Category: Support

Q. When can an employer dismiss an employee on the grounds of ill health?

Lack of capability, including when assessed with reference to health, is a potentially fair reason for dismissal under s.98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. The employer must show that it acted reasonably both in treating the long-term ill health as a sufficient reason for dismissing the employee and in the procedure adopted to effect the dismissal. When an employer is considering dismissing an employee on grounds of long-term ill health, it should investigate the prospects of the employee being able to return to work within a reasonable time. A…
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Q. Where an employee is provided with a car allowance instead of a company car, can this be withdrawn if they go on maternity leave?

Whether or not an employee is entitled to a car allowance during maternity leave is unclear. During both ordinary and additional maternity leave an employee is entitled to continue to benefit from all the terms and conditions of employment – except for those regarding remuneration – that would have applied had they been at work. Whether or not a car allowance is “remuneration” for these purposes is unclear. Only sums payable to an employee by way of wages or salary are treated as remuneration (reg.9 of the Maternity and Parental…
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Culture and change
elinabyrne

Want to know what our No.1 most asked question is?

How do I manage Millennials? If you want to know our 6 top tips to manage your millennial employees, read our latest blog . . . You need to understand your millennials and work with their strengths.  Today, millennials make up a huge percentage of the workforce, and so it’s essential to both appreciate how to effectively manage them and understand how to encourage their leadership skills. If your company isn’t effectively managing millennials, then even the most impressive list of benefits won’t keep them at your company. They will…
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Employment law
elinabyrne

Unveiling the Truth: The HR Investigation into Huw Edwards at the BBC

Introduction The BBC has been an esteemed media institution, renowned for its objective reporting and credible journalism. However, no organisation is immune to controversy, and the allegations surrounding one of its prominent figures, Huw Edwards, triggered a comprehensive HR investigation. In this blog, we will delve into the details of this investigation, its impact on the BBC’s reputation, and the importance of transparent and fair HR procedures in addressing such matters. Who is Huw Edwards? Huw Edwards is a distinguished journalist and newsreader at the BBC, who, for many years,…
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Culture and change
elinabyrne

Get on yer bike!

In today’s fast-paced world, where employee wellbeing and environmental sustainability are gaining increasing importance, employers are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance productivity, attract top talent, and contribute to a healthier work-life balance. With the 2023 Tour de France having just started in Bilbao, Spain, last weekend we thought it was about time we re-looked at a Cycle to Work scheme as an innovative solution for employers as it ticks all of the above, but because it’s been around for a long time, is often overlooked!   Promoting Employee Health…
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Culture and change
elinabyrne

Do you know how many days have been lost in your business due to employee wellbeing?

You may not know the exact figure in your own business, but absence is on the increase and the predominant reason for people’s absence is now wellbeing whereas in the past, the biggest reason for absence was Muscular Skeletal issues such as bad backs/hand and wrist injuries – linked to poor posture, PC/Laptop and mouse usage. A staggering 185.6 million working days were lost to stress related illnesses in 2022, which is a new record according to the Office for National Statistics, and the increase from 2021 to 2022 is…
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Culture and change
elinabyrne

How can you support your employees in challenging economic times?

Every day we speak to clients that are trying to decide what they can do to attract and retain staff in the current economic crisis. With their employees feeling the financial pinch, the increases in the minimum wage announced, the huge real living wage hike in October last year plus the cost of fuel and food increasing regularly, most organisations are trying to find a way forward that is sustainable but will also help their staff. With a rising cost of living and energy bills, households are strained beyond their…
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Culture and change
elinabyrne

Never mind e=mc2. Employee Wellbeing2=profits10

What do we actually mean by employee wellbeing? To this day, wellbeing remains a contested word, with various definitions and spellings and still remains “conceptually muddy”.  What I can assure you though – it definitely isn’t ‘wellness’. “Workplace wellness” is usually linked with the word “health” and unsurprisingly the focus is mostly on employee physical health such as being at a healthy weight, looking at your nutrition, exercise, and stopping smoking etc.  All extremely worthwhile and creditable for sure, but they alone, will not drive increased employee engagement or add…
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Development
elinabyrne

Some top tips to retain your talent in challenging times

A recent study from DocuSign showed that, alongside recruitment, talent management was the main priority for 56% of UK firms this year, and it’s not hard to see why. While rising costs are, of course, a pressing issue, there are so many challenges for firms that come from the underlying issue of retaining your best talent. So, whether it’s attracting great talent to join you, or the retention of your great performers or getting the best performance from your existing team, almost every challenge that business owners currently face falls…
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Development
elinabyrne

Manager’s Checklist for Employee Check-Ins

We are often asked to discuss the topic of employee ‘check-ins’ (or one-on-one meetings, progress meetings, sit-downs, etc.) with our clients when we meet with them or visit them. Why is this you may ask? Well, it doesn’t matter how experienced you are, many managers don’t enjoy doing them, don’t feel they have good meetings with their team members, or simply dread all the paperwork that goes with them! No matter what you call them, increasing the frequency and quality of employee performance conversations remains a priority for many companies…
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