their attitude, the next step is to try to change their mindset. Highlight the issues surrounding their behaviour and the impact that it could have on others in the workplace. Try to make them see things from a different perspective and offer alternative ways of thinking in order to try to change their mindset. Be specific about their behaviour and what they could do differently. For example, show them an email they sent and how it could have been worded in a more positive way.

During your meeting also focus on the positives, what this employee does well, but his propensity to criticise everything and everyone quickly becomes a weight on the shoulders of the staff and the company. Tell the employee that you’re interested in hearing their concerns, but that you want them to tell you rather than other employees.

4. Force positive behaviour

When you talk with the employee about his negative attitude, give him a goal: Tell him that if he has a problem with a plan, a person, or a situation, you would like to hear something positive he’s found as well. If he’s going to focus on the bad, make him consider the good, too. You can’t change how he thinks, but you can set standards about the language and tone he uses at work.

5. Set the standards and behavioural changes expected

If things don’t improve, more formal processes should be put into place. Clearly set out what you expect in terms of behavioural change and within what timeframe and set a future date to discuss progress. Talk about what specific behaviours you need to see and which benchmarks will demonstrate that changes have taken place. Give the employee the chance to change their ways.

6. Know when to say goodbye

Sometimes the person simply isn’t a good fit for your business. When they show they can’t or won’t change, or their behaviour warrants disciplinary action, it could be time to consider letting them go. You should refer to your company policies and procedures and follow these at all times.

If you are struggling to deal with negative employees in the workplace, help is at hand. Contact Julie Pollock on 07858089006 or email julie@consulthr.co.uk to discuss further.

You can also connect with us on Linked-In, Twitter or Facebook for regular updates on managing staff.

5 top tips for welcoming new employees to your company

June 17, 2019/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

It’s long been said that first impressions count and no more so is that true than when a new employee starts. The first couple of days in a new role can greatly determine not only how the job is done but if they stick around.

It’s natural to sigh with relief when you hire someone new, seeking reassurance that a role has been filled. However, the work doesn’t end there. A good induction should be an integral part of your employment process. Those first few interactions are key in promoting good engagement and high retention rates.

Therefore, with this in mind, Julie Pollock from Consult HR shares her top tips for welcoming employees.

Give them their contract

An offer letter, and contract of employment should be sent out as soon as possible. In fact, a contract of employment is essential and employers can be fined between 2 to 4 weeks pay per employee for failing to have written terms and conditions issued to staff. The contract should include:

Details of the position offer, including job title
Primary duties and responsibilities that the role includes
Details of salary
The duration of employment, whether it is permanent or for a fixed period of time
Details of any benefits such as holiday entitlement, pension, bonuses, health insurance plans etc
Restrictive covenants or a non-compete agreement, stating the employee cannot work for a competitor or start a competing business within a specified time frame, if necessary
Reasons and grounds for termination
Confidentiality guidelines

Read more about contracts of employment in detail in our blog post here.

Stay in touch

Often, when changing jobs, employees are required to work a notice period, meaning there can be a lengthy gap between them accepting the job and actually starting. This is especially true when filling a new-grad job, with interviews often taking place months in advance. Therefore, it is good practice to stay in touch, to keep them engaged. Inviting the new employee to a team event, is a great way for them to meet the rest of the team ahead of their start date. Or, if you have an internal company newsletter, subscribe them to it so that they can keep up to date with what’s been happening. This is an easy, yet effective way to help them feel a part of the team and excited about starting their new role.

Preparing for day one

Everyone undoubtedly feels nervous on their first day in a new job, but thankfully, with a little preparation, you can make this process as smooth as possible. Ahead of their start date, make sure they have all the necessary equipment available to them such as computer, programmes, a phone etc. Set up an email address and add them to any projects that they will be a part of. Having everything ready in advance means they can hit the ground running. Plus, there won’t be any awkward waiting around for things to be ‘sorted’. First impressions matter and entering a well structured, organised environment is the best possible start you can give a new employee.

Induction

Training is an integral part of a job and investing a little time in this initially goes a long way in ensuring a new employee’s success. Planning a workflow and overseeing tasks for the first week or two is good idea. You should also ensure a thorough induction is carried out. Not only should this involve going through their job description, but introducing them to the team and anyone else they will be working with. Lunchtime on the first day can be overwhelming so arranging a colleague to take care of them will be warmly received.

Policies and procedures

Many businesses are guilty of overlooking this process, dealing only with issues as they arise. However, get things off to a smooth start by explaining terms and conditions of employment, health and safety and policies such as booking annual leave, or what to do if they are sick.

A final note on retaining staff

From my experience, businesses are struggling with skills shortages and in many cases holding on to good staff is a struggle, which compounds the issue even further.

Recruiting good staff is a competitive market, and you need to appeal to those thinking about applying to your vacancy that your business is a good place to work.

Once you have found your ideal employee, you should ensure you hold on to them. Staff will leave and go and work elsewhere if you are not providing them with what they are looking for in a job. We are moving into an era where millennials will make up a high proportion of our workforce; they expect to set their own career path, their loyalty to an employer is lower and they demand regular feedback so employers now need to implement systems that are going to tick these boxes.

Employers need to be more aware of what employees want and what they should do to try and keep them. Gone are the days where employers should expect employees to be thankful they have a job.

If you need help with retaining staff, contracts of employment or new starts, get in touch today. Call Julie on: 078 5808 9006 or email: Julie@consulthr.co.uk

Top tips for managing employees’ mental health

May 15, 2019/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

With this month being Mental Health Awareness Month, and in fact, 13th – 19th May serving as Mental Health Awareness Week, now is the time to talk about mental health in the workplace.

With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem each year in the UK, it’s highly likely that we all know someone affected by depression, anxiety or stress. And so of course it affects us at work – in fact poor mental health costs the UK economy up to £99 billion each year.

Employers are affected by working days lost due to absence, have experienced staff leaving their employment and staff not performing in their jobs.

Therefore, as an employer, taking steps to manage employees’ mental health in the workplace has never been more important.

Each new case of stress leads to an average of 29 days off work…can your company afford this?

So with this in mind, here we share 6 top HR tips for effectively managing mental health at work.

1. Ask the difficult questions

It is not unusual for business owners and managers to fear talking to staff about their health. They don’t know what questions they can ask and they are frightened of overstepping the boundaries of asking the wrong questions. But in reality, if you don’t ask the questions then you don’t know how to help. There’s no denying that mental health isn’t the easiest topic to talk about, especially at work. Employees may worry that sharing details of their mental health may lead to them being treated differently. However in society, in recent years, there has been a shift in attitudes towards mental health.

Conducting return to work interviews will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the employee’s absence, identify early signs and put supporting measures in place to help the employee.

2. Don’t be the ostrich – Early intervention is key

44% of people who suffer from stress have cited that the cause is heavy workload. In such situations if the matter is not addressed, a fitness to work certificate citing ‘Stress At Work’ is highly likely to land on your desk.

Ignoring this only leads to the situation getting worse and could result in:

The employee’s absence being long term, which was avoidable
Working relationships break down
The employee submits a grievance
The employee’s health deteriorating
You lose very experienced, reliable staff
Claims are taken against the company for their treatment

Have open communication with your staff, listen to any issues they raise and seek a resolution early.

If the employee does go off due to stress at work, ask them to explain what the cause of the stress is and work through a solution to enable the employee to return to work as quickly as possible.

3. Remove prejudice

It’s essential that if an employee shares details of their mental health, that they are still given the same opportunities as other staff members. It’s easy to unconsciously make a decision such as giving a candidate a new project because another employee’s work life is stressful. It is good practice to have conversations with employees who have cited mental health problems and discuss how their work can be managed in order to help alleviate this.

4. Awareness sessions

Educating staff on how to build their mental health resilience is an excellent way to reduce mental health absences and improve the overall wellbeing of staff.

One way to do this is by holding an awareness week or awareness sessions at regular intervals throughout the year, inviting speakers in to share their experiences or offer education sessions. Opening up the channels for communication is the perfect place to start.

From this, staff can identify the signs of depression, stress and anxiety at an early stage and implement some of the tips and recommendations from the sessions to prevent their health deteriorating.

5. Stress is not always created in the workplace

We all lead very busy lives and commonly employees’ mental health suffers as a result of something that is happening outside of work, in their personal lives such as:

Marriage break-up
The loss of a close friend or family member
Financial worries
Caring responsibilities

Even though this has resulted from external factors, this can still impact on the individual at work. So remember to acknowledge that they are working through a difficult time in their life and offer support where you can.

6. Encourage a stress-less environment

Doing what you can to promote a stress-less work environment will work wonders. Start by instilling a good work-life balance, in which long hours and out of office emails are not a part of your company’s culture. Remember, employees who are less stressed are more productive. Appreciating employees and advocating empowerment go a long way in promoting a happy team.

This is a growing area that employers are struggling with. If you need help with an employment issue that involves mental health, get in touch today. Contact Julie Pollock on 07858089006 or email julie@consulthr.co.uk to discuss further.

What are the benefits of contracts of employment?

November 7, 2018/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

This is the question that I get asked a lot and there are many pitfalls for employers who do not have contracts of employment in place for their staff.

Many are surprised to learn that it is in fact law that employees receive written terms and conditions of employment within two months of taking up their position within their company. Employers can also be fined between 2 to 4 weeks pay per employee for failing to have written terms and conditions issued to staff.

Employment contracts comply with the employment legislation and should set out their employment rights, as well as the responsibilities and duties that you expect your employees to work to when they are employed by you.

The good news is that a good employment contract doesn’t have to be lengthy and confusing. In fact, the clearer, more concise and easier it is to understand, the better.

A contract should be created for each new employee and tailored towards their specific role, including, but not confined to the following:

Details of the position offer, including job title
Primary duties and responsibilities that the role includes
Details of salary
The duration of employment, whether it is permanent or for a fixed period of time
Details of any benefits such as holiday entitlement, pension, bonuses, health insurance plans etc
Restrictive covenants or a non-compete agreement, stating the employee cannot work for a competitor or start a competing business within a specified time frame, if necessary
Reasons and grounds for termination
Confidentiality guidelines

While creating contracts of employment might just seem like another thing you have to do, their implementation actually affords many advantages!

ADVANTAGES OF CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT

Saves you money

Julie Pollock from Consult HR reported that when designing contracts of employment she has helped business owners:

Reduce the amount of overtime paid
Reduced the amount of holiday pay
Have control over when staff can take their holidays so they are not taking holidays when they are required to work
Protect the reputation of your business through appropriate policies

Reduces risk

The main advantage of having contracts of employment in place is to reduce the risk of future claims by employees. By ensuring both parties (employer and employee) are in agreement to the terms and conditions, which are then signed, this binding contract serves to reduce the chance that one party will have grounds for legal action later down the line.

Setting standards

Stating exactly what you expect from an employee in their role, standards of performance and what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. By communicating this to employees from the outset will reduce the amount of time you spend speaking with employees, advising them of your expectations and correcting behaviours.

Protect sensitive information

For roles which involve the handling of sensitive or confidential information, a contract of employment will further protect this. A confidentiality clause will ensure sensitive information, which could be valuable to competitors is not leaked. Furthermore, the employee will not be able to use this information should they wish to compete with you.

TOP MISTAKES EMPLOYERS MAKE IN CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT

The don’t have any at all

You’d be surprised by how many companies don’t offer contracts of employment for employees. In fact, many don’t realise they have a legal obligation to do so. In the long-run, this can actually be more costly, disputes are much harder to resolve if it is not set out clearly in black and white, so protect your business and ensure you have these in place.

Copying someone else’s contract

Employers at times use standard terms and conditions and don’t really pay much attention to the content, and treat it as a tick box exercise.

They use templates from the internet or use the terms from another company and introduce it into their business.

This is highly dangerous because what is in one company’s contract may not necessarily be relevant or appropriate to your business.

The wording of your contract is critical when you want to draw an employees attention to something that you are unhappy about, or want to correct, are in dispute or worse case scenario situations that could lead to fines.

By having the correct wording should bring about a resolution very quickly, however having particular wording in contracts that you do not intend or are unaware of can be costly.

Not keeping them up-to-date

Often, a job role, working conditions and salary change over time, so contacts of employment need to be kept up-to-date to reflect this. This also applies when employment law updates occur and policies may need to be updated.

Not having them for all staff

Many believe that contracts of employment only apply to full-time staff or should not be issued to senior staff within the business, but the fact of the matter is that ALL employees, including temporary, part time or fixed term employees have the same rights as full-time employees and should ALL be issued with contracts.

GETTING ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT

At Consult HR, our outsourced services regularly sees us assisting with contracts of employment. We can help you:

Develop robust terms and conditions of employment that both comply with legislation and are specifically tailored to suit the requirements of your business.
Develop procedures which sets out the expectations that are required by the employees during their employment with you.
These policies and procedures are designed to protect your company in litigation claims.
We also develop Employee Handbooks.

For more information, get in touch today! Call Julie on: 078 5808 9006 or email: Julie@consulthr.co.uk

Easy ways to reward staff without giving them a pay rise

September 12, 2018/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

As a business owner and employer, you may have realised by now that recognising your staff’s hard work and dedication is an effective way to keep moral high. Business owners sometimes assume that the only way staff want to be rewarded is with a cash incentive, such as a bonus or a pay rise. However, that isn’t always the case and is not always possible. Thankfully, there are some amazing alternative ways to reward staff, when there’s no money in the budget for an increase in salary or you want to build and retain key staff. Here’s how…

Offer the opportunity for progression

Often for employees it isn’t just about money; it’s about feeling like they are progressing within a company. Knowing they are moving up the career ladder instils a sense of security and helps staff feel valued. So if the situation allows it, promoting someone from say, Account Executive to Senior Account Executive is often all they really want or need.

Vouchers

Who doesn’t love receiving a gift voucher? Do a little digging to find out which restaurants, shops or hotels an employee loves and present them with a voucher to treat themselves.

A day off

A simple, yet effective way to show your appreciation is to give an employee an extra one or two days off on top of their current holiday allowance. This means they can book a longer holiday, or use the day as they wish, whether that be lazing about at home, or doing something they enjoy.

Set high standards for training

As well as benefiting the employee, you’ll also reap the advantages of training staff. Whether it’s offering on-site training, or presenting them with the opportunity to enrol in a course, which will help further their career, regular training is effective in ensuring staff remain loyal to the company and they learn a new skill or knowledge which benefits the business.

Take them out

Who would turn down the opportunity to get away from the office, particularly when it’s paid for?! Whether it’s lunch in a restaurant, a drink in a bar or something more extravagant, taking staff out shows you value their hard work and builds stronger relationships within the workforce.

Employee of the month

This strategy has been around for years, which isn’t surprising, given its ability to instantly praise an employee and boost morale. Not only will you be highlighting their great efforts, you’ll be letting everyone else know. Plus, you’ll spark a little healthy competition among employees who are keen to earn the title for themselves.

A thank-you note

An old fashioned idea but a goodie… a simple, handwritten note to an employee, acknowledging their good work can go a long way. Leave it sitting on their desk so that they pick it up when they arrive at work the next day. You would be amazed at what this does to someone’s attitude at work and their work performance!

Be their mentor

Or if that isn’t possible, assign someone else who would do a good job. Appointing someone who will help an employee grow and progress within your company is an amazing opportunity that many would snap up in a heartbeat. Choose someone who the person can really learn from and who they admire to ensure it is a worthwhile opportunity.

Making the effort to regularly reward staff by supplementing pay rises and bonuses with some of these perks, brings with it many benefits such as:- staff work well together in a friendly environment, staff will work harder and create better results at work and you hold onto key staff that you don’t want to lose, which ultimately strengthens your business.

If any of these issues are causing you some problems, contact Julie Pollock on 07858089006 or julie@consulthr.co.uk to discuss further.

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

August 13, 2018/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

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!

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.

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.

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.

Easy ways to keep employees motivated during summer

July 30, 2018/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

Unsurprisingly, the summer months see many employers report lower levels of productivity in the workplace. With holidays, kids off school and big sporting events, it might seem like an impossible task to keep staff focused. And for those who aren’t taking any time of work, being left behind in the office while others are away, can be a bit of a drag.

However, we have the answer. Here, we’ve rounded up our top tips to keep employees driven during the summer months.

Embrace the great outdoors

It’s widely known that Vitamin-D has a multitude of benefits when enjoyed in moderation and with sun protection. So we say… embrace the great outdoors! One easy activity to take outside is company meetings. Technology has never been more mobile meaning that any necessary laptops, tablets etc can be brought with you. Rather than sitting in a stuffy boardroom dreaming of the great outdoors, staff will be full of new ideas given the change of location, not to mention the sunshine.

Consider activities

The summer months are the perfect time to stage an activity. Whether it’s a charity event, team building exercise or sponsored tournament, a day away from the office will definitely boost morale and bring a team closer together, increasing productivity in the process.

An unexpected treat

Sometimes the smallest gestures can have the biggest impact. Whether it’s something as simple as nipping to the local park for a picnic or having an ice-cream truck stop by in the afternoon, the way to employees’ hearts is definitely through their stomachs. Their gratitude will be shown through their focus in the office.

Dress down Fridays

If your work environment allows it, dress down Fridays are the perfect way to keep staff focused during the week. We all remember those non-uniform days at school and how happy we were when the day rolled around. Having dress-down Fridays can have the same effect. With the summer months typically being warmer, not having to wear a full suit will ensure employees stay cool and comfortable.

Finish early Fridays

Speaking of the F-word, allowing staff to finish early on Fridays can also have the same impact. Getting out just as little as an hour early really does wonderful things for team spirit.

Consider working from home

From time-to-time, allowing employees to work from home can be immensely rewarding. Often, working from home has less distractions than a bustling office so you may discover that an employee is actually much more productive at home. Plus, with rapid advances in technology such as videoconferencing and remote desktop applications, staying connected has never been easier.

Offer incentives

Perhaps the biggest motivator of all, putting incentives in place for reaching targets is a sure way to get employees’ heads in the game. The reward could be anything such as finishing early, working from home or a monetary bonus.

Encourage creativity

Banish boredom from the workplace! If staff are allowed to work on projects that they actually want to spend time on, they are more likely to be productive. Ask them for their input to determine what they’d love to be doing. By allowing staff to be creative, they’ll throw themselves into it in the hope of impressing you, and therefore output remains high during summer.

Offer good feedback

Feeding back to employees on how they are doing, gives them value. Feedback should be provided on the standard of their work and on the role they play within the company. Feeling like you are part of something bigger is a fantastic incentive, especially if there is opportunity for growth.

Give a little control

Where possible, loosen the reigns and give staff some control. This creates a sense of responsibility and helps establish trust, which in turn keeps productivity high during the summer months.

Armed with these top tips, keeping staff morale and productivity levels high during summer will be a breeze! For help with your HR, get in touch by calling: 078 5808 9006 or emailing: Julie@consulthr.co.uk.

Top tips to reduce employee absenteeism in the workplace

June 25, 2018/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

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.

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.

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.

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.

Are you ready for April’s statutory rates changes?

March 12, 2018/in Blog, News/by Consult HR

In just a few weeks, changes to statutory rates will come into effect. So what are these and how can you ensure your company avoids negative publicity for non-compliance? Here, we share the changes you need to know about, plus why 179 companies have been hit with huge fines.

The start of April is when businesses are required by law to adhere to the new statutory pay rates.

The latest list published by the government outlines 179 companies fined for not paying minimum wage to their employees. Global brands such as Wagamama, Marriott Hotels and TGI Friday’s are among the top offenders, while Northern Ireland based businesses Moy Park, Wilson’s Country Limited, QCS Contract Cleaning Ltd and Tayto were also named and shamed. The result of this has seen all 179 companies incur hefty fines, as well as being obliged to compensate workers for their shortfall.

Wagamama is believed to have failed to pay £133,212 to 2630 workers, while TGI Friday’s owed its staff £59,348.

Reasons for underpayments include failing to pay workers for travelling between jobs, not paying overtime and deducting money for uniforms.

As well as being required by law to pay back the shortfall to employees, the named companies face fines of up to 200% of the wages owed.

Julie Pollock from Consult HR said: “Employers should not underestimate the power of the Government in this area and the compliance officers can commence an investigation and remove information from an employer’s premises with no warning. They have also taken to ‘naming and shaming’ those employers found to be in breach exposing them to negative publicity.”

In Wagamama’s case, the breach came about because the company did not provide a uniform: Wagamama’s gave staff T-shirts that they expected to be worn with a black skirt or trousers. However, by not paying for the additional items, the restaurant breached minimum wage regulations.”

Unpaid breaks, requiring staff to arrive early for their shift and unpaid time spent in meetings could all lead to underpayment of wages.

There are also warnings that employers making deductions from staff for the cost of the Christmas party could also fall foul of the law if these deductions lowered employees’ wages to less than the minimum wage.

Moreover, additional payments such as tips and service charges should not count towards wages.

Back in 2017, Argos topped the list for paying below the minimum wage because staff were expected to attend unpaid briefings and undergo lengthy security checks outside working hours.

Primark and Sports Direct were among 260 UK employers who had been named and shamed by the government for failing to pay the national minimum wage and national living wage.

The key here is to ensure that as a business, you are adhering to the new statutory rates.

Confused by what exactly this all means? Don’t panic! We’ve laid it all out for you…

The changes are as follows:

National minimum wage

The hourly rate will increase as follows:

From £7.05 to £7.38 for 21-24 year olds
From £5.60 to £5.90 for 18-20 year olds
From £4.05 to £4.20 for 16-17 year olds
From £3.50 to £3.70 for apprentices aged under 19 or in the first year of their apprenticeship.

National living wage (for 25 years and over)

The hourly rate will increase from £7.50 to £7.83 for 25s and over.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

The weekly rate of SSP increases from £89.35 to £92.05.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

The weekly rate of SMP increases from £140.98 to £145.18.

Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP)

The weekly rate of SAP increases from £140.98 to £145.18.

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)

The weekly rate of SPP increases from £140.98 to £145.18.

Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SShPP)

The weekly rate of SShPP increases from £140.98 to £145.18.

The government takes a ‘no excuse’ approach against companies for failing to pay staff less than minimum wage and ‘ignorance of the law’ will not be an acceptable explanation for non-compliance.

Undertake a review of your working practices and make necessary adjustments to any areas of risk is the advice from Julie Pollock from Consult HR, if you want to avoid penalties and protect your business from reputational damage.

If you need some help with a particular staffing issue, get in touch here today! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook here for the latest HR news and free advice, and leave your name & email address in the comments section below to sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Love is in the air; potential problems with workplace romances

February 7, 2018/in Blog, News, Uncategorized/by Consult HR

Is love in the air in your workplace? As an employer have you ever thought of the problems associated with workplace romances? Here, we get to the heart of the topic by looking at how to effectively deal with relationships in the office.

A survey conducted by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), revealed that 41 per cent of office workers have experienced a romantic relationship in the workplace. With figures higher than a lot of us probably expected, this topic definitely deserves discussion.

Here, we reveal the potential problems that can arise as the result of workplace romances and how to effectively deal with them.

A ban is a no-no!

While as an employer you may deem it appropriate to have an all-out ban on personal relationships at work, this is both unrealistic and a breach of the Human Rights Act. A blanket ban on romantic relationships is likely to aggravate employees, fuel the relationship and create friction between the employer and employee, not to mention the potential law suits that could arise.

Make it clear

Having a clear policy will ensure that everyone knows exactly where they stand. In the policy, define what you deem as “inappropriate conduct” in the workplace, which could lead to disciplinary action. It is also worth outlining a broad ban on “intimate behaviour” while at work, such as kissing, holding hands or touching. The employer is also within their rights to ensure couples keep communications at work, strictly professional, which extends to electronic communications. For example, sending and receiving emails, should not focus on subjects which are not related to work. Employees should be made aware that management have the right to monitor such exchanges and intervene if necessary.

Talk is cheap

Often the biggest worry about workplace romances is the exchange of information between the two parties. Employees should be made aware that it is a breach of their contract to share confidential information. This extends to discussing the proceedings in meetings, staff changes or other commercially sensitive information. Again, this is an area which can be outlined in the company’s policy, highlighting that discussing confidential matters with a partner can lead to disciplinary action.

When love becomes heartbreak

The breakup of a work relationship often has the biggest impact on the workplace. When relationships turn sour, this can lead to a feeling of unease between the two individuals involved with the impact being felt by the rest of the workplace. And of course, not forgetting the headache it can give a manager! In order to deal with this effectively, having a rule in your policy, which states that employees should inform management if there is a change in their personal relationship, can help with this. Notifying employers gives management time to address any potential problems early, as well as reminding employees of what is expected of them in the workplace, in light of the separation.

Refrain from playing cupid

It’s worth bearing in mind, that sexual harassment can take a wide variety of forms. In the employment tribunal case of Craddock v Fontoura t/a Countyclean, the business owner’s behaviour was deemed as sexual harassment after he frequently suggested that a male and female colleague should form a relationship. Despite honourable intentions, the employer’s need to play cupid between staff was unwelcome.

In summary, office romances aren’t always hearts and flowers. Employees are entitled to a private life, and employers should only interfere when this has a direct impact on the workplace. Consult HR can help you with your staffing problems. If you need help with this, contact one of our HR experts on 078 5808 9006 or get in touch here.