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Latest July 2022 HR blog Newsletter

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Welcome to our July 2022 HR blog Newsletter

blog Newsletter

Employment Law Newsletter – July 2022

Welcome to our Employment Law Newsletter – July 2022.  This newsletter covers:

  1. Early Conciliation: How to Avoid the Employment Tribunal

  2. Part-Time Workers Rights

  3. “Wellness” in the Workplace

  4. Was Dismissal of Employee Fearful of Covid-19 Fair?

See more

Herts Visual Arts – The Big art Fair

Herts Visual Arts – We were honoured to sponsor this event.Congratulations to Daniella Coronel Saavedra for winning our award.

We were privileged to sponsor the Herts Visual Arts Awards again for a third year and see the range of fantastic arts on display by a group of talented individuals.  Daniella Coronel Saavedra  won our award this year for her inspirational colourful art with a hidden gem(s) that only became visible when fully viewing her range of paintings.

See more

blog Newsletter
blog Newsletter

Positive Key HR lessons that can be learnt from Boris Johnsons resignation?

HR Lessons –

The last week has seen our current Prime Minister –  Boris Johnsons, resignation and now the ever-increasing numbers of MP’s who wish to become the leader of the Conservatives and then ultimately the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.  What can business owners learn from this whole situation to ensure their long-term success?

Our Chartered Institute, the CIPD wrote this recent news article (July 2022) and we have included our comments as well

See more

Prestige Awards – London & South East England 2022

 

Proud winners of: Prestige AwardsPrestige Awards – London & South East – 2022

We are proud to announce that we have been awarded another award for this year from Prestige Awards – London & South East England 2022.  This award is for HR Consultancy firm of the year 2022.

See more

blog Newsletter
blog Newsletter

World Chocolate Day 7th July 2022

Are you celebrating World Chocolate Day ?

Our favorite World Chocolate Day facts

We couldn’t write about World Chocolate Day without sharing a few chocolate facts.

See more

Copyright © Consensus HR All right reserved.

Designed by JCP Web Designs

Big Art Fair

Herts Visual Arts – The Big art Fair

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Herts Visual Arts

Herts Visual Arts - We were honoured to sponsor this event. Congratulations to Daniella Coronel Saavedra for winning our award.

We were privileged to sponsor the Herts Visual Arts Awards again for a third year and see the range of fantastic arts on display by a group of talented individuals.  Daniella Coronel Saavedra  won our award this year for her inspirational colourful art with a hidden gem(s) that only became visible when fully viewing her range of paintings.

Click here to see a range of Daniella’s art.

Consensus HR are a plain speaking Consultancy who help businesses with the complexities and best practice in the world of Human Resources. Whether you’re a start-up, SME or bigger business we help businesses from 1 – 250 employees, to enable successful business delivery, growth and change whilst Preventing People Problems.  We help you  find suitable people solutions whilst providing accredited legal expert Human Resources advice. 

Whatever your Human Resources business needs, we can help with our no obligation initial FREE HR audit. Book here and let’s get started!

Click here to find out the benefits of outsourcing HR?

 

Herts Visual Arts

About Us………….Let us work with you and take the HR pain away………

“With us, you are never just a number!!”

Award

Our Pledge to you:

  • We get to know your business and become your companies personal HR Department

  • We help business owners with any HR​/​Development issues they may have​, from setting up their employment contracts, restrictive covenants, policies and procedures​, to managing those difficult issues such as performance, absence, disciplinaries​/​grievances or redundancies.

  • We always ensure that your business follows the law​/​best practice and we will write all the legal letters required. Our advice is provided by phone, email or on-site.

  • We ensure that your company always gets the fully insured guidance that it needs and at a fraction of the price of an in-house HR Dept.

  • We have the highest HR​/​Legal Qualifications available​, ​accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and other leading professional bodies, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board.

  • We will ensure through the use of our Employment Tribunal (ET) Insurance that should your business have to go to an ET and you have followed all our advice​, that all costs are covered, (Note: Monthly fee paying customer only, T&C’s apply)

  • We will always aim to ensure that you talk​/​work with the same member of the team each time, so they are up ​to date on your company and what action has previously been taken so that you do not have to go over areas you have spoken to us about before.

  • We will listen carefully to your concerns and clearly set out your options.

    We will highlight the merits and potential pitfalls so you can make an informed decision.

    Consensus HR has been operating for in excess of 12 years. It was founded by Matthew Pinto-Chilcott in 2010, who himself has accumulated over 32 years of Operations Management & Human Resources (HR) experience in fast footfall and multi million pound turnover businesses.

    Make use of our free HR health check conducted by one of our experienced team members by getting in touch (within 40 miles of SG postcode).

Contracts & Handbooks

If you need urgent support, please contact us.

Take a look at our pricing and packages.

Employment Contracts & Handbooks as one of the key HR foundations for any business. They ensure that all your team members know what is expected from them. This includes their salaries and hours to how poor misconduct may be dealt with in line with employment law. They set out the rules for ensuring that everybody within the team knows what action can be taken by the company should expectations not be met. Two examples are Disciplinaries and Grievances; initial actions and steps of last resort would be included.

Our Employment Contracts & Handbooks are legally written by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and our HR business professional. We take into account all your specific business areas, ensuring legal adherence. Consensus HR offers a monthly service of unlimited telephone and HR advice. Your Contracts & Handbooks would be updated as and when needed ensuring continual adherence should legislation change.

Copyright © Consensus HR All right reserved.

Designed by JCP Web Designs

Thermals

Employment Law Newsletter – July 2022

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Welcome to our Employment Law Newsletter – July 2022.  This newsletter covers:

  1. Early Conciliation: How to Avoid the Employment Tribunal

  2. Part-Time Workers Rights

  3. “Wellness” in the Workplace

  4. Was Dismissal of Employee Fearful of Covid-19 Fair?

Employment Law Newsletter - July 2022
Employment Law Newsletter - July 2022
Employment Law Newsletter - July 2022
Newsletter - July 2022

1. Early Conciliation: How to Avoid the Employment Tribunal

The obvious route to avoid the employment tribunal is for employees and employers to discuss workplace issues as they arise and to resolve them before they become disputes. However if informal workplace conversations or more formal approaches such as a grievance procedure don’t work, employers can find themselves facing a claim in the employment tribunal. The question is, how to avoid the claim being heard, in public, in the employment tribunal.

Before commencing a claim in the employment tribunal the employee must inform Acas – please note strict time limits apply at every stage so don’t delay. Acas will offer the employee what is known as “early conciliation” (to distinguish it from “conciliation”, also offered by Acas but available once the employment tribunal claim is underway). If the employee wants to pursue early conciliation, Acas will contact the employer and see if employer is prepared to take part too.

And an employer can contact Acas for early conciliation if they thinks a dispute with an employee could lead to employment tribunal

If either party doesn’t want to go ahead with early conciliation, or if it’s not possible to reach an agreement, Acas will issue a certificate which the employee will need to lodge with their employment tribunal claim if they decide this is the course they want to take – again please note strict time limits apply.

So what is early conciliation? Early conciliation is a free and swift method of settling a workplace dispute, thereby preventing a costly and time consuming claim in the employment tribunal.

How does early conciliation work? The employee will provide the Acas conciliator with a full account of the issues as the employee sees it, for example the amount of wages they claim are owed to them and the employer’s response so far. The Acas conciliator is impartial and does not give advice but helps both parties to identify the issues and to reach an agreement. If either participant requires advice they will need to contact for example the CAB or a solicitor who specialises in employment law.

Acas has recently highlighted the emotional toll workplace disputes can have on employees. Visit the Acas website for a list of the sources of support, from Mind to the NHS. See the Getting emotional support section of the webpage, What you need to do: Getting an agreement by early conciliation.

Agreement reached in early conciliation is recorded in Acas document COT3 and is legally binding. COT3 can contain agreements the employment tribunal cannot order such as to provide a reference.

However if no agreement is reached it is up to the employee to make their claim to the employment tribunal within the strict time limits.

As is the case with employment tribunal settlements, if an employer fails to make a payment to an employee under a COT3 the government can help. See the gov.uk webpage, Employment tribunal: penalty enforcement and naming scheme. Under this scheme the employer is fined and named publicly. Another option is an enforcement scheme, the Acas and Employment Tribunal Fast Track Scheme. Alternatively there’s a Court procedure using form N322B.

Newsletter - July 2022
Newsletter - July 2022

2. Part-Time Workers Rights

Part-time workers and employees have rights under the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000. When compared to a full-time worker they must receive comparable – and where relevant – pro rata:

  • Wages
  • Career, training, promotion, career breaks and job transfer opportunities
  • Holiday, sickness, maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
  • Pension and benefits
  • Redundancy selection and pay

If a part-time worker or employee considers they are treated unfavourably in comparison to a comparable worker or employee who is full-time, they can ask the employer for a written statement of reasons for less favourable treatment. The employer must provide the statement within 21 days. If they fail to provide the statement, this could count against them in the employment tribunal.

The worker or employee can make a claim to the employment tribunal if they can find no objective justification within the employer’s reasons for their less favourable treatment.

Part-time workers and employees can make a claim to the employment tribunal if they consider they are treated less favourably or are victimised or dismissed for pursuing rights under the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000.

In the case of workers, they can make a claim to the employment tribunal for part-time worker detriment. Whilst employees can make a claim to the employment tribunal even if they have not been employed for a full two years.

Newsletter - July 2022
Newsletter - July 2022

3. “Wellness” in the Workplace

Mental health apps, menopause support, mindfulness sessions, gym subsidies, counselling helplines … workplaces are increasingly focussed on the welfare of their employees.

The celebration of dog ownership in the workplace is having a moment. ‘Bring Your Dog to Work’ Day falls in June (this year on 24 June) and has been going for over 20 years.

Employers are giving dog owners adoption and bereavement leave, paying for pet insurance and encouraging employees to bring dogs into work. Research shows that dogs reduce stress and promote sociability and exercise. But is an office full of dogs everyone’s cup of tea?

Why are employers so focussed on the wellness of their employees? Employer awareness of the mental health challenges and the wellbeing of employees has undergone a revolution since the onset of the pandemic, whilst multiple lockdowns and the advent of working from home and hybrid working has changed employee attitudes to work forever. Many employees now want the option to work at home, and many have ditched one career for another or retired early. Meanwhile, employers face difficulties in retention and recruitment. It’s clear something needs to change.  

Last month a trial started of the 4-day working week in 70 companies involving more than 3000 employees. This is led by two 4-day week campaigns together with researchers at Cambridge and Oxford universities. A whole spectrum of businesses are involved, from banks to fish and chip shops. The aim is to study the 100:80:100 paradigm, in other words is it possible to earn 100 percent of your salary for a four day week on the basis your productivity is not reduced.

Researchers will consider the effect on employees’ health, happiness, productivity, and use of fossil fuels, the latter because researchers will also look at the effect on the environment of a reduced working week.

The study will continue for 6 months. Similar studies are proceeding across the globe.

Employment Law Newsletter – July 2022
Employment Law Newsletter – July 2022

4. Was Dismissal of Employee Fearful of Covid-19 Fair

Mr Rodgers was employed by Leeds Laser Cutting Ltd when the pandemic struck and lockdown imposed. Although the employer implemented safeguards as recommended by the government, Mr Rodgers informed his workplace he would be isolating to protect the health of his sick child and young baby.

The employer dismissed Mr Rodgers. Although Mr Rodgers did not have two years continuous service, under section 100 of the Employment Act he made a claim to the employment tribunal based on automatically unfair dismissal. Section 100 sets out an employee is automatically unfairly dismissed if he left the workplace:

“in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert … or .. refused to return to his place of work”.

Or if he took steps to protect himself:

“in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent”.

However Mr Rodgers failed to convince the employment tribunal his workplace contained risks of Covid-19 infection. Furthermore the employment tribunal found he had driven a friend to hospital, and had worked in a pub during lockdown. The employment tribunal held he had not been automatically unfairly dismissed.

Mr Rodgers appealed this decision. The employment appeal tribunal upheld the decision of the employment tribunal. However it acknowledged that Covid-19 could potentially amount to relevant circumstances under section 100 of the Employment Act. “In my judgment, whilst conditions pertaining to Covid-19 could potentially amount to circumstances of serious and imminent danger in principle, I do not consider that they did so in this case.”

 

Contact us for free advice on the issues raised in this Newsletter. In this thirty-minute session we will review your situation and how you can achieve your objectives.

The topics covered in this Newsletter are complex and are provided for general guidance only. Therefore, if any of the circumstances mentioned in this Newsletter have application to you, seek expert legal advice.

 

Copyright © Consensus HR All right reserved.

Designed by JCP Web Designs

Boris Johnsons

Positive Key HR lessons that can be learnt from Boris Johnsons resignation?

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HR Lessons –

The last week has seen our current Prime Minister –  Boris Johnsons, resignation and now the ever-increasing numbers of MP’s who wish to become the leader of the Conservatives and then ultimately the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.  What can business owners learn from this whole situation to ensure their long-term success?

Our Chartered Institute, the CIPD wrote this recent news article (July 2022) and we have included our comments as well

Importance of succession planning

New concerns over how government will run and if there are sufficient staff levels to facilitate basic operations are now being raised by MPs. This highlights the importance of having an effective succession planning strategy in place, to ensure there are trained and capable individuals ready to take over the role of a departing employee. This becomes increasingly important for senior leadership positions.

Successful succession planning may involve a pre-made handover outlining the individual’s regular duties and how these are completed. It should also outline any relevant login details for the platforms they have access to on internal and external systems. Contact details of people they routinely speak with can also be useful, as can a list of company equipment which may need to be returned should they leave. Doing so can make a leadership transition easier and quicker for all.  Matthew Pinto-Chilcott comments “The importance of succession planning within any business is key and should be part of your yearly appraisal process.  Companies should be continually looking at their team and seeing how they can up skill them to take on parts of other roles and accountabilities so that should anybody leave the team and go onto pastures new, there is somebody still present that can step up and take on their whole role or part of it.  Various members of the team could shadow another part of the business for a few hours a week / month to develop their skills in another area of the business”

What a new Prime Minister will mean for UK employment laws

There will be no immediate changes to employment law in the UK following Boris’s resignation. The legislation outlined in the Queen’s Speech at the beginning of May will remain government’s focus for the upcoming months. When a new Prime Minister takes over, it’s possible that their focus and priorities will be different. However, they will still have to follow the plan which has already been laid out. “When anybody leaves your business, it can leave a hole and cause unwanted problems but unfortunately it is one of the privileges of owning a business.  However, ensuring that the effect on you and your business is minimalised and preparing your HR with the right strategies in place can make your success and that of the business a lot easier.”

Support staff through leadership changes

Where multiple or senior staff members resign, the knock-on impact for those remaining can be devastating. As such, employers must ensure they have adequate measures in place to support people who stay, in both a professional and personal capacity.

Employees may find themselves with overwhelming workloads to try and cover for staff shortages, which can quickly lead to burnout and stress-related absences. Requiring them to juggle too many things at one time will end up causing more problems than they started with. As such, it’s important for to prioritise essential tasks, and leave others to one side until there is sufficient resources to handle them.  Matthew Pinto-Chilcott of Consensus HR comments “Companies who ensure multi-skilling of team members whilst ensuring they fully understand that this does not mean a permanent change to their current role / accountabilities will help to ensure that should any member of the team leave the business, work can continue for the short term whilst a new member of the team is found.”

Opportunity for restructure

A staff exodus of this nature can provide a unique opportunity to review existing functions and implement a dynamic restructure. This might be by introducing more middle or senior managers or removing a hierarchical structure completely. In any case, where changes impact employees’ existing terms and conditions, employers must first get their agreement to implement them.  Matthew comments “When a member leaves your team, this is the ideal opportunity to review your recent appraisals and the exit interview you completed with the member to see if there is a need to restructure and change job descriptions, accountabilities and reporting structures.  The team should be included within this to gain their thoughts and the best way to achieve any changes whilst maintaining the company culture.”

HR Lessons

Tel: 01438 576750

Email: [email protected]

Prioritise organisational culture

Losing one employee can cause a significant impact on business operations. But resignations similar to the unprecedented rate seen by the government can grind functions to a halt. Whilst this can happen for a number of different reasons, one cause might be attributable to a wider cultural issue. Where this happens, HR teams should work with senior leaders to investigate the root cause and take appropriate measures to alleviate the problem.

Pay will, undoubtedly, remain forever near the top of employees’ priority lists, especially as the cost-of-living crisis continues. But, where there is a poor organisational culture, staff may be more inclined to look for external opportunities on lower wage rates, if they facilitate an effective work-life balance and offer genuine support. Where an employer priorities staff wellbeing and implements measures to meet their expectations, they are more likely to reap the rewards of an engaged, motivated, and satisfied workforce.  Matthew comments “We have had many conversations with clients when they grow and take on their first employee and then their second about the importance of maintaining the company’s culture as this is why the majority of the time people come to your business rather than others who offer the same service.  Company standards need to be written and lived by the team that incorporates the culture and how policies and procedures should be followed”

Contact us now if you wish to discuss and see how we can help you to ensure that if a high-profile resignation happens in your business. how we can prepare now to prevent people problems.” Matthew – Consensus HR – Owner.

Copyright © Consensus HR All right reserved.

Designed by JCP Web Designs

world chocolate day

World Chocolate Day 7th July 2022

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Are you celebrating World Chocolate Day ?

World Chocolate Day 7th July 2022

 

Our favorite World Chocolate Day facts

We couldn’t write about World Chocolate Day without sharing a few chocolate facts.

The first eating chocolate

It wasn’t until 1847 that we started to eat chocolate as a solid. The Fry and Sons chocolate company in the UK invented the first hard chocolate by combining cocoa butter, sugar and liquor.

The cacao bean as currency

The Aztecs and Mayans both revered the cacao bean to such an extent that it was used as currency in their ancient civilizations. The Aztecs believed the cacao bean was more valuable than gold and often bartered and traded with the bean.

The cacao tree

The cacao tree can live for more than 100 years! It’s unusual because it produces flowers directly on its trunk and branches, rather than on new shoots.

The most Ferrero Rocher chocolates stacked

The most Ferrero Rocher chocolates stacked is 12, achieved by Silvio Sabba (Italy), in Pioltello, Milan, Italy, on 30 January 2012.

The largest individual chocolate

The largest individual chocolate was a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss weighing 13,852.71 kg (30,540 lbs). The chocolate was made to celebrate Hershey’s Kisses 100th anniversary and was displayed at Chocolate World, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA, on 7 July 2007.

Why don't you give us a call or email to discuss and 'Click Here"?

Consensus HR are a personal, professional and fully Chartered HR Consultancy who are here to help you and your business.
Click Here

Welcome to Consensus HR…..Our Mission Statement is “Helping Companies take the pain out of employing people whilst preventing people problems’

Consensus HR are a plain speaking Consultancy who help businesses with the complexities and best practice in the world of Human Resources. Whether you’re a start-up, SME or bigger business we help businesses from 1 – 250 employees, to enable successful business delivery, growth and change whilst Preventing People Problems.  We help you  find suitable people solutions whilst providing accredited legal expert Human Resources advice. 

Whatever your Human Resources business needs, we can help with our no obligation initial FREE HR audit. Book here and let’s get started!

Pizza

Great National BBQ Week 4th to 10th July 2022

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How are you celebrating National BBQ week? 

National BBQ Week

Here is just one of our Pizzas and our scrumptious Chicken Skewer’s.

 

Do you hold a Company BBQ or summer party?

We do and this year we have celebrated with BBQ pizza!

Why not take a look and see what is going on in the National ‘Barby for the Summer”

National BBQ week
Great National BBQ Week 4th to 10th July 2022

Why don't you give us a call or email to discuss and 'Click Here"?

Consensus HR are a personal, professional and fully Chartered HR Consultancy who are here to help you and your business.
Click Here

Welcome to Consensus HR…..Our Mission Statement is “Helping Companies take the pain out of employing people whilst preventing people problems’

Consensus HR are a plain speaking Consultancy who help businesses with the complexities and best practice in the world of Human Resources. Whether you’re a start-up, SME or bigger business we help businesses from 1 – 250 employees, to enable successful business delivery, growth and change whilst Preventing People Problems.  We help you  find suitable people solutions whilst providing accredited legal expert Human Resources advice.

Whatever your Human Resources business needs, we can help with our no obligation initial FREE HR audit. Book here and let’s get started!

Our Pledge to you:

  • We get to know your business and become your companies personal HR Department

  • We help business owners with any HR​/​Development issues they may have​, from setting up their employment contracts, restrictive covenants, policies and procedures​, to managing those difficult issues such as performance, absence, disciplinaries​/​grievances or redundancies.

  • We always ensure that your business follows the law​/​best practice and we will write all the legal letters required. Our advice is provided by phone, email or on-site.

  • We ensure that your company always gets the fully insured guidance that it needs and at a fraction of the price of an in-house HR Dept.

  • We have the highest HR​/​Legal Qualifications available​, ​accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and other leading professional bodies, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board.

  • We will ensure through the use of our Employment Tribunal (ET) Insurance that should your business have to go to an ET and you have followed all our advice​, that all costs are covered, (Note: Monthly fee paying customer only, T&C’s apply)

  • We will always aim to ensure that you talk​/​work with the same member of the team each time, so they are up ​to date on your company and what action has previously been taken so that you do not have to go over areas you have spoken to us about before.

  • We will listen carefully to your concerns and clearly set out your options.

  • We will highlight the merits and potential pitfalls so you can make an informed decision.

    Consensus HR has been operating for in excess of 12 years. It was founded by Matthew Pinto-Chilcott in 2010, who himself has accumulated over 32 years of Operations Management & Human Resources (HR) experience in fast footfall and multi million pound turnover businesses.

    Make use of our free HR health check conducted by one of our experienced team members by getting in touch (within 40 miles of SG postcode).

Divorce

Home workers pay

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Working from home and pay.

Home workers pay

Employers take steps to reduce homeworkers pay.

On the 4th May 2022 we wrote a blog on a London Company getting its employees to work for 20% less pay if working from home.  This week we have learned that a survey carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revealed that 10% of companies plan on reducing pay or benefits for home workers.

The survey found that 4% of businesses have already reduced pay or benefits for people who continue to work from home and a further 13% are on the cusp of doing so.

This follows recent reports that employees of law firm Stephenson Harwood have been given the option to work from home full-time in return for a 20% reduction in pay. For resourcing reasons during the pandemic, the firm recruited lawyers who lived outside of London, it said “the packages we offered were different from what we offer our people in London. They’re fully remote and are not expected to regularly attend the office. If they are needed in the office, we cover their travel and accommodation expenses.”

The justification for offering home workers reduced pay appears to be that these workers have the benefit of living in less expensive parts of the UK. The policy also brings pay for existing staff who accept the offer in line with its new remote workers.

Home workers pay
Home workers pay

Ben Willmott, head of public policy for the CIPD, said employers that are planning to reduce pay or benefits should “recognise there are potential ethical and legal risks in this approach.

“It could also make it harder to recruit or retain staff if people working remotely are valued and rewarded less than those who have to attend their organisation’s workplace.”

Some employers are choosing to take a tougher stance to entice people back to the office after other initiatives have been unsuccessful. However, employers who want to offer reduced pay or benefits to their employees in return for permanent home working or hybrid working, will need to carefully consider the business reasons for this and how such a scheme would be implemented, to reduce the risk of claims for constructive unfair dismissal and discrimination.

Offering remote workers reduced pay or benefits is likely to have a detrimental impact on morale, job satisfaction and the organisation’s reputation as a good employer, particularly given the current desire for home working.

Why don't you give us a call or email to discuss and 'Click Here"?

Consensus HR are a personal, professional and fully Chartered HR Consultancy who are here to help you and your business.
Click Here
Thermals

Latest Concise June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter

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WELCOME……. To our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter.  Every month we will be providing a roundup of all our blogs for the month so that should you have missed any, you will have the opportunity to catch up.  In this month’s edition we talk about:

  • HR Surgeries

  • When it gets hot

  • HR Consultancy of the year

  • Changes to ‘Fit Notes”

  • Employers urged to avoid Tokenism during Pride month.

  • Home Workers Pay

If you wish to discuss any of the subjects within our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter further or to see how Consensus HR can help you and your company / team, why not book a 15 minute, non obligatory call to discuss how we can help you and your business?

Click Here to book a 15 minute no obligation chat..
our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter
our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter

HR Surgeries

We are holding a number of 15 minute FREE HR Surgeries where you can come and ask any HR questions whether you are a business owner or employed.

See more

When it gets hot……

When it gets hot!  The last few months of 2022 has seen a range of various weather, with the most recent being the heat wave and temperatures in the workplace being extremely high, unless of course you have air-conditioning……….. 

See more

<img src=“image.jpg” alt=“image description” title=“image tooltip”>
<img src=“image.jpg” alt=“image description” title=“image tooltip”>

HR Consultancy of the year 2022…

We are honoured to have been awarded two awards for 2022 for the Home Counties for HR Consultancy of the year.  Further details and judges comments can be seen by clicking below:

See more

Fit Notes………

More healthcare professionals are to be given powers to certify fit notes

See more

our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter
our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter

Home Workers Pay

 

On the 4th May 2022 we wrote a blog on a London Company getting its employees to work for 20% less pay if working from home.  This week we have learned that a survey carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revealed that 10% of companies plan on reducing pay or benefits for home workers.

See more

Employers urged to avoid tokenism during Pride month

 

HR Inform part of our Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has written a great article this month: Employers urged to avoid tokenism during Pride month and explains how businesses should ensure that their teams are managed correctly and that the correct behaviours and actions take place continually and and are the norm and not an exception.

See more

our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter

Please contact us now, if you wish to discuss your companies HR –

Telephone: 01438 576750

Email: [email protected]

 

We hope you enjoyed our June 2022 HR Blog Newsletter

Welcome to Consensus HR…..Our Mission Statement is “Helping Companies take the pain out of employing people whilst preventing people problems’

Consensus HR are a plain speaking Consultancy who help businesses with the complexities and best practice in the world of Human Resources. Whether you’re a start-up, SME or bigger business we help businesses from 1 – 250 employees, to enable successful business delivery, growth and change whilst Preventing People Problems.  We help you  find suitable people solutions whilst providing accredited legal expert Human Resources advice. 

Whatever your Human Resources business needs, we can help with our no obligation initial FREE HR audit. Book here and let’s get started!

Click here to find out the benefits of outsourcing HR?

Our Pledge to you:

  • We get to know your business and become your companies personal HR Department

  • We help business owners with any HR​/​Development issues they may have​, from setting up their employment contracts, restrictive covenants, policies and procedures​, to managing those difficult issues such as performance, absence, disciplinaries​/​grievances or redundancies.

  • We always ensure that your business follows the law​/​best practice and we will write all the legal letters required. Our advice is provided by phone, email or on-site.

  • We ensure that your company always gets the fully insured guidance that it needs and at a fraction of the price of an in-house HR Dept.

  • We have the highest HR​/​Legal Qualifications available​, ​accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and other leading professional bodies, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board.

  • We will ensure through the use of our Employment Tribunal (ET) Insurance that should your business have to go to an ET and you have followed all our advice​, that all costs are covered, (Note: Monthly fee paying customer only, T&C’s apply)

  • We will always aim to ensure that you talk​/​work with the same member of the team each time, so they are up ​to date on your company and what action has previously been taken so that you do not have to go over areas you have spoken to us about before.

  • We will listen carefully to your concerns and clearly set out your options.

  • We will highlight the merits and potential pitfalls so you can make an informed decision.

    Consensus HR has been operating for in excess of 12 years. It was founded by Matthew Pinto-Chilcott in 2010, who himself has accumulated over 32 years of Operations Management & Human Resources (HR) experience in fast footfall and multi million pound turnover businesses.

    Make use of our free HR health check conducted by one of our experienced team members by getting in touch (within 40 miles of SG postcode).

Holiday

When it gets hot!

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With the ever changing British weather and when it gets hot!, what are some of the issues and how can we deal with them?

when it gets hot!
when it gets hot!

When it gets hot!  The last few months of 2022 has seen a range of various weather, with the most recent being the heat wave and temperatures in the workplace being extremely high, unless of course you have air-conditioning………..

We have put together a list of suggestions and how to deal with them:

1. Keep everyone cool!

Whilst the law does not say how hot or cold your workplace should be, temperatures need to be ‘reasonable’.

Keep staff cool by allowing them to switch on fans and air conditioning or ‘dress down’ on hotter days if possible.

2. Remember more vulnerable workers

Some members of staff may be more affected by hot weather, such as those with a disability or pregnant women.

You can help by allowing these employees to take more breaks, move to cooler areas or even work from home temporarily.

3. Prepare for transport disruption

Hot weather can cause issues in the daily commute and you should try to be more understanding if staff are late for work. For example, trains may go slower to prevent tracks from buckling.

Employees should also be encouraged to plan ahead of their journeys and make allowances for delays.

4. Be ready for holiday requests

Everyone can’t be off at once and leave requests are likely to overlap, for instance during the school summer holidays.

It is a good idea to have a first-come, first-served system in place. That way, you can help to avoid one employee being prioritised over another.

5. Look out for unauthorised time off

Employees who are refused a holiday request may take the time off anyway. Alternatively, you may suspect a member of staff is ‘pulling a sickie’.

It is important not to jump to conclusions and conduct a full investigation into the absence. From here, it may become a disciplinary issue.

6. Check on your homeworkers

You aren’t expected to install air conditioning in your employees’ homes, but they should have the same rights as those working in the office. For example, more vulnerable staff should take more breaks, even when working remotely.

HRInform -June-2022

Let us, help you. Click here to contact us.......

Consultancy of the year

Wow! HR Consultancy of the Year 2022

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What fantastic news? We have been awarded two awards this year:

Well, we are extremely honoured to have been told recently that we have won two awards for 2022 from the Prestige Awards 2022 and the SME New Awards 2022 for HR Consultancy Hertfordshire and Home Counties.

The feedback from the judges at the Prestige Awards was extremely interesting and the fact that they were impressed with the personal service
provided by us.

 

Last year 2021 we were lucky to have won four awards and are proud that the HR service we offer to our clients is being recognised by external bodies who are totally independent.

Wow! HR Consultancy of the Year 2022

SME News Awards 2022 HR Consultancy of the Year 2022 - Home Counties

Official announcements are made in August 2022 but we are so honoured we had to let everyone know now!!
Wow! HR Consultancy of the Year 2022

Prestige Awards 2022 HR Consultancy Firm Of The Year 2022 - Hertfordshire

For further information and to see what the Judges had to say about us, click one of the headings above.

Contact Us Today If you require HR support for your company, why not contact us today to arrange a FREE HR Review?

 

About Us:   

Consensus HR are a plain speaking HR Consultancy who help businesses with the complexities and best practice in the world of HR. Whether you’re a start-up, SME or bigger business we help businesses from 1 – 250 employees, to enable successful business delivery, growth and change whilst Preventing People Problems.  We help you  find suitable people solutions whilst providing accredited legal expert HR advice. 

Whatever your HR business needs, we can help with our no obligation initial FREE HR audit. Book here and let’s get started!

Consensus HR after years of supporting local businesses, are proud to say that we are a multi award winning personal, unique HR & Employment Law service, helping employers who cannot support their own in-house Human Resources department. 

“Let us help you with your team and give you time to concentrate on your business”

Our monthly packages are designed to be affordable and scales with your business as you grow and start with our HR Foundations package.

We hold the highest Employment Law qualifications (Level 7) with our Chartered Institute and all our advice is fully professionally liability insured and accredited by the CIPD and other leading professional bodies, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board.

We have a range of experiences within all UK business sectors both front & back of house from fast footfall, high turnover retail, hotels & catering and pharmaceuticals to Postproduction & Advertising.

We are based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and cover surrounding areas including Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire. Get in touch today to see how Consensus HR can help.

recruitment

“Banter”

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“Banter” instigates soar in Employment Tribunal (ET) Claims

 

This is an extremely interesting article written in HR Inform recently and is something at Consensus HR we have had to support clients within the past.  “Banter” to one is not “Banter’ to another as failure to adequately address inappropriate actions and creating a culture which does not facilitate diversity and inclusion can proved detrimental for organisations.  An article in the Mail Online, also written recently discusses further.

 

Banter” is too often used as an excuse to cover up unlawful attitudes and behaviours. Failure to adequately address inappropriate actions and creating a culture which does not facilitate diversity and inclusion can prove detrimental for organisations. Indeed, the number of employment tribunal cases in which workplace banter was cited rose from 67 in 2020 to 97 in 2021 – a 45% increase, highlighting the need for employers to do more to prevent situations turning nasty.

In some cases, an individual may not mean to deliberately cause harm. But, under the Equality Act 2010, unlawful harassment occurs where a person engages in unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic, and this has the purpose or effect of –

  • violating their dignity, or
  • creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

Banter can include jokes and comments made both in-person and virtually, and verbally or in writing, through conversations, emails, instant messaging platforms and pranks. However, what one employee sees as a joke can be extremely damaging to another. Therefore, employers should be conscious of inappropriate remarks being utilised in the workplace and ensure that the “banter” does not create an uncomfortable or offensive environment for any staff member, as this will likely instead be seen to be harassment.

“Banter”

Some examples of employment tribunal cases whereby respondents have unsuccessfully tried to plead that bullying or harassment was merely “workplace banter” include:      

  • An employee of Indian origin who was called a “cheeky monkey”, during a business-related round of golf (Basi v Snows Business Forms Ltd).
  • An employee who was teased that if he didn’t like football, he “must be gay then” (Austin v Samuel Grant (Northeast) Ltd).
  • An employee called “half-dead Dave” due to his age (Robson v Clarke’s Mechanicals Ltd).
  • An employee who was called a “dinosaur” due to her age and sex. (A v Bonmarche Ltd).

But, if the employee engages in the “banter” or there is a workplace culture whereby comments are regularly made and accepted, a tribunal claim is less likely to be successful. This was seen when a sales rep who was taunted as being a “fat, ginger pikey” in respect of his weight and Traveller background, failed in his claim partly because the tribunal ruled that the office culture normalised banter and the claimant had engaged in similar behaviour himself. This being said, businesses should not adopt an “everyone thinks it’s a joke and takes part” attitude to normalise inappropriate behaviour. Instead, they should actively discourage banter and set clear boundaries and expectations for what is acceptable in the workplace.

Having clear policies and zero-tolerance communication on workplace bullying and harassment can help protect organisations against claims, as can regular staff training and a culture of professionalism. Organisations might need to consider establishing clear standards of practice to remove any element of improper behaviour and make clear that the workplace is an environment of respect and equality – ‘HR Inform 6-May 2022’

Why don't you contact us today, to see how we can help you with your HR? Click here

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