Employees on zero hours contracts could be just as happy as permanent staff, a new survey suggests. The research, from the Charted Institute of Personnel Practice (CIPD), found that on average, zero-hours contract employees experience similar levels of job satisfaction, work-life balance and personal well-being to employee’s on permanent, full-time contracts. In general zero hours contracts have often received bad publicity, but this recent research from the CIPD shows they’re more popular with employees that you might expect. The research suggests that: 65% of zero…
Moorepay recently defended a large and well respected care trust in the Employment Tribunal against claims of race and disability discrimination presented by one of their ex-employees. The Trust were very keen to defend the claim, not only to protect their well-established and excellent reputation, but also to protect the current and future contractual relationships they hold with various government agencies and local Councils. Case background When she was employed by the Trust, the employee who brought the claim had a period of unauthorised absence…
Too much interference from an HR department in disciplinary or investigation processes may lead to a verdict of unfair dismissal, suggests a recent case. Investigating issues of potential misconduct and taking disciplinary action is not the responsibility of the employer's HR department. But how far can HR be involved in the process and outcome of a disciplinary hearing? In the recent case of Ramphal v Department of Transport [2015], the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) was highly critical of an HR department's intervention that appeared to…
The biggest change to Health & Safety Legislation since the 70s will come into force in February 2016, which will see offences such as corporate manslaughter, Health & Safety, food safety and hygiene punished more severely. The introduction of the guidelines will mean that, in some cases, offenders will receive higher penalties for serious offences, particularly for larger companies, whilst reserving prison sentences for very serious offences. We could see an increase in fines across the board and many more directors, managers and junior employees…
Effective management of Health & Safety can save up to 50% of your insurance costs, according to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). A recent case study from the HSE showed how a relatively small construction site managed to reduce its insurance costs by around 50%. This was achieved by creating a positive Health & Safety culture and ensuring employee engagement. All too often a Health & Safety policy is seen as a bit of paper on the staff notice board and the management of…
Smart phones, the internet, tweeting and blogging have all become part of the 21st century working world, whether employers like it or not. But when do comments made by employees in blogs or on social network sites such as twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace become an employment issue? What’s the problem? What employees do or say outside work is usually their own choice. However, when this impacts on their work or their employer’s business, it may be legitimate for the employer to intervene. The most…
After your employees leave work at the end of the day, do you lose all control over what they say or do? While you won’t wish to intrude upon their activities or interests outside work, you can legitimately expect them not to engage in activity which may: Result in bad publicity to your organisation Cause you to question their integrity Prevent them from performing their duties/responsibilities to your satisfaction If their behaviour or actions potentially bring your organisation into disrepute, they can still be subject…
Winter is here and it could be colder and snowier than normal. Advanced weather models are predicting months of heavy snowfall, with conditions expecting to mirror those of winter 2009 / 2010 which was so long and chilly it was dubbed “the Big Freeze”. Staff absences tend to raise dramatically during extreme weather as road and rail disruption, combined with school closures make it difficult for employees to make it in to work. Effective absence management and flexible working options can help maintain staff productivity…
The festive period is a time when many businesses see extra demand for their products and services, but it also sees staff absence levels and annual leave requests sky rocket. With a combination of sick days following Christmas parties and a large number of employees requesting time off, it can be difficult for employers to keep track of it all. With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, employers can make it easier on themselves by planning ahead to combat the array of possible holiday…
Many employers are unaware that some of the substances they use could result in their employees suffering adverse health effects. One of the most common failings identified our team of Health & Safety professionals relates to the management of Substances Hazardous to Health. The information gathered by employers on this topic is often out dated, which means that their Health & Safety assessments could no longer be suitable or sufficient if the supplier’s information, ingredients or exposure levels have changed. So how can you make…
