New parents will have a right to additional, dedicated time to spend with their baby while they’re receiving specialist medical care. What’s happened? Introduced as a Private Members Bill by Stuart C McDonald MP, the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 will introduce two new statutory rights—neonatal care leave and neonatal care pay. The rights proposed by the Scottish National Party member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, were afforded a boost last summer when the government decided to back it as opposed to…
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that sickness absence has now hit it's highest level on record since 2004. The main course of absence are minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, flu, sickness, nausea and diarrhoea. While employees are entitled to take time off for illness (we all get sick once in a while) it is well known that some employees will take adventure of sick leave and will report sick with such minor illness when they are in fact fit…
There are a lot of positive changes happening now with family friendly rights in employment law, which is great news for parents or expectant parents who meet certain eligibility criteria. But how do you support employee miscarriage when they don't meet the current legislative criteria for support? Please note that throughout the article the term ‘miscarriage’ will include miscarriage, ectopic or molar pregnancy. If a baby is stillborn (which is a loss after 24 weeks of gestation) the law and employee’s rights are very different.…
Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are part and parcel of an employee’s business and personal life. So it's not surprising that these are increasingly being used to air grievances about employers and fellow colleagues. If a disgruntled or former employee chooses to post negative material about you as an employer online or about one of their colleagues, it has the potential to cause serious damage to your reputation at the click of a button. Publication of the material in question may…
With the current media attention on a certain fast-food establishment and the various allegations of bullying, racial, and sexual harassment amongst their employees, it only highlights the need for a zero-tolerance approach when dealing with these types of claims. Each organisation should have clear and well written policies in place and train their staff on the importance of bully and harassment policies. A worker has a right to a safe working environment and the employer has a duty of care to provide this. All managers…
With more jobs than employees, finding a new team member with the right skill set is more challenging now than ever before. The high costs of recruitment mixed with the increased emphasis on ensuring that the right recruitment decisions are made make the thought of hiring a new employee a daunting task. We have put together some tips to help you run an effective recruitment process, fill vacancies more quickly and effectively, and most importantly recruit the right person for the role. Have a look at…
To combat discrimination and promote LGBTQIA+ equality, activism is a big part of Pride Month’s focus in the UK and widely across the globe. However, our LGBTQIA+ network Moore Visibility champion that making a space for joy and celebration during Pride is equally vital for all. What is “queer joy”? The term “queer joy” is used to represent the deep happiness that any person can feel from experiencing signs of progress towards gender and sexual equality and diversity. For example, it can be a queer…
Recognising and appreciating employees for their hard work and contributions is vital for creating a positive and motivated work environment. It not only boosts employee morale but also enhances overall productivity and retention rates. Let’s explore various strategies and techniques on how to give employee recognition. What to say to recognise an employee When acknowledging an employee's achievements, it's important to be sincere and specific. Instead of generic compliments, provide personalised feedback that highlights the employee's specific contributions. Here are a few phrases you can…
Since many employees who are off sick for a long time have a health condition that affects their ability to go to work, it’s likely they will have a disability for employment purposes. In general, this means the employer must: Not treat the employee less favourably because of their disability or any symptoms of their condition than they would treat others. Make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure the employee with the disability is not put at a disadvantage. Many employers will know they cannot dismiss somebody…
Employment relationships are all about mutual trust, confidence and loyalty. Sometimes though, you may want to back instinct with evidence. Monitoring staff is nothing new. However, with increasing home/hybrid working, business use of social media, and readily available monitoring devices and systems, more organisations than ever are considering it. Here’s some aspects we frequently encounter. CCTV CCTV can reassure staff about security and safety. But using it to monitor work can cause problems. You can, but staff normally need to be aware of its use…
