Redundancies may occur when businesses wish to improve efficiencies, or ride out tough times and periods of slow growth. But what exactly is redundancy? And what do businesses need to consider when carrying out the redundancy process? Read our brief guide to redundancy to find out. What is redundancy? Redundancy is the termination of employment due to the work an individual does ceasing (e.g. due to a business closure) or diminishing significantly. It should be used as a last resort, bearing in mind the initial costs…
According to a recent work survey completed by the Charted Institute of Personal Development over 55% of surveyed employees have taken time off work due to either depression, stress, or mental health reasons. This type of absenteeism is costing the UK economy 56 billion pounds each year. A main contributing factor to this level of absence has been employees working in what is described as a toxic work environment. In 2022 this manifested itself in three main ways: Burnt Out What is burn out? Anyone who…
A growing proportion of the UK workforce is over 50 years of age. People are living longer than ever before and with the current economic state, may not be financially able to retire at a time when they originally wanted to. So, how can employers support a generation of older employees and avoid age discrimination at work? Although many companies embrace their older workers and appreciate their experience, a recent Tribunal case – Jones v Tango Networks UK Ltd and P Hesketh – indicates that…
According to the HR Director, 1 in 3 UK workers currently label themselves as 'quiet quitters'. Employee turnover can have a significant impact on a company's productivity and morale. But what about employees who quietly disengage from their work and responsibilities, rather than quitting their job abruptly? This, despite what the name suggests, is known as quiet quitting. It can be just as damaging to a company and is often harder to spot. So, what is quiet quitting? Quiet quitting refers to when employees gradually…
With bosses at McDonald's publicly acknowledging a grave problem with workplace sexual harassment, we consider the steps employers can take to avoid a similar fate. What happened? The fast-food giant has made a legally binding pledge to better protect workers, following an intervention by the regulatory body responsible for enforcing the Equality Act 2010, and a persistent union led campaign. Employers such as Sainsburys and Jaguar Land Rover have followed suit. Employers are legally responsible if a worker is sexually harassed by another worker, where…
HR professionals are well versed in tackling gender stereotyping that places a female applicant at an unfair advantage. But do men who apply for roles in female-dominated occupations also face discrimination because of deep-rooted gender stereotypes? According to a recent study, this could be the case. Background Led by Dr Mladen Adamovic (Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour and HR Management) at King’s College London, her recent study found that male applicants can face discrimination based on gender stereotypes. The study, involving more than 10,000 applications to…
EAT 23 November 2022 How far does an employer need to go to level the playing field for an employee who is disadvantaged? If an employer’s reasonable adjustments don’t fully alleviate a disadvantage, has it failed in its duty under the Equality Act s20? Julian Hilaire worked in the council’s Youth Support department. He suffered from several conditions that amounted to a disability. Specifically he suffered from a form of depression connected to suffering the pain of arthritis and this impacted on his sleep, social…
EAT 10 February 2023 A strike out of an ET claim or defence is often sought and seldom granted. What is ‘unreasonable’ behaviour? Is this a way to resolve my claim? Mr Smith was dismissed after ten years from his job as a customer assistant at Tesco. While shopping in his own time in the store, he was involved in an altercation with his store manager, an altercation that became physical. There were further allegations of abuse towards a customer. The police were called. He made an employment…
Last year we shared 10 tips on how to help your employees with the cost of living. It proved very popular with our readers, so we decided to come up with some additional ways you can help your people. Why? Because employees who struggle or worry about their money are unable to work to their highest potential. The impact was apparent through 2022 and companies are reporting cases of lower productivity. According to recent studies, employees under stress exhibit 60% higher absenteeism as well as significantly…
With the school holidays now underway, record-breaking heatwaves and travel chaos at many airports, there are some unique issues for employers to manage this summer. And while for many the summer season means sun, sea and sand, for employers it can also mean increased absence, an influx of annual leave requests and questioning how hot is too hot to work. Keep reading to find out how you can reduce the impact of summertime pressures on your business. 1. Dealing with an influx of annual leave…
