Newsletter

Uber headache for gig economy

On 28 October, Uber workers in the UK gained ‘worker’ status in a high-profile court case. It granted them entitlement to a raft of employee rights like holiday pay and the national minimum wage.  There is over 25,000 Uber drivers in London!  The UK employment law decisions are very persuasive here in Ireland as the legislation comes from Europe and we both have a ‘common law system’.

The ruling has sent shockwaves through the gig economy, where workers are self-employed rather than employed.

Do you have self-employed people working for you? Take notice. First of all, you are by no means automatically in the wrong if you use self-employed workers, however, they have to be genuinely self-employed not just used as a means for the employer to avoid paying National Minimum Wage, PRSI or taxes.

Because the use of bogus self-employed workers undermines legitimate employees, as well as key employment principles and fundamental rights.

Here are some key questions used to determine whether an individual should be considered employed or self-employed:
Do they work for other companies? Do they keep accounts and invoice you for the work they do? Must they personally carry out the work themselves or can they use a substitute?Are they subject to your disciplinary rules? Do they use your equipment? Do they provide their own insurance? Do they provide you with a tax-clearance certificate?

Don’t think having a self-employed contract will cover you if it does not truly represent the working arrangement. The Courts and the WRC can very easily spot bogus self-employed contracts.

Being a good employer means treating people fairly, which we believe is one of the fundamentals of building a successful business. There’s many an instance where using self-employed workers is totally legal and right for your business but make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and are legally compliant. We can help you with that!

The job no one wants

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has released a job posting for ‘the worst job in Ireland’ job which would be the assistant of the brash talking CEO who uses ‘fear’ to motivate staff! The job description takes a rather unorthodox approach by stating the attributes that aren’t required for the job “Manchester United supporters and cyclists…will be tracked down, tortured and shot”.

The following skills required for the job are “thick skin, Saint-like patience and (ego) massage qualifications”. The job has actually been listed as the ‘worst job in Ireland’, the Airline certainly can’t be accused of upselling!

Michael O’Leary previously has been critical of his employers stating that the wage gap between him and his employees should be wider because he works ’10 times harder’. OK it might all be one big joke, but it’s a good example of what not to put in your own job descriptions (if you want anybody to send you their CVs that is).

This isn’t just banter… this is M&S banter

The well-known advertising implies that M&S food is a cut above the rest. It’s regrettable to say that in one instance so was their workplace banter.

Banter’s tricky. Where do you draw the line between fun and offence? At M&S though, the line was left so far behind, you couldn’t see it.

A health and safety officer pleaded guilty to repeatedly exposing his private parts to female colleagues for a laugh! His lawyer called it grossly inappropriate banter as the judge sentenced him to a suspended prison sentence.

Worried about banter in your workplace? Call The HR Dept.

Can’t find the right talent

You don’t have to build a school, but it would probably help.

That’s exactly what iconic businessman James Dyson is doing. He says his company has an insatiable appetite for good engineers, so is spending big bucks this year setting up the Dyson Institute of Technology to produce them.

Ok, it’s an extreme example but the underlying principle of training your staff is sound and brings many benefits. Maybe you can’t find people with the right skillset, or they are out there but are too pricy. Taking on less experienced employees with a good attitude, and then training them up with targeted skills is a great way forward.

So let’s take a look at some of those benefits.

First, you get to choose exactly what training is given, so the end result is a perfectly-honed employee for your company.

Next, and this is partly where attitude comes in, you are giving back to the employee – helping them grow. So you should be gaining a fantastically motivated person, who buys into what your business is doing. This in turn should help with staff retention which represents a cost-saving in itself.

A further point is that training doesn’t have to stop. Once you’ve trained someone to a certain level, it may offer new opportunities for them to develop into a higher position. They can help drive the business forward beyond what you originally planned. And they can also use what they learn to help train your next recruit.

“But what if I invest all this money in training someone, and then they up sticks?” we hear you say. Our reply is that it would be better to train someone and see them leave than not to train them and have them stick around! And you may be able to build in some protection to this through your employment contracts, too.

Not many of us have €17 million in our back pocket to build a university, but training can start small and develop. For more ideas, call The HR Dept.

How to handle resignations

Look around your office. Is there anybody in there who you’d say you really couldn’t work without? So what would happen if they resigned? How you handle resignations may be crucial to your ongoing success. Here are some top resignation handling tips:

1. If you’re caught off-guard, keep your composure and book in some time to plan the exit.
2. When you talk, establish why they chose to leave and where they are going?
3. If they are leaving because they have a complaint about how they have been treated see if they wish to invoke your grievance procedure.
4. If they are leaving to join a competitor and you have a garden leave clause, consider using it. Sometimes it can be damaging to have someone hanging around.
5. If a resignation was made in the heat of the moment after a row with a colleague, let things cool down  and check that they actually mean it later.
6. Once you have accepted the resignation confirm they leaving date and final pay in writing.

Resignations are much easier to manage once you follow the process. Make sure you always look on the bright side, it’s your chance to take on fresh talent.

Drinking cultures

Two in five young workers (18-34) feel that abstaining from alcohol makes it harder to bond with colleagues. Some even worry it impairs career progression. This is according to a survey from the think tank Demos.

With Christmas parties (normally alcohol-fuelled) – imminent, it’s useful to reflect on alcohol in your workplace culture. There’s a trend for bottles of beer to be handed around some offices at 4pm on a Friday, whilst at others there’s an obligatory pit stop at a pub on the way home.

It may be good for unwinding, but think about who’s not involved too.

Could they be feeling excluded from the team? Are they missing out on key conversations? Some people don’t drink for religious or medical reasons, others just don’t like it. For a diverse, balanced workforce and all the benefits that brings, it’s essential to be inclusive and prevent non-drinkers from feeling alienated. For advice, speak to The HR Dept.

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Promoting Mental Health

A recent survey of 20,00 people conducted by the charity Business in the Community uncovered some worrying trends. It revealed that 62% of workers believed their employment had contributed to physical, psychological or behavioural symptoms of poor mental health.

10 October was Mental Health Awareness Day. So this month is a good time to reflect on good mental health in the workplace.

The survey probed deeper and found that traditional channels which you might expect to help manage this problem were not being used. Only 11% of staff members had discussed mental health problems with line managers. Just one in four felt able to talk to any colleague at all about the matter. And while a quarter of employees said they had access to an employee assistance programme (EAP), only 2% had used one.

It suggests that businesses need to go further than just putting processes in place to manage mental health. If you have line managers, training in mental health awareness could be a big help here (32% of managers said they didn’t have enough) and building in time for one-to-one appraisals provides more opportunity to nurture staff and spot problems early.

If you invest in an EAP, don’t think of it as just a box ticking exercise: promote it internally to staff so they understand how it can help.

Finally, one of the basics to get right is workplace culture. Creating an environment where people get on with each other and enjoy their work is a great starting point for promoting mental health.

The HR Dept can assist with all of these solutions, helping you achieve a happy, productive workplace.

How not to recruit!

Remember the whole ‘Equality Acts 1998-2015’ thing? We’ll be talking about it in our Latest thinking on dress code article below. Well, an elite recruitment firm in London is in serious danger of breaching it, as well as being pretty offensive along the way, by advertising gender specific job roles – generally a big no-no under the Act, along with other protected characteristics.

For one PA position, in addition to listing a job specification, they also list bra size specifications – B-C cup in case you were wondering, and hair colour (brown). There’s no special provision in the Act to specify gender for a PA role, let alone such physical attributes. In a minority of professions, gender can be specified in a job advert, like prison guards. But for most job adverts, keep them open, keep them legal and you’ll have a great chance of ending up with the best candidate. The HR Dept can provide a full recruitment service, so get in touch.

Bad PR from exploitative contracts

Major employers have been straining the phrase “There’s no such thing as bad publicity” to the limit. Sports Direct has come under sustained attack for its employment practices, and now online fashion retailer ASOS has been accused of draconian working conditions. In a BuzzFeed News exposé, distribution centre staff complained of exhausting targets, embarrassing security checks and harsh pay-docking. XPO, the company that runs the distribution centre disputes this, but that hasn’t prevented negative news coverage. Badly worded or unfair employment contracts can cause all kinds of trouble for business owners. For a review of yours, contact The HR Dept.

Wedding dress Wednesday

Just the other week, female employees across Ireland were encouraged to come to work clothed in a wedding dress. A fun, light-hearted initiative, it was part of a campaign called #DaretoCare to raise awareness for the Irish Cancer Society.

Performing charitable acts in the workplace has been known to improve the well-being and morale of those involved. And not only does it help employees in this way, it also has a positive impact on businesses through corporate social responsibility.

By giving back to the community, it makes the area a better place for those who live and work there, but also enhances the standing of your business locally and raises company profile.

Charitable giving doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to give money. There are other innovative ways to be charitable. For instance, by encouraging employees to devote time or skills within the community. Our Licensee in Newcastle generously advertised to do a free CV check for those who experienced fallout from the BHS scandal. It helped a group of people in need, whilst reflecting positively on her business in the local area.

Recent statistics suggest that companies could be doing much more to support charities. In one survey half of workers (48%) didn’t know whether their company donated or had taken part in any fundraising activities.

Companies who do partake in charitable giving tend to have higher employee retention rate and find it easier to attract staff. It is also recognised that leaders who express a philanthropic interest are considered all round better leaders, and are generally held in higher regard.

To explore how you can use HR to drive corporate social responsibility and employee engagement, get in touch with The HR Dept.

Annual holiday of a lifetime

We’ve all heard of the bonus as a way to incentivise staff. But one American company, SteelHouse, offers a bonus with a twist. $2,000 a year for each employee… but they must spend it on a holiday!

It takes some getting used to – some staff unsuccessfully requested that they just have the cash – but is rather ingenious if you can afford it. Not only does it virtually guarantee that your employees recharge their batteries and thus stay fresh for you, but it’s a fantastic tool for recruiting and retaining top talent. The company reports that only five out of 250 people have departed in the previous three years.

Well considered remuneration packages can be an innovative way to grow a business through HR. For expert advice, give us a call.

Are unisex toilets a good idea?

A law was recently passed in California mandating that single cubicle toilets be unisex. As most things American work their way across the Atlantic sooner or later, let’s consider unisex bathrooms in Irish workplaces.

One journalist conducted a finger in the air survey in her office and found that opinion was split by age rather than gender. Millennials were pretty comfortable sharing facilities whilst older generations liked their segregation. Interestingly, older men could not say why, whereas older women cited that their loos were a refuge, a private place to put on make-up, cleaner and even a place to cry.

Sounds like it’ll become less of an issue over time. Commercially there may be cost savings in introducing unisex bathrooms. But the biggest factor to consider is your workplace culture and whether unisex bathrooms would enhance or damage it.

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Chairman of the bored

While some employees may find aspects of their work tedious, we hope not to hear too many examples like this one from France.

A former employee of a perfume company has taken his old company to court claiming “bore out”! That is, he was sidelined and given such tiresome or meaningless tasks that he suffered serious health problems and was dismissed after seven months of being on sick leave.

He described “an insidious descent into hell” and blamed the experience for giving him epilepsy, ulcers, serious depression and sleep problems.

The price of this? Well, €360,000 is what he claimed in court.“Bore out”, the opposite of the more established “burn out” when someone is worked so hard they break down, is perhaps a colourful way of describing a method of constructive dismissal. This is when a workplace environment is made so unpleasant that an employee is forced to leave one way or another. In this case by debilitating a person to such an extent that they can’t function.

Whilst the terminology may be headline grabbing, French courts have accepted 244 similar cases. And whether it makes the courts or not, the problem of a stagnating employee is not a good one to have. It will cause bad feeling on both sides of the employee/employer relationship and is hardly going to make for optimum productivity.

Good old-fashioned people management is proactive against so called “bore out”: regular performance reviews, good lines of communication and checking that job descriptions continue to match skill sets all help in preventing these situations from developing.

For help and advice, call The HR Dept.

Lead by example

“Lead by example” is a well-worn maxim, but one that often rings true. Doing things properly yourself in front of your employees, including the basics like attendance and punctuality, is a sure-fire way to instil a positive workplace culture.

Nine top officials in Dubai found this out the hard way when Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, made some surprise early morning inspections. Upon arriving at the Departments of Land and Economic Development, he discovered the desks of many of the directors to be empty. The very next day, retirement was imposed upon the absent leaders (not an option in the UK so an alternative solution would be required!) to make way for a fresh leadership at the helm. Swift consequences indeed.Poor leadership will more often have an eroding effect on performance as the bad habits of managers percolate down an organisation and become entrenched. Worth keeping an eye on, even if you are not a Head of State!

Three HR tips to manage commuting chaos

Dublin bus strikes have caused numerous problems throughout September causing trouble for commuters. Commuting is often a miserable experience at the best of times. But when circumstances beyond an employee’s control mean they arrive late, have lengthened journey times, are perhaps out of pocket from paying for alternative transport and are downright stressed out, it is hardly going to make for a productive day’s work.

Transport strikes can happen anywhere at any time. Few businesses are likely to be completely immune, so anything you can do to manage their impact is likely to make for happier employees and better productivity.
Here are three HR tips to minimise the disruption that transport strikes could cause.

1. Location, location, location. No, we are not suggesting you just let them have a day off to watch reality TV! But you could think about the most useful place for them to work. If you don’t already allow home working, perhaps this is the time to make that trial you had been putting off. A relaxed employee, not having commuted at all, will have a much better mindset to hit the ground running with the day’s work. If trying out such initiatives, make sure you have the appropriate policies in place. We can advise here.

2. Flexible friends.  If home working really isn’t an option – perhaps meetings must be attended or the right kit cannot be provided remotely – an alternative to explore is flexi-time so that staff miss the morning and evening rush hours. They still work on site but may do say 10:30am – 6:30pm instead of the normal 9am -5pm.

3. Empathy. However you decide to handle transport disruption, be sure to include a good dose of sympathy. As well as a drop in productivity your employees may be missing time with family or coping with personal issues like claustrophobia on an over-crowded bus or train. Take each case as it comes and try to balance their needs with those of the business.

Moving office?

Whether by choice or necessity, moving location can be an exciting time… and a bit of a nightmare! Whether it’s your first office and you plan on employing your first staff, or you’ve outgrown your current space and need an upgrade, or even if you’re downsizing to a smaller premises, you need to get it right.

Here are our top tips: Health and safety- A new premise needs to be fully compliant with health and safety regulations Productivity- a small drop in productivity is expected but make sure that when staff arrive they are ready to work Get the team excited! A new office opens up a world of opportunities and your employees should be excited about this!

The stigma around tattoos

Employers are being called to relax their policies on tattoos in the workplace, would you agree with them? More and more are inking their bodies as a form of self-expression, so is it time to throw out the rulebook around tattoo visibility?

The private sector in particular has often frowned upon the visibility of tattoos in the workplace and how they may be viewed by clients or potential customers.  By excluding or showing bias to those that have tattoos you are losing out on the potential of 29% of people in the 16-to-44 age bracket. The stigmas associated with those that have tattoos such as unprofessionalism however is completely outdated.

Tattoos do not fall under a protected characteristic and therefore there is no such thing as tattoo discrimination but employers should be careful not to lose out on potential top talent based on them!Is presentation and business image important or crucial to the role?  Is it good enough to have a blanket ban on tattoos & piercings?

Having a properly constructed and penned ‘person specification’ and ‘job descriptions’ will help any business to identify the ideal candidate’s qualifications, experience and presentation. Make your decisions based on sound reasoning rather than broad assumptions and misgivings.

Economy of health

Having covered “bore out” in this issue (see Chairman of the Bored), it’s right to take a look at “burn out” too.

A study looking at Danish firms unexpectedly linked export growth with a rise in sickness levels. “Unexpected” because export growth normally stimulates wage rises. So it was anticipated that health and wellbeing would go up alongside employee wealth. Turns out the welfare loss! from increased sick rates, when worked out relative to pay rises was 17.3% for the average woman and 4.9% for the average man.

With this in mind, it suggests that just chucking money at busy employees isn’t the most effective way to sustain growth. Far better to do that in combination with a managed approach to health and wellbeing.

The HR Dept can help with a range of product options in this area, as well as expert advice, so give us a call.

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Employee or not employee?

That is the question being discussed at an employment tribunal this summer, as we shall see later.

There are several legitimate ways of hiring people to work for you. The classic way is taking someone on as an employee – full or part time. This comes with statutory obligations like holiday and sick pay, and the employee is entitled to other rights like the National Living/Minimum Wage. The employer is also responsible for administering PAYE tax and paying Employer National Insurance.

Then there’s the freelancer or contractor route. Here the worker is self-employed and does not have the same rights. Subject to the terms of their contract they must make their own provision for things like holiday and sick pay through their fees. They are also responsible for taxes.

So far so good, but what about when the lines become blurred? Uber, the taxi app, has found itself on a rocky road this summer as thousands of its drivers in the US and the UK continue to fight for certain rights.

Uber insists they are self-employed: drivers are their own boss – free to accept or turn-down work. The drivers claim they are ‘workers’, a legal term that grants similar rights to employees.

Such disputes could be costly for small businesses. The best defence is to have really clear contracts and policies for people that work for you. For advice and professionally drafted documents speak to The HR Dept.

Pokéjobs: When apps invade the workplace

Love it or loathe it, Pokémon Go is a phenomenon – enchanting children and adults alike. Most grown-ups have jobs, so what happens when such apps start encroaching on the workplace? In one extreme case, New Zealander Steve Currie quit his job to hunt down all 151 Pokémon full time! Assuming your staff don’t walk out forever, a well-worded IT policy should prevent productivity from dipping.

If you don’t mind employees occasionally trying to snaffle a Jynx or Dragonair behind a plant pot, be aware of Health and Safety. Staff walking around with their head in a smartphone could bump into something more than virtual! And what about positives? Apps like Pokémon Go encourage staff to move about whilst playing, perhaps getting exercise at lunchtime: something that is often all too lacking in the modern workplace.

Dads days off

Not long to go now until the new Paternity leave rules are in place, they’re due to be introduced on September 1st. From this date onwards the ‘relevant’ parents of a child will be entitled to two week of paid Paternity leave. Their pay during this period will come from the Department of Social Protection. If you have any questions, or if you need a hand amending your employment contracts and handbooks to reflect this, please do get in touch.

Three strikes and you’re out

Taken from the rules of baseball, the term ‘three strikes and you’re out’ is often applied in other contexts. In California, it can mean a mandatory life sentence for any felony after two serious or violent crimes, and in employment it is an approach to disciplining and dismissing staff. But is it a useful or fair tool for managers?

At face value, it seems a simple, easily understood process. But in practice it can be riddled with complexity – especially if policy wording is unclear. What if an employee has two ‘strikes’ in quick succession followed by a year’s exemplary service (or longer) before a third misdemeanour? Does automatic sacking follow?

Then there’s the impact on culture. In small teams where individuals grow into their roles to add value to your business, it may become divisive among the team members if they take sides when a colleague falls foul of the rule. And it could be counterproductive if you corner yourself into dismissing an experienced employee who has notched up a third strike over the length of their long service. There are pitfalls with large workforces too.

Could it create a climate of fear? Is it counter-productive to make staff worry about trivial things such as taking too long on a toilet break? It also may be detrimental to working conditions as people feel more inclined to show up to work when sick (known as presenteesim), and embedding an ‘us v them’ attitude amongst the team.

Amazon, has been criticised before for processes like these. Practices included electronically monitoring staff efficiency while they worked ten-hour plus shifts and walked 11 miles within the warehouse. Disciplinary action was threatened if efficiency slipped out of tightly defined parameters.

Lots of downside then from disciplinary processes expressed as a soundbite. Smaller businesses may find simple good people management a better option. For advice on your disciplinary policies, get in touch with The HR Dept.

Presenteeism

We have looked at absenteeism in this newsletter, so what about its opposite: presenteeism. This is the phenomenon of employees working longer hours than they’re contracted for. And it appears to be prevalent among younger workers keen to make a good impression with the boss.

A recent study by tech company Ricoh UK revealed that 67% of employees in the 18-26 age bracket tried to impress managers by exaggerating their workload. 41% thought bosses would favour those who worked more than they were required to.

Trapped abroad

We all hope it never happens, but being prepared is key. What’s good practice for an employer with employees stranded overseas after a terrorist attack?

Being sympathetic should be a top priority. Even if an employee was not directly caught up in an incident, they may be scared, stressed and alone. Stranded employees may not have a right to be paid, but where it’s affordable a good employer would show leniency – a lighter pay packet may seem like insult after injury!

If hours turn into days or even weeks, our connected world may enable remote working. Tread carefully if emotions are still raw, but it is an option. Of course, any work costs should be reimbursed. As with normal leave, manage the workload carefully, and explain the situation to the rest of your team. We advise all employers to have policies in place recognising transport disruption and to have disaster contingency plans. For advice and drafting call us today.

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HR Dept customer satisfaction survey nears all time high

HR Dept customer satisfaction survey nears all time high We are delighted to report that our customer satisfaction level for 2016 is 9.3 out of 10. This is up from last year, and just short of our 2014 peak. Thank you to everyone who responded. It’s such a pleasure to work with so many great SMEs. Surveys are also about seeing where improvements can be made, and we appreciate your comments, which will help us to get even better.

As well as measuring our own performance, we use the survey as a barometer for SME sentiment. The results here were a mixed bag.

Positive was that a majority of businesses felt confident enough to give employees a pay rise over the next six months. More than one third said they would do so by up to 2%, a quarter were planning 2-5% increases, while lucky employees at 5% of businesses could look forward to a pay rise of more than 5%.

Not so good was recruitment, where redundancy is on the rise. In 2015, just 2.7% of businesses were planning to lose staff. This year that figure has risen to 5%. Although these figures paint a picture before Brexit, it’ll be interesting to see how they compare to next year’s!

Back to good news and we saw significant increases in proactive businesses using our added value services like Health and Safety training, Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) and psychometric testing. These are terrific ways for your HR function to add value to your overall business, so we would recommend all SMEs explore the benefits of such services.

Suffer from poor attendance?

If yes, look on the bright side as it’s unlikely your case is as extreme as this! A (now retired) civil servant in Spain is in hot water after he was exposed for not turning up for work for six years, whilst still pocketing his €37,000 salary. It gets worse…

The misdemeanour was only discovered after he was lined up for a length of service award! And worse…
He then tried to sue his boss for not noticing the absence!!

Despite the sheer cheek of the counter-lawsuit, there was clearly some shocking institutional incompetence happening. For the record, it occurred because the employee was posted from the council to a water company. Each assumed that he was carrying out his duties on the other’s premises. Unauthorised absences can hit SMEs hard, so make sure you’re managing them appropiately.

Banter in the workplace

Workplace banter happens everywhere. But it is sometimes difficult to judge when it crosses the line. The difficulty is that there is often a grey area surrounding what is deemed as ‘respectful’ or ‘responsible’ when banter is involved. What may be said in jest by one party could be hurtful or even considered discriminatory to others. Legislation is in place protecting characteristics such as sexual orientation, gender, and race under the Employment Equality Act 1998.

Managing difficult conversations

The majority of managers dread having certain difficult conversations with their employees. Difficult conversations are sometimes necessary, though, in order for the business to function and to maintain an open-minded culture within the workplace.

So what could count as a difficult conversation?
Addressing substandard performanceRaising issues about inappropriate dress
A body odour or bad breath situation
Talking too loudly (and other irritating, atmosphere-damaging habits)
Fallout from an office romance
Sexual harassment complaints
Workplace conflict between two staff members
Refusing annual leave or flexible working requests
Redundancy or dismissal.

Cringing at the thought of these yet? Do not bury your head in the sand. You are not alone and we are here to help. Here are our tips for dealing with difficult conversations.
Identify the problem and face up to it!

Prepare. Establish the facts, check your policies and procedures and read your employee’s file.Do some more preparation.Be clear about exactly what the problem is and the impact it is having on the business and their colleagues. Identify your ideal outcome, and think about what it is that you are most worried about happening, so that you can try to avoid that scenario.

Be in control. You need to control the meeting and how it progresses. It’s not about winning or losing so negotiate if appropriate. But you set the terms and remain in control of your emotions (and temper) too! Stick to a clear agenda.

First, the introduction – set the tone you want for the meeting. Second, explain the issues and evidence. Third, ask for an explanation or their contribution. And fourth, agree a way forward. Document and communicate the outcomes and monitor the progress.

Looking forward to Rio

With our summer of sport in full swing, next in the sporting calendar is the much anticipated Rio Olympics. Here are some tips that can ensure that you and your team have a swimmingly good experience throughout the event.

Fair play – It’s championed by the International Association of Athletics Federation and it’s crucial when you are managing holiday requests. Be as accommodating as you can and when tough decisions need to be made, stick to your policies. Most of all, be fair.

Be wary of cheats – Just as there have been issues with doping and performance enhancing drugs in sport, some employees may be tempted to cheat and pull a sickie to watch their favourite event.

The extraordinary event –Run a sweepstake or host a social event based around one of the games; these are easy and popular ways to engage with staff and, most importantly, have fun!

Managed properly, national sporting celebrations are something to be… celebrated!
So do just that, and take advantage of the atmosphere and excitement whilst you’re at it! With the policies and procedures in place, and The HR Dept at the other end of the phone, you’ll have a great time!

What to wear?!

During the recent heatwave that reached our shores, there was uproar as organisationsattempted to enforce dress codes. One company even sent home an employer for wearing shorts because it broke ‘health and safety’ regulations. Is this health & safety gone mad?! Dress codes aren’t just a problem in summer – they can be an issue all year round.

Earlier in the year, an agency worker was instructed to wear heels by her boss. When she refused to comply, stating that it was discriminatory, she was sent home without pay. If you have a strict dress code it may be wise to review it to ensure it’s justified, and not discriminatory.
The ‘high heels’ case resulted in significant negative publicity for the agency concerned.

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