The HSE (Health & Safety Executive) have produced some improved guidance on managing Health & Safety and controlling risk with some excellent example risk assessment templates for businesses such as:
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The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has admitted it hired “culturally toxic” staff and failed to fire those guilty of misconduct. The CBI said a failure to act allowed a “very small minority of staff with regressive – and, in some cases, abhorrent – attitudes towards their female colleagues to feel more assured in their behaviour, and more confident of not being detected.” CBI president Brian McBride said the lobby group had been “complacent” and apologised for “mistakes in how we organised the business that led to terrible consequences.” This comes following allegations of sexual misconduct at the CBI, including claims that two women were raped by colleagues. Law firm Fox Williams has been conducting an investigation into the CBI and, in response to its recommendations, the lobby group is hiring a chief people officer and all staff will complete compulsory anti-bullying and harassment training. Both the government and Labour Party have suspended engagement with the CBI, while a number of large companies have cut ties with the group or suspended their membership. Meanwhile, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said he could not “wait for a reincarnation of the CBI or the CBI itself to get back on its feet to engage with business,” adding “There’s no point engaging with the CBI when their own members have deserted them in droves. So, we want to engage with a body that speaks for business.”
The Guardian
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott – FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Who would have ever thought that the CBI – Confederation of British Industry would be the main news over the past few days when its used to represent 190,000 businesses and the CBI had been described by the Financial Times as “Britain’s biggest business lobby group”. The news that is currently coming out is alarming that such a key British Confederation as with any UK business can allow such practices to take place. To admit that it hired “culturally toxic” staff and failed to act! Business Owners, Managers, Employees all have a duty of care under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 to take the correct action for the wellbeing of team members as well as ensuring that the team are managed correctly and according to the Acas Code of Practice whilst acting as a reasonable employer. Poor management within any business will have severe consequences as shown at the CBI for both the business and team. Businesses need to ensure that the correct behaviour and attitudes are present within their businesses whilst carrying out workshops and development for the team so that they gain a thorough understanding of what is expected.
We help businesses with all their outsourced HR and ensure that throughout the employee lifecycle, the employees and business work to the law and best practice.
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Writing for the Sunday Times, Juliana Piskorz looks at how increasing numbers of young people are “daring to press ‘detonate’ on their lives, quitting stable jobs, ending secure relationships and cutting rental contracts in favour of an uncertain future.” She points to a “growing unease among millennials and Gen Z,” saying it is “nothing new” and has been “bubbling up” since the financial crisis “and the subsequent austerity measures that rendered many economic milestones unattainable.” Ms Piskorz cites Deloitte analysis from 2022 showing that 46% of Gen Z and 38% of millennials report feeling stressed or anxious all the time, with workplace pressures and the cost of living the most prominent factors driving disenchantment. She adds that, despite concern over financial security, 44% of Gen Z and 43% of millennials have recently quit their jobs because of their workloads.
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “We have written a number of blogs on GenZ and this recent article from the Sunday Times seems to further show what we have been hearing from clients and in general when networking. One of our previous blogs titled UK employers lure Gen Z workers discussed ways to attract GenZ workers such as finish early Fridays. All workers need to be treated as individuals and not as a number whilst ensuring all best practice management and HR is used to make them feel valued and appreciated.”
Further GenZ articles:
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Description: What to be aware of when outsourcing HR. It’s important to reap benefits and manage expectations. Insight from Consensus HR, working in Herts, Beds & Cambs
There’s a common dilemma that faces many business owners: recruit or outsource?
This question applies to many specialist areas involved with running a business, including HR. Often the biggest consideration is cost, however there are many more aspects to think through.
Let’s tackle the most common factor first. Hiring an HR consultant may involve a higher ‘day rate’ than an employee. However, the ongoing costs and overheads involved with recruiting direct HR support make an internal solution more expensive.
Outsourcing offers ultimate flexibility. You also have the benefit of accessing professional HR advice when you need it. Linking this to the above point, you save money by using the support only when you need it. This could involve full HR support, ad hoc advice or a specific project.
When working with an HR consultancy, you engage HR professionals who can ‘hit the ground running’. There are no training or development costs involved. Your HR consultant is productive from their first day. There’s also a risk-free opportunity to increase your HR capacity should you need to as you don’t need a lengthy and costly recruitment drive.
When outsourcing your HR provision, you choose the consultancy offering the best fit for your business. The quality of their work is of paramount importance. However if you’re not happy with the work delivered, you have the option to move on … to choose a new HR partner. Be careful to avoid contracts with lengthy retainers. To avoid this issue, it’s best to discuss your expectations, reassuring everyone involved.,
Are you looking for expert understanding of HR legislation? Would you like to consider new ways of managing your HR for optimum value and efficiency? Outsourcing your HR support draws upon current skills and experience of HR practices in a wide range of businesses. We’ll know the best HR solution for you!
It’s important that business owners are fully informed of ongoing HR issues. External support can be harder to reach than an employee who’s on site all the time. This situation is easily resolved by agreeing your preferred method of communication … phone, email, messaging? Plus talk about availability, especially if different working hours or time zones are included. The other aspect of communication is agreeing how outsourced HR support is introduced to the internal team and existing operations. Again, careful communication is the answer.
“When business owners approach us for HR support and advice, they appreciate the speed, knowledge and flexibility of our service,” says Matthew Pinto-Chilcott or Consensus HR. “If internal HR resource exists, we can support employees with specialist knowledge. Ultimately, we all want the best solution for each client’s business.”
Would outsourcing your HR work for you? Discover what’s involved! Contact us for an initial discussion without obligation.
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In the latest news, Half of business leaders – AI better than their staffA poll of more than 1,000 business decision-makers by YouGov has found 44% of C-suite executives think AI could perform tasks to a similar or better quality than humans, illustrating how the technology could trigger a huge shake-up in the global workforce. Basic legal work is often cited as an area that could be hived off to AI, but Lubna Shuja, president of the Law Society, says “solicitors will continue to need soft skills that AI will not be capable of automating.” Meanwhile, economists believe such advanced technology could reverse productivity trends. Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, says AI could bring an overall productivity boost of around 1.5%, while around 3% of all tasks could be carried out by AI. She adds that one in four jobs is poised to undergo a change in the way they are carried out as a result of machine learning. Elsewhere, a report in The Times focuses on concerns that artificial intelligence could threaten the future of lawyers, after research published this week by Thomson Reuters showed that 9% of large commercial law firms in the UK were either using generative AI such as ChatGPT, or planning on adopting it, compared with just 3% of firms in the US. Richard Susskind, chairman of the British Legal Technology Forum, predicts that smart systems and processes will perform many legal tasks more quickly, cheaply, and efficiently than lawyers. He forecasts that towards the end of the decade “great swathes” of lawyers’ work will be taken on by machines. However, Ravi Naik, of the law firm AWO, says documents produced by AI will always need to be reviewed by a human and should never be used to provide personalised advice based on a client’s specific circumstances. |
City AM
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “We recently wrote a blog in March 2023 titled: –UK government to adopt ‘light touch’ rules around AI and now following many recent news stories and use of AI not being permitted within Recruitment, it is interesting to see that now they are predicting that AI will be used within the law industry within the future. I do note though at the end of this article they do say that it will “need to be reviewed by a human and should never be used to provide personalised advice based on a client’s specific circumstance”. Thankfully and as is currently, I cannot ever see HR making any use of AI as successful HR needs to always provide a personalised advice and service based on the business and clients’ specific circumstances, but I am sure many businesses will try! At Consensus HR we pride ourselves in the personal service we offer and if this interests you, then contact us now.
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These research findings demonstrate the enormous impact of social media on the recruitment process. The Harris Poll also found that 24% of hiring decision makers are not likely to hire someone without an online presence.
LinkedIn is the platform most employers use to check candidates’ online presence; a LinkedIn profile is often seen as a second CV. However, all social media is usually researched and accounts are often easily visible unless settings are proactively changed to ‘private’.
One employer told The Harris Poll: “I do believe social media is a good screening tool to see how the candidate communicates with others in an informal setting and also as a way to screen for potential red flags.”
Another participant advised: “Work to keep your social media accounts current, especially LinkedIn, to reflect your current work experience and accomplishments. They should be free of profanity and inappropriate photos. Remove any posts that may contain personal attacks. It’s ok to share your views but keep them professional and appropriate.”
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott of Consensus HR says: “The job market is so competitive these days. Employers are being very specific on what they want in relation to qualifications and competences and are only taking on the best applicants. That means your social media presence whether it be Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram etc. must be absolutely spotless. The Facebook trawl is becoming standard practice in recruiting and something we use as part of the recruitment process.”
Social media profiles can have a favourable impact too. A research participant said: “One candidate’s application wasn’t so great, but her Facebook backed up all the voluntary work she claimed she did. We took her on, and she’s been one of our finest investments.”
“A candidate’s qualifications and experience should be an employer’s main focus,” explains Matthew. “However, character and how people portray themselves online are very important too.”
Social media posts can have a negative impact if they involve:
To summarise, whilst social media content may not be the deciding factor within the recruitment process it is hugely influential.
To discuss how social media can help your recruitment process, contact the Consensus HR team for an initial discussion.
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One of the main questions we get asked at Consensus HR is in relation to Keeping Hold of a Personnel File and employee documents. Queries involve what data should be kept and how long for, referring to employees and ex-employees.
The answer? In reality, this is such a diverse area that adapts to the area of HR you are enquiring about. Requirements differ between recruiting new employees, disciplinary & grievance records or performance reviews to name a few.
The Employment Practices Data Protection Code, published by the Information Commissioner’s Office, provides guidance on compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Originally produced in 2011, the ICO states that the code remains useful and relevant. It says that employers should “Only retain information on records that is still needed,” and should “eliminate personal information that is no longer of any relevance, once the employment relationship has ended.”
The key factor is that detailed records should be kept only as long as is necessary for the purpose for which they were created. The Chartered Institute of Personnel offers a comprehensive summary of requirements and further information, (see ‘Retention of HR Records’).
Employers should establish and adhere to standard retention times for different categories of records. Organisations can therefore set their own retention periods. Retention times should be based on business need, considering relevant professional guidelines. For example:
A brief record of the grievance may be retained after detailed records are removed from an individual’s personal file. This includes information such as:
Where possible all information about former workers should be kept anonymously. You may need to keep data after the termination of employment for the purposes of defending possible tribunal and court claims. In these circumstances, the time limits for bringing claims will inform the retention period. This timeframe is currently three months minus one day from the date the problem at work happened.
Employers should ensure that information is not retained for longer than is necessary without justification. Plus, when information is destroyed, this must be done securely
The Consensus HR team advises our clients to keep a personnel record for every employee containing the following details:
Contact the friendly experts at Consensus HR. Employment law is one of our specialist areas. Contact us for an initial discussion without obligation.
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Bloomberg reports that a post-pandemic labour crisis and demands from young employees for a better work-life balance are forcing UK employers to improvise by offering “early finish Fridays” in a bid to fill vacant roles. There has been a sharp increase in postings offering shorter days on Friday, according to online jobs portal Adzuna. A total of 1,426 job ads on the site cited “early finish Friday” this March, compared to 583 in the same month five years earlier. Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said employees are “demanding more” from employers after the pandemic. “For jobseekers, a company offering early-finish Fridays signals that they are flexible in their attitude to working hours and care about their employees’ wellbeing — two factors of utmost importance in today’s jobs market,” Hunter said. |
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Back in February 2023, we wrote a blog titled: “Gen Z workers may be feeling the strain more than anyone “ where we discussed that Gen Z claimed they were the most stressed generation in the workplace together with a blog on the 23rd February titled “Young people seek to make friends” where it was reported that social circles had shrunk since the Pandemic and that new employees were finding it hard to enter the workplace. This article from Bloomberg has shown a vast increase in employers offering “early finish Friday” to fill vacancies due to the current post pandemic labour shortage. This is interesting and may be an answer to some businesses who can offer this, but what is the final answer as since the Pandemic many employees wish to work Hybrid and not go into the office all week full time and others wish to return to the office. Business needs to ensure it is managed correctly so that the motivation of the team is maintained, and the business does not suffer due to bad moral, sales and team turnover and a best practice, reasonable and legal solution is found.”
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The boss of one of the UK’s largest business groups has been fired over complaints about his behaviour at work.
Tony Danker will leave the CBI following an investigation over his conduct towards a female employee.
Three other CBI employees have also been suspended “pending further investigation into a number of ongoing allegations”, the group said.
The group is also “liaising with the police” and said it would “co-operate fully with any police investigations”.
The BBC has approached Mr Danker for comment. He stepped aside in March after the CBI hired law firm Fox Williams to investigate his conduct.
People close to Mr Danker describe him as stunned by the CBI’s decision to dismiss him with immediate effect and no redundancy package.
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Catching up on the BBC news today and come across this story in relation to the CBI boss – Tony Danker being dismissed following complaints about his conduct at work towards a female employee.
Conduct is one of the fair reasons for dismissal under the Acas Code of Practice and in this case the alleged conduct was the conduct towards a female employee. We wait to see the full details of what the allegation was in relation to the conduct but last week, the Guardian newspaper reported sexual misconduct claims against CBI employees, including an allegation of rape at a summer boat party in 2019.
All allegations must be fully investigated and the Acas Code of Practice fully followed to ensure any Conduct issues are managed correctly and to the law so as to ensure reasonableness is given to all and ‘on the balance of probabilities’ – Civil Law.
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Downing Street has opted not to back legislation that would allow staff to sue their employers if they were offended by a rude customer. While employers are not liable for ‘third-party’ incidents, the Bill would make them responsible for staff being harassed by customers or the public. Senior MPs have raised concerns over the Liberal Democrat-sponsored Bill which has already cleared the House of Commons. MPs have argued that the Worker Protection Bill could be abused by business owners seeking to damage rivals. A government spokesman said: “We are aware of concerns raised by some parliamentarians about the balance the Bill strikes between protecting free speech and tackling harassment.”
The Mail
The Human Times
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Back on the 23rd March 2023 we wrote a blog in conjunction with the HSE titled: ‘Protect your workers from violence and aggression about workers having to experience physical and mental abuse in the workplace from a third party and how business owners under the Health and Safety at Work Act have a legal duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of workers. This includes protecting them from work-related violence.
Every business must have a policy for managing health and safety. It is therefore vital that business owners and managers understand that although this legislation has been dropped, there is current legislation in place that covers your team and if you are not aware of this or how to implement / manage it that you contact a HR / Health & Safety professional.”
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This is the amount it could cost for not providing an Employment Contract to an employee.
The Consensus HR team often provides HR Health Checks and employment law advice regarding our clients’ HR provision. One of the most common questions raised by employers is: “why do we need Employee Contracts?”.
Business owners/managers also query the benefits to the business. This is usually due to concern about investing time and funds to create Employee Contracts.
An Employment Contract ensures that everyone is fully aware of:
It includes details such as:
It is a legal requirement for businesses to provide employees with a written statement of the terms and conditions of their employment (their Employment Contract), from their first day of employment. If this is not in place, you could be taken to an employment tribunal and fined between two and four weeks’ pay.
More importantly, written terms of employment offer some protection (for you and your employees) should there be disagreement about what was agreed. “These disagreements could result in a breach of contract claim, with a potential penalty of up to £25,000 at an employment tribunal or up to £50,000 at the High Court,” explains Matthew Pinto-Chilcott of Consensus HR. “It’s definitely not worth taking any risks.”
He adds: “When we write an Employment Contract, we ensure all required details are included. We look beyond the essential items to check what other terms may be relevant and helpful to your business. Items such as ‘Deductions from wages’ an area that is often overlooked, for example. This is needed when an employee leaves the business, is working within a probation period or has compassionate leave, to name a few scenarios.”
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Business Owners and Managers should ensure that they take the appropriate action should they have reason to believe a member of their team is experiencing stress such as:
These are just a few of the actions business owners, managers and the team should take.
Stress is a big issue for Britain today. In the UK’s largest ever stress survey, 74% of people said stress has made them feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. But there are lots of little ways you can help manage stress every day. Andy and Dave from Mental Health UK share some of the ways they handle stress at work, and some small changes which can really make all the difference. Explore our myth busters for common misconceptions about stress.
Did you know that a year’s worth of lunch breaks equates to almost 6 extra weeks of annual leave? This is what Laura discovered when she decided to reclaim her lunch breaks for herself. The results were increased energy, happiness, and greater job satisfaction. Laura will help you identify the signs of “burnout” before they happen, and provide some practical tips for achieving a work/life balance, starting with walking away from your desk!
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