Author: Emma Browning

Q. What do we need to do as an employer to ensure we are meeting our Mandatory Duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has confirmed that it will be updating its existing Code of Practice and technical guidance on ‘Sexual harassment and harassment at work’ to address the new mandatory duty that will apply to employers from October 2024, to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. In July 2021, the Government published its response to a consultation on sexual harassment in the workplace and pledged to introduce measures aimed at preventing instances of such conduct. This included the introduction of a mandatory…

3rd May 2024

Q. A member of staff who has been “troublesome” for some time has approached us and told us that they will leave if we offer them a settlement agreement. I’m not sure what this is and how to respond to this request?

It’s quite unusual for an employee to approach you with the offer of leaving under a settlement agreement, so best to talk to us if you ever find yourself in this situation! However, if you’re worried about any sort of legal dispute with a departing employee, you’ll want to know about settlement agreements. A settlement agreement, sometimes called a compromise agreement, is a document that lays out the terms of an employee’s departure. It will include the agreed amount of severance pay, in exchange for certain requirements on their part…

3rd May 2024

Q. I’ve only just got round to thinking about the latest employment law updates, can you remind me what they are?

There are several updates coming in this year, which means you will need to keep a close eye to ensure your policies are up to date. Statutory carer’s leave has given eligible employees the right to take up to a week of unpaid leave each year to care for a dependent with a long-term care needs If an employee’s newborn baby has been in hospital, they may be entitled to statutory neonatal care leave for up to 12 weeks The way you calculate leave entitlement for staff with irregular hours…

3rd May 2024

Q. When is it too hot for employees to work?

Summer is on its way, and we’re hoping it’s going to be warm! But when does it get too hot for your employees to work and what are the rules around this? There is no actual law around maximum (or minimum) working temperatures – However, guidance suggests a minimum of 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work. However, there’s no guidance for a maximum temperature limit – phew its getting in hot in here! That said, as an employer you have a responsibility to safeguard your employees’ wellbeing. …

3rd May 2024

Q. I’ve heard that Tribunal Fees are being re-introduced, do you know when this is happening?

The government is planning to reintroduce fees for employment tribunal claims. In the consultation launched in January of this year, a fee of £55 has been proposed for bringing a claim to tribunal. Back in 2013 tribunal fees were introduced at a much higher rate by the coalition government, but these were then withdrawn in 2017. This lower rate of fee has not been welcomed by workers’ rights groups, who are concerned that it will dissuade people from bringing genuine claims to tribunal. There is another side to this though…

3rd May 2024

Recruiting the best possible person for the role, first time, every time.

Recruitment

Recruiting the best possible person for the role, first time, every time.

If you want to get the very best for your organisation, then selecting the best candidate to fill a role is key. Selecting good candidates can be difficult because applicants may bend the truth and be dishonest when they apply for a role. Cifas the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, carried out research in 2023 among 2,000 adults and found that 10% of respondents knew someone that had lied on their CV. Without the correct level of pre-screening and pre-employment checks, there is a risk of making bad hiring decisions…

2nd May 2024

Everything you need to know about DBS checks

Employment law

Everything you need to know about DBS checks…

DBS checks are not only for people working with the public. These should be a key part of your pre-employment due diligence. DBS checks are only a legal requirement in certain types of roles, but many employers are now making use of them to be sure of who they are employing. Running a DBS check on a potential employee will let you know about any criminal history and allow you to make an informed hiring decision. Knowing about a person’s previous behaviour can be helpful when it comes to making…

2nd May 2024

How to support employees who are deaf or losing their hearing

Leadership

How to support employees who are deaf or losing their hearing

Whether you already have employees with hearing loss or are employing someone who is deaf, it’s important to know how best to support anyone with deafness or hearing issues. As an employer you have a legal obligation to support any employees with hearing loss. The Equality Act 2010 states that employers must make reasonable adjustments for people with hearing loss. Here are some simple adjustments you can make: ✅ Improve the overall acoustics of your working area by adding soft furnishings, rubber caps on chair legs, etc. This will help…

2nd May 2024

Employment contracts

Why are HR policies SO important?

HR policies are as important to your business as laws of the land. They provide your organisation with written guidance on how employees should behave and your expectations. They’re there to protect you, your business and your employees. For that reason, it’s incredibly important for your policies to be really clear and understood by everyone. However, we see many policies that are unclear, outdated and inaccessible to people who need them. Which can lead to confusion, frustration and compliance issues. In our latest video, we discuss 3 ways you can…

9th April 2024

Q. Can you please give us some tips on how to introduce new 1:1 meetings?

We would like our managers to be having regular “check ins” with their team which include discussions about the employee’s wellbeing. Have you got any tips on how to introduce this kind of regular meeting? If a meeting is entirely about “checking in,” it’s probably a waste of time, and your employees will end up feeling this way too! So if you are thinking about introducing a meeting like this, make sure that you make them really helpful and valuable to you and your employee. Quality one-on-one meetings strengthen relationships,…

8th April 2024

Author: Emma Browning

Q. What do we need to do as an employer to ensure we are meeting our Mandatory Duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?

Q. A member of staff who has been “troublesome” for some time has approached us and told us that they will leave if we offer them a settlement agreement. I’m not sure what this is and how to respond to this request?

Q. I’ve only just got round to thinking about the latest employment law updates, can you remind me what they are?

Q. When is it too hot for employees to work?

Q. I’ve heard that Tribunal Fees are being re-introduced, do you know when this is happening?

Recruiting the best possible person for the role, first time, every time.

Everything you need to know about DBS checks…

How to support employees who are deaf or losing their hearing

Why are HR policies SO important?

Q. Can you please give us some tips on how to introduce new 1:1 meetings?

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Meraki HR South:
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London Street,
Swindon
SN1 5DG

Meraki HR North:
Office Location:
Suite 4, Kendal Business Hub,
South Lakeland House,
Angel Yard, 21-23 Highgate,
Kendal, LA9 4DY

Meraki HR South:
Unit 5 - The Workshed,
London Street,
Swindon
SN1 5DG

Meraki HR North:
Suite 4, Kendal Business Hub,
South Lakeland House,
Angel Yard, 21-23 Highgate,
Kendal, LA9 4DY

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Author: Emma Browning

Filter by

Services

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About

Connect

Meraki HR South:Registered Address:Unit 5 - The Workshed, London Street, SwindonSN1 5DG

Meraki HR North:Office Location:Suite 4, Kendal Business Hub, South Lakeland House, Angel Yard, 21-23 Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4DY

Meraki HR South: Unit 5 - The Workshed, London Street, SwindonSN1 5DG

Meraki HR North: Suite 4, Kendal Business Hub, South Lakeland House, Angel Yard, 21-23 Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4DY

Your people | our passion | your success

© 2022 Meraki HR Solutions Ltd, Terms & Conditions | Privacy & Cookies | Sitemap

Meraki HR South:
Registered Address:
Unit 5 - The Workshed,
London Street,
Swindon
SN1 5DG

Meraki HR North:
Office Location:
Suite 4, Kendal Business Hub,
South Lakeland House,
Angel Yard, 21-23 Highgate,
Kendal, LA9 4DY

Meraki HR South:
Unit 5 - The Workshed,
London Street,
Swindon
SN1 5DG

Meraki HR North:
Suite 4, Kendal Business Hub,
South Lakeland House,
Angel Yard, 21-23 Highgate,
Kendal, LA9 4DY