Thursday, January 1, 2004

News in brief

Observations

Happy 2004 to all our readers.

Has the festive season taken it’s toll on HR issues, particularly those associated with alcohol, absenteeism and sexual harassment?

Sexual Harassment

It can happen that employees get more friendly than they normally would at a Christmas party, especially if alcohol is included in the mix.

Employers need to take extra care to prevent any form of harassment at a Christmas party because a party organised by the employer is likely to be seen as an extension of the workplace, even if it is held off site.

If an employee makes an advance on another employee, regardless of the gender of either of these employees, it may be seen as sexual harassment. Employers need to be aware that advances by member of the same sex are now also covered by the new sexual orientation regulations that came into force earlier this month.

Prior to the party all employees should have been made aware of what behaviour is acceptable and what behaviour will not be tolerated, regardless of the circumstances. It should be clearly communicated that this type of behaviour will be treated seriously and that unacceptable behaviour will be reciprocated by corrective action, up to and including dismissal.

Should it occur at a party the incident should be dealt with swiftly through the grievance procedure and should be investigated fully. Both parties should be given the opportunity to express their side of the story and once fully investigated it should be considered if the behaviour will amount to gross misconduct, or under the circumstances, a verbal or written warning.

Unauthorised Absence

In cases of unauthorised absences employers should investigate as far as possible the reasons for employee’s absence before any assumptions are made. The employee may have had an accident or be genuinely ill rather than at home with a hangover from a Christmas celebration.

It is important to act consistently and to treat all employees the same. Don’t use the fact that an employee has taken an illicit ‘sickie’ or has had a drink at lunchtime as an excuse to dismiss him, when normally such behaviour is overlooked.

It must be remembered that drinking heavily out of office hours will not in itself constitute misconduct; however, if it impacts on the employee’s ability to do his or her job, you may be able to treat it as misconduct and deal with it appropriately.

When dealing with any misconduct, the company disciplinary procedure should always be followed.

Alcohol

Employers should remind employees of the Health and Safety implications of the consumption of alcohol immediately before entering work or on the work premises. If an employer allows employees to consume alcohol at work, or to return to work after drinking remember that as an employer you still owe them a duty of care and must ensure that you behave reasonably in safeguarding employees from foreseeable health and safety risks.
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above: All employees should be aware, prior to a party, of what behaviour is acceptable and what will not be tolerated.

Holidays

Photo of man relaxing on beach Christmas comes at the same time every year — and yet it still takes everyone by surprise! Be better prepared for the next Christmas period, by planning for it now and more importantly, the holiday season that now never seems to finish — the run for the sun.

Some tips to avoid overstress and disappointment and to guide employees, are:

Be in control of your time and commitments - Plan your time wisely and organise things before going on holidays so as not to come back in the office on your way to Skiathos! Make a list with priorities that need completion before your holidays and check them when completed. Give comprehensive advice and directions to colleagues when replacing you for the holiday period. Organise or schedule any payments to creditors.

Start planning for projects that kick in after your holiday Although it may sound extreme, when start planning on a project without the deadline hanging over your head, things seem more clear and straightforward since you are able to see deficiencies, overexcitement of the original design and anything else that may needs to be amended before the ‘crucial date’.

Plan to take holidays when appropriate - When taking time-off it is always advisable to finish what you have started. Although during Christmas time everything is quiet, depending on your job and business industry, sometimes it is not very quiet, and certainly not during the summer holiday season. Therefore, be able to plan and book holidays that are convenient both to you and your employer is a must. Alternatively arrange for a colleague that is going to be in the office to take your calls and some of your urgent assignments.

Enjoy yourself - Since you booked the holidays and you are out of the office there is not need to worry on what is happening at work. Good planning and organisation usually provides you with answers to every problem. If you get concerned and worried of what is happening at work during your holidays, the end result will be that you will be more stressed when you return than the time you left!

Being able to keep everything under control and be organised is not always an easy task. Personnel systems and HR online advice can help you keep track of employees holidays and absenteeism, their details, entitlements, etc. Personnel Director from Vizual provides you with a powerful database and an in-built diary to help you manage your employees easier.
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Revenue Plan To Stop Retirement Before 55

It has been reported that the Inland Revenue are planning to put a stop to people retiring before the age of 55. The Metro reported that the Revenue is planning to change the tax rules on pension schemes so that anyone who retires before the age of 55 will no longer be able to draw a pension tax-free. The move, which is expected to be published any time now, would not take effect until 2005 and would apply to those retiring after April 2010.

Review of the key HR issues for 2003

Over the past year there were some key considerations and stressful implementations for the HR departments in the UK.

In April, two further provisions of the Employment Act were implemented, these were about the right to request flexible working for parents with children under 5, extended Maternity rights and new Paternity and Adoption leave and pay rights to employees.

That takes us up to summer with managers working during their holidays and the continuous concern of the Working Time Regulations and flexible working. In September, work-life balance and productivity levels were addressed. The question was: How can UK businesses comply with the Flexible Working Regulations and the demand for increased productivity?

In October, there was the big survey by Personnel Today detailing the cost of absenteeism and its effects on Productivity. It was reported that: ‘1.5m days a year are lost due to stress related factors in the workplace, costing £1.24bn to UK businesses’.

In December we have the decision from the EC to ban the UKs 48 hours opt out agreement. In the meantime, there are continuous updates on the new regulations for religion, gender and age discrimination in the workplace as well as proper monitoring and record keeping under the Data Protection Act.

To add to this, there are new expectations from the HR department to start including people data in the companys Annual reports from 2004.

How are businesses coping with all these continuous changes and updates in the legislation? Some key steps would include:

Keep accurate and up-to-date records of your employees
Monitor and spot trends in terms of absenteeism
Recruit based on assessment and not first impressions
Report on absenteeism and productivity levels
Provide employees with the tools to save you time and improve communication
Educate the board of the benefits from the use of technology to your department

When having to deal with so many reports, updates, policies, flexible arrangements and performance of employees, it can be difficult to do so with the use of a manual or paper-based system. This new years resolution should be to improve the flow of information using technology based tools. Here is just one reason why:

The Hidden Costs of Paperwork

Time

100 employees with 20 days holiday each a year
Equates to say 5 holiday requests during the year
100 employees x 5 holiday requests = 500 requests in total per year
HR Officer spends 10 minutes processing each request
500 requests x 10 minutes = 5,000 minutes spent processing all holiday requests
5,000 / 60 = 83.33 hours / 8 hours on average per working day = 10.4 days per year

Money

Take an average HR Officer’s salary of £20,000
Average working year is 20 days x 12 months = 240 days
20,000 / 240 = £83 per day
10.4 days x £83 = £863.20
Paper cost per request = 10p
500 requests x 10p = £50

Summary - Total costs of holiday paperwork per annum

Cost of staff £863
Cost of paper £50
Total Direct Costs £913 per annum

Now multiply that by 10 other procedures and you just spent £10,000.

And 2004?

Photo of man and woman performing a stretching exercise Work-life balance issues are clearly exercising the minds of managers as 2004 arrives.

A survey conducted by the Chartered Management Institute reveals that managers across the UK have resolved to spend less time at their desks and more time keeping fit. It also uncovers vast regional differences where loyalty to employers is concerned, with many managers claiming they will change jobs this year.

The research shows that almost six out of ten (58 per cent) respondents intend to spend less time in the workplace. The realisation that an improved work-life balance leads to healthier lifestyles is emphasised with the top resolution being to exercise regularly (58 per cent). This desire for change is consistent amongst men (57 per cent) and women (58 per cent). However, regional differences were stark with 87 per cent of respondents in Scotland registering their intention to work less, compared to 47 per cent in the North West.

Petra Cook, head of policy at the Chartered Management Institute, says: “Managers are demonstrating that they recognise the need to switch off and look after themselves, especially if they are to realise their ambitions and boost their prospects. They want the opportunity to develop their career, but career enhancement has a price. It must be coupled with an improved home-life, too.& The research looked into managers’ confidence about their personal financial prospects for the next 12 months and found that more than half were pessimistic. Almost one third (28 per cent) also predicted that levels of employment will decrease between now and December 2004.

However, despite fears of financial hardship, almost one-quarter (23 per cent) believe they will change jobs in the next 12 months, in spite of the risks associated with switching employer. The area most likely to see job movements is London, with 39 per cent claiming they will change jobs before next Christmas. In a show of loyalty to their current employers, only 13 per cent of managers in Yorkshire plan to move organisations. Amongst those questioned in Yorkshire, a remarkable 75 per cent are optimistic about the business prospects for their organisation over the next 12 months, compared to 39 per cent in London.

Cook says: “The findings suggest that there is mostly still a determination to progress up the career ladder and seek new opportunities. To do this they clearly need the energy from a rejuvenated work-life balance.”

The research, undertaken during December, was conducted nation-wide amongst 2,400 managers.

The realisation that an improved work-life balance leads to healthier lifestyles is emphasised with the top resolution being to exercise regularly (58 per cent).