Matthew Chilcott

About Matthew Chilcott

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02 11 2023

Preventing work-related stress: the leading cause of illness at work | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott General #bedfordshirebusinesses, #Health&Safety, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #hse, #stress, #stressatwork, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Preventing work-related stress: the leading cause of illness at work | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Did you know that this week (1 November) marked UK National Stress Awareness Day?

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have provided some very interesting statistics and guidance on how to support your teams in the workplace.

Statistics:

HSE’s statistics show 914,000 workers were suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2021/22, the cause of 17 million working days lost in this period.

Legal duty:

Employers have a legal duty to ensure risks of stress and mental ill health are factored into health and safety risk assessments and acted upon. 

Guidance:

HSE’s guidance for managing stress at work includes:

information about a stress risk assessment
our Talking Toolkit, which can help structure conversations with workers to help prevent stress at work

Working Minds Campaign:

HSE’s Working Minds campaign aims to help businesses prevent work-related stress in 5 steps, bringing together practical tools and resources

Contact us now

If you would like to review your current HR strategy within your business and evaluate whether it is working for the success of the business and team, give us a call now. Consensus HR | Herts, Beds- “Helping companies take the pain out of managing people, whilst preventing people problems”.

Retail union calls on Low Pay Commission to be ambitious on minimum wage rates | Consensus HR in Herts & Beds

02 11 2023

Income inequality narrows as minimum wage rises | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Payrol #bedfordshirebusinesses, #consensus hr, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #payroll, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Income inequality in the UK has narrowed since the pandemic, thanks to a rising minimum wage and increased hiring. The proportion of employees earning below two-thirds of the median hourly rate reached a record low of 8.9% in April 2023, down from 10.7% in 2022 and 16.2% in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. Meanwhile, the percentage of high-paid employees fell to 23.4% from 25.4% in 2019. The decline in low-paid workers is attributed to government policies on the minimum wage and tax breaks for high earners who became self-employed. The data also reveals that full-time workers in the bottom fifth of the pay distribution experienced faster pay growth than inflation. Sectors with low-paid occupations, such as caring and leisure, saw the strongest wage growth.

Financial Times

The Times

Our HR comment / advice: Income inequality narrows as minimum wage rises | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is a great article from the ‘Financial Time and The Times’ in relation to pay and inequality and the median of pay received. The government policies are working for the low paid earners which should help many people since the pandemic and high inflation. At Consensus HR, we are always working with our clients to ensure that as part of their HR Strategy that y early pay reviews take place with the employees and clear measurements put into place to ensure all the team know why or if they get a pay rise and that it is dependent on both their performance and that of the company as a whole. This helps to ensure transparency and motivation within the team for the success of both the team member and the future of the business.”

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01 11 2023

Government plans to wipe criminal records of offenders to aid employment | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General, Recruitment #bedfordshirebusinesses, #criminal records, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #offenders, #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Offenders who have served jail sentences of more than four years will no longer have to tell employers about their past crimes under a new law. Previously, individuals jailed for more than four years were required by law to disclose their criminal past to prospective employers, who were also entitled to conduct criminal records checks. However, under the new provisions of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, these crimes will become “spent” seven years after completing the sentence. This change affects nearly 125,000 people sentenced in 2022 alone. Violent, sexual, and terrorist offences will remain exempt from this rule. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk stated that the reforms will help ex-offenders reintegrate into society and reduce reoffending rates.

Daily Telegraph

The Times

Our HR comment: Government plans to wipe criminal records of offenders to aid employment | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is an interesting, planned change to the records of offenders apart from Violent, sexual, and terrorist offences and should help those offenders who have “spent” their conviction from biased and discrimination back into the workplace. At Consensus HR we say that everybody should be treated equally, reasonably and to best practice and the law. This can be achieved by ensuring your company has a thorough, user friendly recruitment & HR strategy and your business should be getting the best people for the job whilst ensuring their development and all other areas of the HR Employment lifecycle are covered.

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If your company is currently experiencing problems with recruitment and HR in general and would like to have a non-obligatory discussion to look at how it can be approved, give us a call now. ‘Consensus HR – Helping companies take the pain out of employing people whilst preventing people problems”. 01438 576750

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31 10 2023

Apprenticeship starts fall 31% | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Training & Development #apprenticeships, #bedfordshirebusinesses, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #ousourcedHR, #outsourcedhumanresources, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

The number of apprentices starting at SMEs has fallen by 49% between 2017 and 2021, from 241,000 to 123,800. At large companies, there has been a 14% decline in new apprenticeships. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report shows that across firms of all sizes, overall starts are down by 31% since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. Investment in training per employee in the UK has declined by 19% since 2011, from £2,191 to £1,778. The CIPD found that six in ten British employers provided some sort of training in the past 12 months, down from two in three in 2017. Lizzie Crowley, the CIPD’s senior policy adviser, said: “Skills and labour shortages continue to be a real problem across the UK and all sectors of the economy, and we need to get apprenticeships and vocational education right if we’re to tackle these challenges.” Martin McTague, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, has called for reforms which “must work to reverse the dramatic fall in the number of starts.”

The Times

Our HR comment: Apprenticeship starts fall 31% | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Wow! Some very interesting statistic here in this article from ‘The Times’ and our Chartered Institute the CIPD. At Consensus HR we are a firm believer in Apprenticeships and development of our team and when I was fortunate enough to hold the role of Head of Talent / HR for Veolia Water UK and Welcome Break UK played an active part in ensuring that structured employee development schemes were created and introduced so as to ensure the teams had the skills required for their roles for their benefit and that of the business. Within Veolia water I played an active part in the writing of the skills required for their Apprenticeship scheme working with the Water Authority and Government body which proved very interesting. Apprenticeships and employee development needs to be managed and implemented correctly ensuring that the delegates receive real, business focussed development for the specific role with active support, feedback and praise.”

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If you run a business and have a team and wish to be able to speak to a HR consultant when dealing with any HR / Employment areas, give us a non-obligatory call now – 01438 576750 ‘Consensus HR – Helping companies take the pain our of managing people whilst preventing people problems.”

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30 10 2023

Monthly HR blog Newsletter – October 2023 | Consensus HR, Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Health & Safety, Newsletter, Performance Management, Recruitment, Rewards & Benefits #Bedfordshire, #bedfordshirebusinesses, #herffordshire, #HR Herts, #hr newsletter, #HRblog, #outsourcedHR, #outsourcedhumanresources, #stevenage, Business, Business Owners, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, Small Business, SME

In our current Monthly recap HR blog Newsletter – October 2023 we have:

Former male ‘period dignity officer’ settles discrimination case.
More workers quit over climate.
Sexism in the City inquiry begins.
Lidl worker awarded £50,000 in sexual harassment case.
Acas says companies should provide menopause awareness training for managers.
UK migration advisers call for tighter foreign worker rules.
NHS staff granted ‘safe space’ powers to speak out about mistakes.

Former male ‘period dignity officer’ settles discrimination case | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

More workers quit over climate | Consensus HR – Herts

Sexism in the City inquiry begins | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

An inquiry into Sexism in the City begins today and will examine whether the position of women in financial services has changed in the past five years. The Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority are also looking at the issue and are considering proposals for organisations to be more transparent about their diversity and inclusion practices

Lights, camera, take action for World Mental Health Day | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Lights, camera, take action for World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day was marked on 10 October and has been celebrated for over 30 years. However, while awareness and acceptance of stress and mental health may be increasing, action – particularly prevention – is not.

Lidl worker awarded £50,000 in sexual harassment case | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds.

A tribunal has ruled in favour of Maddie Hunter, a former teenage assistant at a Lidl supermarket in Oxfordshire who was sexually harassed by the store’s deputy manager. Hunter was subjected to inappropriate comments and advances, and when she complained, she was told to treat it as a compliment.

Acas says companies should provide menopause awareness training for managers. | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) says companies should provide awareness training for managers about the menopause. Advice for companies includes making practical changes at work to help staff manage their symptoms, such as the availability of cold drinking water and temperature control, and how to handle the issue “with sensitivity.” Susan Clews, chief executive of Acas, said: “British businesses overwhelmingly feel that it is important to support women experiencing menopause at work

UK migration advisers call for tighter foreign worker rules | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

The UK’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on Tuesday recommended abolishing one of the main routes for businesses to hire migrant workers in sectors where there are severe staff shortages, arguing that the current system was liable to drive down wages and leave workers open to exploitation.

NHS staff granted ‘safe space’ powers to speak out about mistakes | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

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If your company requires HR / Employment Law support, contact us now for a non-obligatory chat on how we can help you.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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30 10 2023

87% of staff mix WFH with childcare | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Disciplinary & Grievance, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General, Handbook, Health & Safety #bedfordshirebusinesses, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #workingfromhome, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Research from Capital One has found that 87% of remote workers regularly look after their children while trying to do their day job, with 85% of remote-working parents having to work in the same room as their children. The study shows that parents working from home are also cleaning (56%), cooking (55%), helping with homework (44%) and doing the weekly food shop (44 %). The Capital One research shows that 91% of parents find it stressful juggling work duties and parental responsibilities and 37% are able to concentrate more on their work when in the office full-time. It was also shown that 64% of working parents have seen covering childcare costs become more difficult amid the cost-of-living crisis. Adam Myers of HR consultancy Stellamar says the findings point to an area of concern over remote and hybrid working, saying: “It is important to remember that if people are working at home, then they should be working, and if they are being carers to young children in particular, how much work is actually happening?”

Daily Mail

Our HR comment / advice – 87% of staff mix WFH with childcare | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is an interesting article in the Daily Mail in relation to parents working from home and having to juggle their work responsibilities with their parenting duties at the same time which must be extremely hard with a detriment to one or the other as shown in the statistics. At Consensus HR we have had to support businesses and their employees on a number of occasions when it has come to parenting and work and finding suitable childcare. Unfortunately, this can be a very complicated scenario for a business when it starts to affect their work and the business and has to be managed correctly to best practice and the law or could result in drastic financial, reputable and legal problems.”

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27 10 2023

Councils told not to adopt four-day working weeks | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Absence Management, Blog, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General, Recruitment #4 day working week, #bedfordshirebusinesses, #councils, #flexibleworking, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #hybridworking, #outsourcedhumanresources, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Ministers have formally warned councils in England against adopting four-day working weeks for staff. Government guidance says local authorities that have adopted the work pattern should end the practice immediately. While supporters of the four-day week argue that it improves staff wellbeing and productivity, the government believes that it does not represent value for money and is concerned service quality will decline. Lee Rowley, the Minister for Local Government, warned that councils which opt to disregard the guidance “are now on notice” that ministers “will take necessary steps” to ensure that the practice is ended within local government. Noting that more than nine in 10 councils are experiencing staff recruitment and retention difficulties, Pete Marland, chair of the Local Government Association’s resources board, said: “It is councils who know what works best for their community, workforce and in their wider labour market conditions.”

The Guardian

Our HR comment: – Councils told not to adopt four-day working weeks | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “We have written a number of blogs of hybrid / flexible working and their pro’s / cons and this one in the ‘Guardian’ highlights the action that Government / Ministers are taking against local councils and them adopting a four-day week. It is a subject that has been spoken about many times in a lot of media since the Pandemic and is totally specific to each company and the service is offers. Unfortunately, / fortunately, there is no one policy that will suit all businesses and each business needs to thoroughly investigate the overall pros / cons of adapting this working practice and the working week and take the necessary action. All parties should be included in the decision so as to not create an environment where quality members of the team feel not listened to and only have the option of seeking alternative employment.

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If your company is experiencing continual discussions / problems about changing the working week to less days but maybe with more hours per day and wish to fully consider how this would be managed and the action that needs to be taken, give us a call now,

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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26 10 2023

Former male ‘period dignity officer’ settles discrimination case | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Disciplinary & Grievance, Employment Law, General, Investigations, Training & Development #bedfordshirebusinesses, #discrimination, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, #sexual discrimination, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

A male “period dignity officer” who lost his job after a global backlash has settled his sex discrimination case out of court. Jason Grant, a former personal trainer, sued the partnership that hired him last year. The £35,000-a-year role was abolished weeks later after claims of threats and abuse. Grant alleged that he was removed from the post because he was a man, which would constitute a form of sex discrimination under the Equality Act. The Tribunal Service confirmed that Grant’s case had been settled out of court. No details of the agreement have been made public. Grant was selected last year for a role that would have involved discussing sanitary products with students in schools and colleges in the Tayside region. He was appointed by a working group comprising representatives from Dundee and Angus College, Perth College, Angus council and Dundee city council.

Sky News

BBC News

The Times

Our HR comment: Former male ‘period dignity officer’ settles discrimination case | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This was a news article I saw when watching the six o’clock news yesterday and demonstrates how the requirements of a role resulted in discrimination taking place in relation to discussing sanitary products by a male. This case was settled out of court, but I can only imagine how much was agreed in settlement under the Equality Act 2010. Yes, Grant was a man, but could he have not fulfilled the duties of the role and discussed sanitary products with students in colleges and schools? If the correct Recruitment and Selection strategy has been followed to best practice and the law, then regardless of whether he was a man or not, was he the right person for the role? In this ever-changing world where when I was young you would never see adverts for sanitary products or condoms but today, they are rightfully advertised throughout the day on TV, and it is part of live, why should it not be the norm that a man can be involved in discussing it? The Equality Act 2010 is key when it comes to Equality and Diversity in the workplace which is applicable from day one of employment and if proven unlimited awards can be awarded. We recently wrote a blog on this Act, which can be found by clicking here: One in five Britons have faced workplace discrimination.

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If your business is unsure of Employment Law and best practice when it comes to managing your team, give us a call now for a non-obligatory chat on how we can help you.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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25 10 2023

Banker bonus cap to be scrapped | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, General, Performance Management, Rewards & Benefits #bedfordshirebusinesses, #consensus hr, #consensushr, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #rewards, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

The cap on bankers’ bonuses is being removed as of October 31. The cap, which limited the bonuses employees of banks, building societies and investment firms could receive to a maximum of twice their basic salary, was introduced in 2014 in a bid to curb excessive risk-taking in the financial services industry in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The decision to remove the cap came following a four-month consultation by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority. The regulators said the move will address “unintended consequences” of the cap: salaries had been increased as a workaround. The PRA added that scrapping the bonus cap would boost the “safety and soundness” of banks, which would be able to “restructure pay faster, and the change would give firms further flexibility over their cost base to deal with downturns.” Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, criticised the decision to lift the bonus cap when “City financiers are already enjoying bumper bonuses.” He said the “obscene” decision is “an insult to working people.”

Our HR comment: – Banker bonus cap to be scrapped | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is an interesting news article in the majority of the press recently which seems to be supported by two major bodies within that industry but not the TUC. At Consensus HR we believe everybody should be rewarded appropriately for the work that they do with the company having a set reward Strategy and Policy. Rewards should be managed appropriately using a system that all the team can take part in and be rewarded for being successful whilst supporting the success of the business. This is why we always encourage our clients to have a set company performance review process with twice yearly performance reviews with all the team where SMART objectives are written and the team / companies success measures against these. All members of the team are rewarded for their personal input and the overall success of the company which can be financial or a reward of the employees’ choice to a set value. This process is also used for new recruits when joining the company, which after their probationary period automatically flows in the companies set process”.

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If you would like to discuss ways of rewarding your team for theirs and the company’s success, give us a call now for a non- obligatory chat on how this can be achieved. | Banker bonus cap to be scrapped | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

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24 10 2023

More workers quit over climate | Consensus HR – Herts

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Health & Safety #bedfordshirebusinesses, #climate change, #employee retention, #employeeengagement, #environment, #outsourcedhumanresources, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

A growing number of workers are making the decision to walk out of companies whose environmental values don’t align with their own. According to research by carbon removal marketplace Supercritical, 35% of UK office workers surveyed said they were willing to quit their jobs over weak climate action from their employers. Climate campaigner Paul Polman says workers today are far more climate-aware than in the past and want to give their time and talent to companies that share their values. Climate quitters can be a powerful form of lobbying, as their public quitting can create a PR problem for companies and push them to take action. However, some workers believe staying in a job can also drive change and put pressure on companies to move in sustainable directions. Separate research by KPMG shows 20% of workers said they’d turned down a job offer when a company’s ESG commitments didn’t align with their personal values. This number rose to 33% for 18-to-24-year-olds.

BBC News

Our HR comment: More workers quit over climate | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “I was amazed to see these statistics in a recent BBC article which demonstrates that applicants are now actively acting when the company they work for or are considering applying to, does not demonstrate climate action. Many of our clients now take positive action in the workplace with recycling and have an environmental policy to adhere to in this ever-changing world covering areas such as recycling, energy consumption, making use of natural light, insulation, using environmentally friendly products and many more.”

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If your business would like to introduce an Environmentally Friendly Policy to its workforce and to demonstrate your commitment to the environment, give us a call now.

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24 10 2023

Getting ready for the clocks to go back | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General #bedfordshirebusinesses, #changing of clocks, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

With the date approaching, what are the implications with the clocks going back and HR / businesses and their teams?

The CIPD our Chartered Institute explains:

This coming Sunday, 29 October 2023, British summertime comes to an end, and we move towards the darkest time of the year. For some, it will mean an extra hour in bed. But what about those who are working, or due to start work, during that extra hour? And what is the fairest way to deal with them?

The law and the clock change

When the clocks go back, the first hour of Sunday 29th October is essentially repeated. No, it’s not time travel, but a leftover of a time when much more of our day to day lives were dictated by the rise and set of the sun. This means that for those working over that time could end up having to work for an extra hour, depending on their contractual wording.

Organisations can choose how they treat the extra hour, subject to any contractual entitlements, but should act consistently and fairly. One way to achieve this is if they require staff to work the extra hour in October, they could allow employees to go home an hour earlier when the clocks go forward in March. This will cancel out any extra hours worked over the year.

Ahead of the day, organisations should review the wording of their employees’ contracts to see what they have to do about this.

Below, we set out scenarios to demonstrate the impact the clock change has on pay.

The contract states that the employee’s shift starts at 12am and finishes at 8am.

With this wording, the employee will be required to stay at work until 8 am. The effect of this is that their usual eight-hour shift will, for one day only, become a nine-hour shift.

The implications

The employee is likely to expect other hours pay for this work.

Where the contract states they are entitled to hourly pay for every hour worked, they will be owed additional pay for working that extra hour.

If instead they are salaried, generally they would receive their normal salary regardless of whether they work extra. However, organisational overtime rules may mean the employee needs to be paid for this time. Also, salaried workers still need to receive the legal minimum wage for this period so, where they are paid on or just above minimum wage, they may have to be paid the extra hour to receive their legal minimum entitlement.

The contract states that the shift lasts for eight hours starting from 12am.

Whilst usually the employee in this scenario would have to stay at work until 8 am, this wording allows them to leave at 7am instead. In doing this, their usual eight hours of work is maintained, as they will have worked eight hours. It is possible to agree with the employee that they will work an extra hour and leave at their normal finishing time.

The implications

If the nature of their job is such that another employee takes over from them, for example shift work in a care home, the employee starting after will need to start an hour earlier than normal to ensure the work is covered, if the employee already working refuses to stay on.

The employee agrees to work the extra hour, but this will mean their average working hours overnight will be over eight.

All night workers must not work, on average, more than 8 hours in any 24-hour period within a given reference period. Therefore, this scenario means that by agreeing to work the additional hour, their working hours are in breach of the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR).

The implications

Employees cannot waive their right to the restriction on their average night-time working hours (although the reference period can be extended under a relevant agreement). As such, whilst the employee is in agreement, to allow them to work the extra hour would be a breach of the WTR for which the employer could be liable to formal action under those regulations.

Next steps

Now is the time for employers to decide how they want to manage the upcoming clock change and inform their employees of the organisational position. Practically, it is also recommended to pre-warn workers scheduled to work on Sunday about the clocks going back to ensure they attend work on time. This should help to avoid confusion on the day, and any lateness that may be attributed to it.

Article written by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD)

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If you get confused about any areas of HR and Employment Law and wish to have a non obligatory conversation, please give us a call now.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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23 10 2023

NHS staff granted ‘safe space’ powers to speak out about mistakes | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Disciplinary & Grievance, Employment Law, General, Health & Safety #bedfordshirebusinesses, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #mistakes, #NHS, #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, #safe space, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

NHS staff will be able to speak out about mistakes without fear of reprisal for the first time, thanks to the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). The HSSIB has been granted “safe space” powers, meaning that any testimony or evidence given to it will not be handed over to another agency unless the High Court rules that it must. The body aims to help staff feel safe in speaking honestly about mistakes and understanding how to prevent them. The HSSIB can enter and inspect hospitals, seize documents and equipment, and compel individuals and organisations to answer questions. It replaces the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch. Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, who chaired a parliamentary committee that backed the idea of legal protection, said: “It is the real catalyst for breaking the hold of the traditional blame culture in healthcare. People make mistakes that are part of a failing safety system, but rarely because of deliberate negligence or carelessness.”

The Sunday Times

Our HR comment: – NHS staff granted ‘safe space’ powers to speak out about mistakes | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Following the stories we have heard recently regarding mistakes made in the NHS and their severe consequences, it is great to see this new scheme allowing a ‘safe space’ to give information without fear of it going to a third party unless the High Court rules it must. In any organisation it is vital that all members of the team feel confident in being able to express mistakes to the team and management and a culture is developed where they learn from their mistakes and make amendments to procedures etc, so that the same mistake does not happen again. This is why at Consensus HR; we ensure our clients have set Policies & Procedures / Standards in place for all areas of the business and their teams and that then development of their teams works in conjunction with them, and the appropriate action taken should anybody no meet them such as further development or disciplinary action.”

Contact us now

If you wish to set up adequate Policies & Procedures / Standards for your business and teams, give us a call now for a non-obligatory chat. “Consensus HR – Helping companies take the pain out of managing people whilst Preventing People Problems.”

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

For further information on any of the HR subjects we provide, please click the heading below:

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