Double jeopardy-Double jeopardy We have had a lot of questions about what to do around staff and vaccinations. Please be aware that no staff has to tell you whether they have or have not had the jab. They could even lie! Double vaccinated staff Do not have to self-isolate if have come into contact with someone ... Read more
Trained to ignore-Trained to ignore My car told me I had a flat tyre the other week. That’s how sophisticated they’ve become – before you’ve even felt anything, the computer explains loudly and clearly that you need to do something about your tyre. And they don’t just tell you once. They tell you again and again. But ... Read more
When can you give a verbal warning to an employee?-When can you give a verbal warning to an employee? Never! They were abolished in 2009. At a recent talk I was asked “but can’t we keep using them, if they are part of our policies and procedures?”. The simple answer is yes, but why would you? Employers complain constantly about the rules they have ... Read more
Flu – every year in June?!-Flu – every year in June?! One of my Clubs contacted me about a greenkeeper, over 2 years’ service, who they felt was ill too often. I, of course, asked for the number of days they had been off and the reasons. It turns out it was 4 days in 6 months, all mid-week, for ... Read more
Sickness absence with a silver lining-Sickness absence with a silver lining The Office for National Statistics (ONS), has just released its sickness figures for 2020. And they aren’t as bad as you might think. In 2020 approximately 118.6 million working days were lost due to sickness or injury. Which sounds a lot but is the same as just 3.6 days ... Read more
What about a Cadillac?-What about a Cadillac? My son Chris turned 17 last month. Which is mildly terrifying, not just because it only feels like yesterday, he was starting school, but because it means he’s now the proud owner of a provisional driving licence. We’re currently in the process of arranging driving lessons, as well as looking for ... Read more
My landscape gardening career-My landscape gardening career I’m having some work done on my garden. “Work” doesn’t really do it justice – they’re ripping the whole thing out and starting again – the ramshackle fence overgrown with ivy included. It might surprise you to learn that I’m no landscape gardener, so I defaulted to the three experts I ... Read more
Kids, dogs & old people-In our local village, there’s a 20mph limit. In principle, it’s a great idea, with kids, dogs and old people all in plentiful supply. In practice, it’s completely ignored. They’ve tried all sorts to enforce it – signs, sleeping policemen, signs, cameras, notes through doors, signs, the list goes on. Nothing’s worked until the other ... Read more
Do you know which country has the highest suicide rate in the world?-Apologies in advance for the bleak subject matter… Yesterday I was in a discussion with some work colleagues about suicide, and more specifically about the fact that it’s the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. The conversation moved on until someone made the statement that Finland has the ... Read more
Posting unsuitable content on social media-Posting unsuitable content on social media What can I do if my employee is posting unsuitable content on social media? There are usually two aspects to posts on social media. One is them talking about confidential Company matters that they shouldn’t be, and the other is showing that they really aren’t sick when they said ... Read more
Onions?-Onions? I like to keep an eye on the competition. So, when one of our golf club clients mentioned a firm of employment solicitors that “really knew their onions”, I was understandably curious. A Google search later, and I felt a lot happier, thanks to their 3.8-star rating on Google My Business. You might be ... Read more
Scary stats-Scary stats In a normal year, we’re hard at work advising our clients. In the last 12 months, our busyness has been off the scale. Thanks to the pandemic, more employers than ever have needed our help to ensure they do the right things, operate in the right way, and stay out of employment tribunals. ... Read more
No such thing?-No such thing? At the best of times, dealing with corporate monstrosities is pretty challenging. Since Covid, it’s become an utter nightmare, with more barriers and irrelevant questions in every single interaction. Take Thames Water as an example – they called me yesterday to book a date to install a water meter. The guy on ... Read more
What is the current default retirement age?-What is the current default retirement age? I ask this during my presentations quite a bit, and get A LOT of different answers, with “65” being the most common The real answer? There isn’t one. It was abolished in October 2011, with a short transition period where you were allowed to give your employees six ... Read more
Failing at Dismissal-Failing at Dismissal We’ve had a few clients failing at the “dismissal stage” recently. Each one for exactly the same thing – not telling us that they KNEW the employee had long term mental health issues. As the saying goes – the truth will out, and it always does, just as soon as the employee ... Read more
The metaphorical unicorn that this employee never saw-The metaphorical unicorn that this employee never saw. I was talking to a friend the other day, and she was probing me about human resources-related stuff (occupational hazard!). One of the things she was keen to know was whether there was a requirement for an employer to have a handbook that they gave to their ... Read more
The Goldilocks Principle (and rats!)-Last month, my daughter saw a rat. She was in our (very messy) garage with our miniature schnauzer Comet, and it scuttled right in front of them. Comet successfully ignored generations of breeding and let the rat go, choosing to focus on a manky tennis ball instead. Luckily, one of our clients specialises in pest ... Read more
Employment Law Scrapped-Employment Law Scrapped I was speaking to a prospect the other day, and while he was interested in our support, it quickly became clear that he didn’t feel he would need it going forward. Not because he wouldn’t experience issues in his organization, but because – in his words – “Now we’ve had Brexit, the ... Read more
Can you make an employee get the vaccine?-Can you make an employee get the vaccine? I got a question today from an employee asking whether he could be disciplined for not getting the vaccine if/when it is offered. The government has been pleasantly surprised with the take up of the vaccination programme in the UK so far – they were hoping for ... Read more
Can I make them return to work after lockdown?-Can I make them return to work after the lockdown? If you’re anything like me, you’ve definitely got an ear to the ground for the inevitable leaks that’ll come from the government ahead of Boris’ big speech on Monday. You’re probably also thinking about your employees, can I make them return to work after lockdown? ... Read more
