In this episode 205 of the podcast I bring you my thoughts and guidance on the appraisal process and how to ensure that you are getting it right.

In this episode of the podcast I cover:

• Why employers undertake appraisals.
• Why employers think they should undertake appraisals.
• Why I hate the scoring system in an appraisal process.
• The things that can go wrong.
• How to prepare for a good appraisal process.
• The process to follow.
• How to deal with issues that may arise in the meeting.
• Why follow up is critical to success.

If you are introducing an appraisal process or would like guidance on refreshing your process, or training for your managers then please do get in touch and we will be happy to assist.

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

Disability discrimination for something arising from the disability

In this episode 204 of the podcast I bring you details of a case recently decided by the Employment Appeal Tribunal which deals with the issue of behaviour arising from disability. In the case of McQueen v General Optical Council the Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal considered the reasons for the employers actions.

In this episode of the podcast I cover:

• Section 15 of the Equality Act 2010.
• The legal test for determining if someone has been treated unfavourably because of something arising in consequence of their disability.
• The facts of this case.
• The outcome as decided by the Tribunal and then upheld by the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
• How employers should approach issues with employees who have a disability.
• Points to note.
• How to deal with aggressive behaviours at work.

McQueen v General Optical Council 2023 – Employment Appeal Tribunal Case. You can read the full judgement HERE 

If you find yourself in a difficult scenario with an employee or perhaps you are the person on the receiving end of a disciplinary then please do get in touch and we will be happy to advise you.

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

In this episode 203 of the podcast I bring you a run down on the steps you need to take to effectively manage an employee who is not performing to the level you require. I also touch upon how to address those niggly attitude or behaviour issues that seem to be coming up more and more frequently.

In this episode of the podcast I cover:

• The starting point and self-reflection as a manager.
• Why it is important to go through an informal process first.
• What the informal performance management process looks like.
• Why a Performance Improvement Plan (known as a PIP) should be the last possible option with poor performance.
• How to go through a formal process.
• When you can issue warnings.
• How long a process should take.
• Answers to frequently asked questions about performance management.
• How to deal with poor attitude.
• How to address general small scale poor behaviours.

Of course at the heart of good performance management is COMMUNICATION!

If you would like training for your team on how to effectively manager performance issues then I am available to provide training for 1/2 day for up to 30 people for £750 plus VAT.

Alternatively if you would like guidance on a performance management issue or to discuss how best to deal with a scenario then please get in touch and myself or a colleague will be happy to advise you.

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

Photo: Review - markus-winkler--fRAIQHKcc0-unsplash

In this episode 202 of the podcast I bring you an update on the latest news about holiday pay and holiday entitlement following the Supreme Court Case of 2019-0209.html">Harpur Trust v Brazel.

In this episode of the podcast I cover:

• Basics of holiday entitlement.
• The foundations of holiday entitlement in law.
• How to calculate holiday pay for employees and workers with regular hours and pay.
• How to calculate holiday pay for employees and workers whose hours vary.
• What to include in the calculation of the 52 week average for holiday pay.
• Why all employees and workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks paid holiday regardless of the number of hours that they work.
• Why part year workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday.
• Whether you can pay rolled up holiday pay.

You can ready the full judgement in the Harpur Trust case here: 2019-0209.html">JUDGEMENT.

You can listen to previous episodes on holiday pay calculations here:

Holiday Pay & Commission the Court of Appeal Decision: Episode 65

Holiday Entitlement & Pay: Episode 48

Holiday & Sickness Absence: Episode 25

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

In this episode 201 of the podcast I am joined by Kate Davies, Independent Fertility Nurse Consultant, Corporate & Fertility Industry Consultancy & Podcast Host of the Fertility Podcast.

I came across Kate’s details in a Facebook post shared by innocent and was inspired by the great work that she has been doing with innocent and many other businesses and organisations.

Facebook-post-1024x879.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1" alt="fertility policy" width="587" height="504">

In this episode we talk about:

• Why fertility is an important consideration for employers.
• The benefits of thinking purposefully about fertility among your employees.
• The benefits of implementing a policy around fertility and adjustments needed for those who are going through fertility treatment.
• The kinds of things employers can do to make changes.
• Why it is important to embed cultural change and not just introduce a policy.

Kate’s contact details

Kate Davies RN, BSc(Hons), FP Cert Independent Fertility Nurse Consultant  Corporate & Fertility Industry Consultancy & Podcast Co-Host WEBSITE: www.yourfertilityjourney.com PODCAST: www.thefertilitypodcast.com https://www.facebook.com/YourFertilityJourney

https://www.instagram.com/your_fertility_nurse/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-davies-independent-fertility-nurse-consultant-8671579b/

If you have any questions about this please do not hesitate to get in touch, by email to alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or telephone 01983 897003.

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

Case review of two interesting recent Tribunal cases

In this episode 200 of the podcast I bring you a run down of two interesting cases that have been in the news recently.

The first is the case of Glover v Lacoste & Mr R Harmon which is an Employment Appeal Tribunal case involving sex discrimination following the Employers requirement that managers must work flexibly with no set shift pattern or days of work.

This is an interesting case as there seems to be a trend, particularly among retail organisations, that you have to work full time to be a manager or, like in this case, be available to work at any time.

Aside from the legal implications of this type of policy it is also excluding large numbers of people from management roles and thereby narrowing the pool of talent available, at a time when recruitment is particularly difficult.

You can read the full judgement here: Judgement

The second case that of Ms H Dadhania v SAP(UK) Ltd and Others which is an Employment Tribunal case where the Judge stated in the judgement that using the F-Word at work had essentially lost the shock value it had previously had due to its commonplace usage in society today.

Whether you agree or not with the Judge’s view on this it does raise an interesting question about how you manage different sensitivities within your organisation or business.

You can read the full judgement here: Judgement

If you have any questions or would like some advice about the issues raised in these cases then please do not hesitate to get in touch, by email to alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or telephone 01983 897003.

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

School Closures: What are your options?

In this episode 199 of the podcast I bring you some ideas for planning ahead for teacher strikes that may close schools and impact on your employees.

In this episode I cover the following:

• Why you should plan ahead and discuss with staff asap.
• The impact and stress that could be caused to individuals.
• The importance of planning for your business continuity.
• Options available to you.
• Paid leave at your discretion.
• The availability of holiday.
• Changing hours or working flexibly.
• Unpaid leave under the statutory right to time off for dependents
• Home working.

If you have any questions or would like some advice about how to handle this then please do not hesitate to get in touch, by email to alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or telephone 01983 897003.

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Being a good manager means moving from being reactive to being proactive via regular dialogue with staff

In this episode 198 of the podcast I bring you my tips and ideas on how to have effective one to one and supervision meetings with staff.

One of the things that many managers struggle with when managing people is maintaining regular meaningful communications with staff.

In this episode of the podcast I cover:

• What is a one to one and supervision meeting.
• What is the difference between a one to one and a supervision meeting.
• Why it is important to incorporate in your management of staff.
• Why it does not have to be a complicated process.
• Why it is effective in improving performance.
• The steps needed to hold effective one to one and supervision meetings.
• What to include in your conversation.
• Why follow up is critical to success
• How it will save you time in the long run.

When preparing for one to one’s or supervision meetings I strongly recommend you read the work by Gary Vaynerchuck on Kind Candour.

You can read a blog post on it here: https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/kind-candor-and-why-how-you-deliver-the-medicine-matters-road-to-twelve-and-a-half-series/

Alternatively his book, Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success is even better as a resource for managers.

You can purchase the book via Amazon HERE *

*please note that if you use this link it is an affiliate link which means whilst it will not cost you any more however we will receive a referral payment from Amazon.

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

An interesting case where there was no written requirement to tell the employer about bankruptcy

In this episode 197 of the podcast I bring you details of the case of Pubbi v Your-Move.co.uk heard by the Employment Appeal Tribunal dealing with unfair dismissal.

In this episode I cover:

• The facts of the case
• The decision of the employment tribunal
• Assessment of the reasonableness of the employers decision to dismiss
• Advice on the case
• Why employers need to be prescriptive of their requirements of staff
• Some alternative scenarios in this case
• The decision of the employment appeal tribunal

You can read the full judgement here: 

Move.co.uk__2022__EAT_96.pdf"> https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62c2d86b8fa8f54e81e2ce25/Mr_K_Pubbi_v_Your-Move.co.uk__2022__EAT_96.pdf 

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

Other resources available for you

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

Step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal Process

In this episode 196 of the podcast I bring you the sixth and final episode in a mini series covering step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal process. This is applicable for both employees who may want to make a claim and employers who may be defending a claim.

This 6th episode is about the final preparation for the hearing in the Employment Tribunal. In this episode I cover:

• Documents that you may be required to prepare.
• Documents you may find helpful to prepare.
• What a chronology is.
• What a Cast List is.
• What Written Submissions are.
• How you should prepare if you are representing yourself.
• Sharing the bundle with the Employment Tribunal.
• Video Hearings.
• In Person Hearings.

Links you may find helpful:

Preliminary Hearing in the Employment Tribunal

Defending a claim in the Employment Tribunal

What are the consequences of failing to comply with an Employment Tribunal Case Management Order?

Making an Employment Tribunal claim against your Employer

Free Template List : https://realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk/product/list-of-evidence-template-disclosure-in-the-employment-tribunal/

Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £210 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don’t forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

Other resources available for you

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.