Blog

Weetabix’s approach to EDI is Inclusion Without Exception

· by Emma Browning
Employee inclusion is an important part of any workplace. Enabling employees to bring their whole selves to work and encouraging and empowering individuality is key. A CIPD blog post explained that inclusion at work occurs “when people feel valued and accepted in their team and in the wider organisation, without having to conform.” The post went on to explain that “inclusive organisations support employees, regardless of their background or circumstance, to thrive at work.” Being able to thrive in an inclusive organisation that celebrates individuality is something that today’s candidate-led…

What are you doing in your business to support Equality, Diversity & Inclusion?

· by Emma Browning
What do we really understand about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)? Interest in EDI has boomed in recent years – both in the wider political spheres of the Western world and in a more focused way in the workplace. The intense focus on EDI has facilitated open conversations around sensitive subjects – but often with little discussion about how to practically implement EDI policies and practices, as well as training for all your staff to ensure they are aware of their obligations too. With identity politics in the news recently…

Find out what Virgin Media are doing to ensure they can attract and retain top talent into their team as well as increasing their profits

· by Emma Browning
When Virgin Media and O2 announced they would be merging in a £31billion mega deal last summer (2021), the newly united firm’s Chief Executive, Lutz Schüler, promised to “connect more people to the things they love (and) support communities across the country.” Nisha Marwaha is their Director, People Relations and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. Marwaha explained that, at Virgin Media O2, there’s a compelling business case for diverse representation. She stated: “I think there’s a higher likelihood of outperformance (against the competition) with the more diversity you have and given…

5 Misconceptions about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

· by Emma Browning
What do we really understand about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)? Interest in EDI has boomed in recent years – but often with little discussion about how to practically implement EDI policies and practices. With identity politics in the news right now following the recent decision to ban transgender men and women from participating in certain sports, it’s easy to fixate on awareness and neglect actionable change that implements the EDI values a business wishes to uphold. However, EDI doesn’t have to be an intimidating subject, and making it easier…

How do I deal with a grievance that an employee has raised?

· by Emma Browning
We have seen a significant increase in the number of grievances that we are being asked to manage. Why this is, we are not entirely sure, but what we can be sure about, is that if not handled well, they can often lead to a constructive dismissal claim or discrimination claim from an employee. By law, every company should have a grievance policy. The formal, written document should let employees know who they should contact with their grievance, the process of dealing with the grievance and how to appeal should…

Can an employer ask a prospective employee to fill in a medical questionnaire?

· by Emma Browning
An employer can ask a prospective employee to complete a medical questionnaire, but only after it has made them a job offer and only if it complies with data protection requirements. Section 60(1) of the Equality Act 2010 prohibits employers from asking job applicants questions about their health before offering them employment (with some exceptions). If an employer intends to ask prospective employees to complete a medical questionnaire after making them an offer of employment, it must ensure that it has a legal basis to do so under the UK…

In what circumstances can an employer reject a request for flexible working?

· by Emma Browning
Employees have a right to request flexible working once they have been employed by you for 26 weeks or more. However, there is a lot of speculation that the 26 week limit may be removed – so watch this space! An employer can refuse a statutory request for flexible working if the refusal is based on one or more specific grounds as noted below. The list of grounds for refusal, as set out in s.80G(1)(b) of the Employment Rights Act 1996, is drafted in very broad terms. The specified grounds…

How long must an employer consult with employees for when seeking agreement to change their contracts?

· by Emma Browning
An employer should always consult individually with employees with a view to obtaining agreement to changes to their contract of employment, and the employer may also have an obligation to consult collectively depending on the number of employees the changes affect. The length of the individual consultation period required will depend on several factors, including the number of employees involved, the nature of the proposed change and the employees’ responses to the changes. There is no minimum time frame for individual consultation. If the employees agree to the proposed changes,…

Your very own HR expert for just £99 a month!

· by Emma Browning
We are so confident of the service and support that our clients receive from our HR Oxygen Retainer service, that we are giving you the first three months of service for just £99 per month if you sign up in July or August. After the last few years of turmoil, we have been seeing a growing trend from our clients, wanting an HR Retainer Service, which is why we introduced our retainer service; HR Oxygen. What is a retainer? A retainer means you outsource your HR to an outside company,…

Are you a good listener?

· by Emma Browning
The whole of July is “Talk to Us” month and is the Samaritans annual awareness-raising campaign of the importance of us “listening” to friends, family or colleagues to make sure they are OK. Do you need to listen to your employees? The Samaritans are challenging the whole of the UK to become better listeners by sharing expert tips on how to be a better listener and you can find out more about how to a better listener here; https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/campaign/talk-us/ Now, I want to talk about the importance of listening to…