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Mel Stead

The Benefits of Outsourced HR Services for Small Businesses

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Small business owners have a lot on their plates. From marketing and sales to product development and customer service, there are a lot of moving parts that need to be managed in order to keep the business running smoothly. This is why many small businesses choose to outsource some or all of their human resources (HR) functions.

HR outsourcing can help small businesses save time and money, while still ensuring that their employees are fully supported. Here are some of the benefits of HR outsourcing for small businesses:

1. Cost Savings

One of the biggest benefits of HR outsourcing for small businesses is cost savings. When you outsource your HR functions, you don’t have to invest in costly HR software or pay for full-time HR staff. Instead, you can work with an experienced and reputable HR service provider that can tailor their services to your specific needs and budget.

2. Access to Expertise

Another big benefit of HR outsourcing for small businesses is access to expertise. When you outsource your HR functions, you’ll be working with a team of experts who can provide guidance and support on a wide range of HR-related topics, from compliance and benefits administration to employee relations and talent management.

3. Improved Employee Retention

Outsourcing your HR functions can also help improve employee retention. When employees feel like they’re being supported by a team of experts, they’re more likely to stick around. This can save your small business money in the long run, as turnover can be costly.

4. Peace of Mind

Finally, HR outsourcing can give you peace of mind. When you outsource your HR functions, you can focus on running your business, safe in the knowledge that your HR needs are being taken care of by a team of experts. This can help you avoid stressful and costly HR-related problems down the road.

For more information on how we can support your business with HR support, give us a call on 0330 0881857 or email Mel@Optimal-HR.co.uk and we will arrange a time for a confidential chat about the support we can offer.

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5 Key Steps To Improving Your Own Mental Health and Wellbeing

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The working week seems to get busier and busier; deadlines are whooshing past, the kids are preparing to break up from school and you’re wondering how on earth you’re going to fit everything in and keep everyone happy.  The first thing we always give up is that bit of time we have to ourselves.

But to be effective, to be productive and more importantly, to be healthy, it’s important to take time for your own wellbeing.  Evidence suggests there are 5 key steps to improving your mental health and wellbeing.

  1. Connect with other people

Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. They can:

  • help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth.
  • give you an opportunity to share positive experiences.
  • provide emotional support and allow you to support others.

There are lots of things you could try to help build stronger and closer relationships:

  • if possible, take time each day to be with your family, for example, try arranging a fixed time to eat dinner together
  • arrange a day out with friends you have not seen for a while
  • try switching off the TV to talk or play a game with your children, friends or family
  • have lunch with a colleague
  • visit a friend or family member who needs support or company
  • volunteer at a local school, hospital or community group. Find out how to volunteer on the GOV.UK website
  • make the most of technology to stay in touch with friends and family. Video-chat apps like Skype and FaceTime are useful, especially if you live far apart
  1. Be physically active

Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

  • raising your self-esteem
  • helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them
  • causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood

There are lots of different ways to keep fit and get some exercise

  • find free activities to help you get fit
  • take the dog for a walk
  • if you have a disability or long-term health condition, find out about getting active with a disability
  • start running with a couch to 5k podcasts or a local running group
  • Go for a swim, a cycle or even a dance!
  1. Learn new skills

Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

  • boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem
  • helping you to build a sense of purpose
  • helping you to connect with others

Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into your life.

Some of the things you could try include:

  • try learning to cook something new. Find out about healthy eating and cooking tips
  • try taking on a new responsibility at work, such as mentoring a junior staff member or improving your presentation skills
  • work on a DIY project, such as fixing a broken bike, garden gate or something bigger. There are lots of free video tutorials online
  • consider signing up for a course at a local college. You could try learning a new language or a practical skill such as plumbing
  • try new hobbies that challenge you, such as writing a blog, taking up a new sport or
  1. Give to others

Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

  • creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
  • giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
  • helping you connect with other people

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

Some examples of the things you could try include:

  • saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you
  • asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer
  • spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company
  • offering to help someone you know with DIY or a work project
  • volunteering in your community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home
  1. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)

Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Some people call this awareness “mindfulness”. Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges. Read more about mindfulness, including steps you can take to be more mindful in your everyday life.

The 5 ways to wellbeing were researched and developed by the New Economics Foundation.

If you would like to undertake a Mental Health Training Qualification, we are offering our readers 25% off the Supervising First Aid for Mental Health workshop which is delivered by our specliast providers Unmasked Mental Health. To book a place on the workshop click here NQF L3 MH Training and insert code OPTHR when you check out.

Top 5 challenges of hybrid working

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Hybrid working – the best thing since sliced bread or just another challenge for HR professionals to overcome? 

Remember when everyone started referring to the new normal? Well, in the world of employment, it arrived mid to late last year, calling itself hybrid working.

All of a sudden, everyone wanted to switch to a hybrid model. Mainly because of the pandemic causing restrictions on conversing with others and subsequent encouragement to have fewer people in one workspace than before. Some companies who had never entertained hybrid in the past were doing so in their droves. And realising they quite liked it, too!

Some six months or so later, many are now taking the time to assess its merits. It seems this shiny new thing wasn’t all great. Because nothing is ever wholly challenge-free, and hybrid is no different.

So, today, on behalf of those business owners and HR professionals considering making a move to a hybrid model, we’re putting the top 5 challenges under the microscope for a detailed look.

1-Reassessing your facility 

With a hybrid workforce meaning your office headcount has reduced, you might immediately think of reducing the space in which you operate too. No need for a city-based, contemporary building with all the bells and whistles if no one is there to use them.

But is this the correct thing to do? In the short-term, no. The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of flexibility and how change can occur in a heartbeat. What looks like a smaller in-office workforce today may revert tomorrow (depending on your longer-term strategy for hybrid working). Best to sit on the fence a while, assess your needs over six months before opting for somewhere with less space for the sake of saving on a few bills.

2-Inconsistent schedules

Let’s be clear, in a past life with an entire office-based workforce, flexibility seemed limited. Even with strategies such as flexi-time in place, most workers would remain committed to certain core working hours across the standard five-day week, Monday to Friday. Everyone knew their place.

With all the will in the world, allowing a hybrid structure at work can lead to severe issues with scheduling.

It depends on the rigidity of your structure, of course. For most companies, hybrid working is better with a set schedule for all to follow. It means everyone knows and appreciates where they need to be and when. The last thing you want to encourage with hybrid working is for staff to come and go entirely as they please. It is highly disruptive, not to mention an opportunity to limit productivity with staff now ‘ships passing in the night’ without an option for team meetings or, worse, cohesion.

3-Missed training opportunities

Once your staff begin working remotely, the chance of them missing vital training increases. Sure, some training lends itself to online delivery. Yet, practical sessions are often better done physically and should not be overlooked – particularly if you want to avoid a drop in people’s ability, not to mention their confidence.

If you’re considering hybrid working, don’t overlook your staff’s training needs. It might require a detailed assessment of your current training plan to see what can move online and what needs to stay face2face, then revamping this to suit the new working environment. Make sure to set any training required physically when the team visits the office, a chance to upskill and progress together as a team – helpful to everyone, regardless of their role.

Adjusting to trust-based productivity

It’s not easy making this switch when you’re used to having a team around you most of the week. Asides from knowing where they are between the core business hours, you can see first-hand what they’re doing each day. How can you trust them to stay productive with all the distractions of home?

As a manager, there will likely be a team member or two where trust is a concern. There are ways to deal with this without impacting the wider team, of course – implementing a reporting system including regular pre-planned catch-ups, for starters. And yes, without seeing your teams working, it might leave you wondering what it is they’re doing – although don’t let it become an issue unless you see a drop in their productivity. Keep a close eye on the situation, but not too close, and address concerns quickly before too much doubt creeps in.

Increased mental health issues

Now, it’s fair to say concerns around mental health may stem from any or all of the above points. And there are several more considerations worth a mention, too.

-Less interaction with your staff: or, “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome

One challenge with hybrid working is seeing staff much less regularly than before. Sure, there might be regular video conferencing catch-ups, but we all appreciate how limiting these can be for deep and genuine conversations.

Of course, hybrid is a mix of both in-person and remote-based working therefore, it doesn’t lose the opportunity altogether for face-to-face catch-ups. Up to you, then, as a leader or HR professional, to ensure the days earmarked for staff to attend site, you make sure these are the days when those meetings happen.

-Reduced hands-on support 

Some team members might think they love working remotely until they actually have to. Off they go, to where the grass is greener, only to realise it’s precisely this – a pasture that sounded amazing but isn’t so great without people to share it with, including a Manager!

Some humans need their leader on hand to tap into regularly for guidance. If this is true of any of your team, you will need to cater to them accordingly, which could pose an issue or two around timing. These workers will need to spend more time working in the office than remotely, and both of your schedules have to sync for this to work.

-Less people cohesion

Creating a joined workforce is not easy, but it’s essential.

Cohesion has never been more critical than it is today. Remember, we have all been a long time apart these past two years, and some businesses have people who joined mid pandemic still to meet their peers in the flesh. It’s time to up your culture game with initiatives to bring people closer physically and emotionally. Not only reconnecting with one another with your brand’s very essence.

Make sure any hybrid model includes regular opportunities to come together physically – company-wide meetings, events or away days. Show everyone you genuinely care for your people and their wellbeing.

What can you take away from our top 5 challenges to hybrid working?

It’s a lot to think about and essential when considering the move to hybrid working. Just because it’s on-trend right now doesn’t mean it suits your organisation. As with all things HR policy, make sure you do your homework before implementing any changes.

In need of some HR advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR advisors at any time.

Call us on 0330 0881857 or email enquiries@optimal-hr.co.uk

We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!

The Great Resignation – fact or fiction?

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We really did hear it all last year.

From headlines suggesting “More people than EVER moving jobs!” to others telling us “Vacancies grow as employees stand firm!” it’s difficult to know what to believe.

So, what is happening in the recruitment world this 2022? Are we seeing mass people movement across sectors? Or are workers staying glued to the spot in case the pandemic takes hold again (perhaps for other reasons – dare we suggest they might actually enjoy what they do)?

Today, we’re taking a closer look at what is really happening in job land!

The Facts

They’re calling it the Great Resignation. It’s true, 2021 saw large numbers quitting their jobs – a record-breaking 4.5million people by November, according to a Guardian report. But what do the figures actually tell us about the employment situation and can we expect the same this year? And if people are moving on mass, why?

In an ongoing time of uncertainty, people look for stability wherever possible. While many might assume this is reason enough to stay in their current role, it all depends on that role. If you’re a full-time corporate worker expected at a desk between business core hours, juggling work and school closure-driven childcare, then perhaps it’s no wonder you fancy a sea change to a role more flexible. And that’s before we consider the millions of workers in retail, hospitality and leisure whose sectors were the worst hit during the pandemic – sure enough, we can forgive these folks for wanting to escape the sinking ship.

When you appreciate WHO is moving, it starts to make sense.

Check the data, and it certainly appears that resignations have skyrocketed in hospitality, leisure, and retail. We already know that businesses in these sectors struggled to survive pressure caused by the pandemic, with many going bust in 2020 and others left on tenterhooks after more lockdowns in 2021. Surely, where workers are sensing the writing on the wall, they help protect themselves by moving on before being forced to do so. Indeed, some will doubtless have grown so tired of the ‘on and off’ switch since March 2020 – working one minute and locked down the next – perhaps it was finally time to seek a new horizon beyond their sector.

Then, of course, there is healthcare. A sector with a workforce completely exhausted – or worse, unable to attend work thanks to testing positive frequently and isolating. Surely, even the hardiest and dedicated of workers must be thinking they’ve had enough. The figures would certainly agree. Although the dip last year does seem to be closing somewhat.

Resignations, yes. But not out of work.

One thing that’s hard to escape, pandemic or otherwise, and that’s the monthly bills. Unless you’ve a stash of cash somewhere – which isn’t that many of us – employment remains critical, and resigning from your job is seldom to sit and do nothing.

So, where are our masses of resigned types headed to? Suppose you’ve just left a struggling sector. In that case, it’s likely you’ve gone somewhere entirely new – unless you’ve found yourself a competitor willing to pay you slightly more (and even so, it still leaves you in a position somewhat precarious).

Just as some sectors have dipped, others have grown and given rise to new roles to fill for those out of work. Manufacturing and logistics are taking on more staff than ever to support the growth in online retail. IT services companies continue to expand, needing more staff to fulfil roles both technical and administrative – and while the former warrants specific skills, the latter requires less formal training, something ex-hospitality workers with customer service experience might suit.

Then there are those looking for something altogether different called ‘self-employment’. Because, as we have seen throughout the pandemic, some businesses forced into change have seen better results than beforehand, encouraging some PAYE workers to walk away from so-called stability towards entrepreneurial life. And why not? If it’s flexibility you’re wanting, you’ll certainly have it on tap by running your own show!

What can HR do to reduce movement?

If you’re tasked with keeping your workforce content, talk of mass resignation will worry you. As most HR professionals know, retention is key to stability and keeping recruitment costs down. Losing one staff member may well cause a ripple effect, with more following suit putting incredible pressure on those remaining and causing headaches for hiring managers too.

Nowadays, a wage alone is not enough to keep people happy in a job. Sure, financial stability matters, but other factors are creeping up the list of employee must-haves. If you’re going to retain your staff this year (and beyond), then you need to build a strategy to accommodate those needs – including the following fundamentals:

Flexibility

No doubt about it, flexible working is having a field day. Finally! While some corporate companies cottoned onto it years ago, it has become more prominent thanks to Covid and rules around social distancing. But it goes beyond corporate into all sectors, and if you want to impress your workforce, flexible working is key. Adapting quickly to the pandemic – not to mention the sacrifices made – says we can and will remain productive even when working flexibly, and you’ll get more out of your workforce by meeting them half-way.

Training

Your staff deserve to feel valued and it starts with their development.

It might well have dropped off the radar because of the pandemic, but ongoing training is essential from new starts to seasoned veterans. Assess your entire team for skills relevant to their role; if any are lacking, arrange training to bridge the gap. Make sure you have a visible, long-term training strategy that covers each role company-wide so your teams know what to expect and when. By demonstrating your commitment to their development, you are more likely to receive their commitment in return.

Wellbeing

It’s time to face it; your people are tired – in some cases, exhausted. Covid has caused fatigue across the nation to a degree we’re only really appreciating now, and employers have to take this seriously if they want to optimise workplace wellbeing.

We mean more than a massage on the company (however well your staff might receive this!). Wellbeing needs to become a part of who you are through a wellness strategy. This can include drop-in sessions covering mindfulness techniques, work-based fitness classes or support towards gym membership, and designated times for breaks. Also, swap unhealthy snacks for fresh fruit bowls and make sure water stations are plentiful.

Assign a leader as your wellbeing officer to ensure team members stay well.

Benefits to your staff are ten-fold – and for your company, it’s a happier, healthier productive workforce, day in and day out. Care for your individuals, and they’re less likely to leave!

In need of some HR advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR advisors at any time.

Call us on 0330 0881857 or email enquiries@optimal-hr.co.uk

We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In!

Why your school needs to sign the staff wellbeing charter

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Last year, the UK government published its staff wellbeing charter for the education sector to combat increasing stress.

A tool for state education providers, the charter provides clear guidance on ways to help raise awareness around mental health issues and promote wellbeing among full-time and part-time staff.

The charter is a collective effort, the brainchild of multiple education sector specialists including several UK schools and colleges, and unions NASUWT, NEU, ASCL, NAHT, Voice Community and Unison. Leading mental health organisation MIND also contributed to its design and development.

First published in May 2021, with updates released in November of the same year, all state schools in the UK can sign up with no deadline by which to do so. While entirely voluntary, schools are encouraged to participate – first, to show their commitment to their staff and also, to demonstrate publicly they are supporting initiatives relating to mental health, something parents and education bodies such as Ofsted are keen to see.

Read more about the staff wellbeing charter at the UK government webpage.

Ongoing challenges for staff wellbeing in education

The charter is timely, with mental health issues reportedly rising across society as a whole – and indeed, within education.

For a long time, staff in the sector have talked about the negative impact low morale has on their mental health. Mixed reasons such as poor pay and working conditions and increasing expectations beyond the classroom make it difficult to retain or attract people to the profession. And all of this before Covid emerged, bringing added challenges through social distancing and the constant switching to and from class-based and online learning.

Benefits of the staff wellbeing charter

The charter provides multiple benefits to the staff body and your entire school.

Immediately, your staff will feel supported, resulting in greater performance. In turn, this lifts the morale across your facility and leads to improved staff productivity from the ground up. With a happier workforce, you’ll have fewer issues to face on a day-to-day basis and less staff taking time away from work due to stress-related illness. You are also more likely to retain staff since they can see clearly how their wellbeing is your priority.

Your commitment as a school

By signing the charter, your school sends an immediate message to staff that you care. Of course, a set of actions needs to follow to show you fully support staff wellbeing and are not simply paying lip service to the charter. There are several ways you can do so:

  • Educate staff about the tools available and how to access them; and make sure departmental managers are aware of these supporting tools
  • Promote flexible working wherever you can
  • Implement process efficiency across the school to drive down unnecessary tasks
  • Have open conversations about out-of-hours working and ways to minimise it
  • Demonstrate how you are giving mental health equal footing to physical health
  • Provide a forum for staff to feedback regularly about wellbeing and feelings of stress

Will the wellbeing charter cause more work for your school?

In short, no. Both the DfE and Ofsted are committed to helping schools integrate the charter with minimal effort through a number of initiatives, including:

  • Reducing unnecessary workload – a common factor among teachers dealing with stress
  • Embedding mental health into CPD and teacher training to raise awareness
  • Improving the mental health and wellbeing resources available to schools

Further, Ofsted has agreed to consider staff wellbeing when assessing a school and has clarified that they require no extra documentation as part of their inspection.

How to sign up to the wellbeing charter

There is no mandate to join the charter, and sign up is voluntary. However, joining the wellbeing charter means you can expect more positive outcomes for everyone.

When you are ready to sign up, email wellbeing.charter@education.gov.uk  with the following information:

  • Your school or college Unique Reference Number (URN)
  • Establishment name and postcode

In need of some HR advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR advisors at any time.

Call us on 0330 0881857 or email enquiries@optimal-hr.co.uk

We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new ‘Digital right to work check’ – everything you need to know

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The process of running essential pre-employment checks is all set to become much quicker and simpler this year, with the launch of the digital right to work (RTW) check.

From April 6th, 2022, UK businesses can access the online system to assess whether their prospective recruits have the correct credentials to work in the UK.

It follows a campaign led by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) to make digital assessment the default process over the pre-Covid method, which involved physically handling a candidate’s documents to ascertain their work validity.

 Out with the old, in with the new

When the Covid pandemic took hold, digital means for checking an employee’s right to work quickly replaced the original method for gathering and analysing physical documents. Initially, this was considered only a temporary measure, yet when the virus showed no sign of moving on, the REC pushed the case to make it a permanent fixture.

And with the growth in hybrid and work-from-home models gaining pace throughout the pandemic, with more staff than ever before working remotely, the system could not have arrived at a better time.

This will appear a positive leap forward for many professionals working in recruitment with the system tipped to reduce the time and cost of hiring significantly. Indeed, when many have raised their concerns about the current difficulty in hiring – the complexities of a reduced talent pool due to Brexit and the current reluctance of workers to move jobs – anything to help improve the hiring process is bound to be well received.

Progress comes at a price

It is not without criticism, of course, with some commercial business owners concerned about the ongoing cost of implementing and using the system. When many already feel stretched by the impact of the pandemic, too – plus the inflation and National Insurance – and having to fund new technology is a bitter pill to swallow.

It is a point heard in full by the REC, who has stressed the cruciality of making the system accessible to all manner of companies – not only large entities – and kept at the same low price-point for everyone. Hopefully, the hundreds of thousands of checks made each day in the UK are sufficient to warrant its costs keeping to a minimum.

More than likely, the many smaller firms who use a temporary workforce over permanent recruits will benefit from the time saved processing documents digitally over physically, justifying the system’s initial outlay.

The system will apply to checks on UK citizens only, and employers will have the freedom to use various online resources to assess applicants currently based overseas.

You can read more about this story on the REC website

In need of some HR advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR advisors at any time.

Call us on 0330 0881857 or email enquiries@optimal-hr.co.uk

We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In!

Is Covid sending employment tribunals viral?

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As was always expected by anyone working in employment law, legal cases caused by the Covid pandemic are on the rise.

Today, we are reporting on the results of several notable cases to reach court since the pandemic began, highlighting the pitfalls and ‘what NOT to dos’ for business owners and HR specialists to consider.

Fears do not automatically equate to funds

From heightened anxiety to shielding the vulnerable, many employees felt compelled to avoid work when the pandemic originally took hold. Now, several claims for unfair dismissal later, we consider how each one played out in the courtroom and what their results mean for employers moving into a so-called post-pandemic era.

The first comes from a recent Guardian article, which tells of a woman who insisted her fear of Covid forced her to stay home. Not an issue for her, perhaps, although it was indeed viewed that way by her employer when she repeatedly failed to show up for work.

The woman – who remains unnamed (as does her employer) – claimed discrimination on the grounds of her bosses forcing her attendance at work when the pandemic was a danger to public health. The fear of catching the virus was so intense, said the claimant, she was forced to protect herself and others. Her employer disagreed and stopped her pay. The court found in favour of the defendant and stated while her fear was indeed real, the woman had no right under the Equality Act 2010 to receive compensation.

Personnel Today reports on several cases where Covid has caused employee grievance to the point of legal proceedings.

In one such case, Rodgers vs Leeds Laser Cutting Ltd, employee Mr Rodgers claimed he could not work as he did not want to risk catching and infecting his young children. After texting the firm to explain his absence, his employment was terminated – leading to his claim for unfair dismissal.

After the court heard about the employer’s multiple attempts to minimise the risk of Covid spreading – including social distancing, reduced employee numbers and enhanced cleaning – the court found in favour of the defendant, citing their right to expect the physical attendance of their employee at work.

What about when it’s the vulnerable people at risk?

Some cases – such as Gibson vs Lothian Leisure – have proved in favour of the plaintiff. Here, Mr Gibson – a chef – was placed on furlough and then later asked by his employer to return to work to help prepare for the facility reopening to the public. Gibson voiced his concerns on feeling unsafe about the state of the premises at that time (and the potential impact on his shielding father was he to catch the virus); his employment was then terminated. The jury found Gibson was unfairly dismissed as the employer could not demonstrate any increased safety measures on the premises. Gibson received a payment of circa £24,000.

Furlough: an employee’s right?

Wrong. In fact, many cases have arisen from a misconception the worker is legally entitled to furlough over continuing to work, with Woods vs Hawkes Ltd and Kapetanakis vs Historical Souvenirs Ltd among them. Each time, the court has found in favour of the employer.

Yet when an employer has opted for redundancy instead of furlough, the result has been quite the opposite. Take Mhindurwa vs Lovingangels Care Ltd, where the plaintiff was never offered furlough but simply made redundant. The legal team acting for Mhindurwa argued this was unfair since furlough would have ensured their client’s position was ongoing.

Conclusions

Many claims occurred during the early stages of the pandemic when we knew little about the virus and its potential ongoing impact. Of course, now armed with more intelligence than we were in mid-2020, employers are likely in a better place to deal with employee issues reasonably. Understanding employment law is always advisable to avoid an unexpected court summons, and we highly recommend seeking expert advice from a professional.

In need of some HR or employment law advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR Advisors or our in-house Employment Lawyer at any time.

 Call us on 0330 0881857 or email enquiries@optimal-hr.co.uk

We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!

3 Ways To Better Manage Performance

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It’s one of the key responsibilities of a people manager: assessing performance. And with many an employee’s success dependent on a performance measurement, it’s important to get it right.

Why bother? Put simply, without a robust system in place for assessing your staff, it’s unlikely your organisation will operate at its best. Remember, a salary alone is not enough to gain the most from your teams – sure, it helps individuals to settle the bills each month but what happens when it comes to promotions or a pay increase? If you’re not measuring staff performance, you’re not putting yourself in an optimum position to have meaningful conversations with your teams, or giving individuals an opportunity to improve and progress their career.

So, how do you best measure your employees’ performance? There are several ways to do so and today, we’re taking a look at three that have become commonplace for many organisations globally to give those of you lacking a performance measurement strategy some ideas on how to drive your teams forward.

Competency Frameworks

Competencies measure the behaviours and skills of an individual at work. A competency framework provides clarity about how an employee is expected to behave within the company and in their role, as well as the skills necessary to perform their position effectively.

Whether it’s a business owner, HR specialist or senior manager developing the framework, it is the employer’s responsibility to create one that works in practice. In other words, it needs to be extremely clear as to what each competency is and how it will be measured so that your employees know exactly what they are working toward or need to show you to meet the metric. For maximum impact, it’s a good idea to restrict the number of competencies on your framework to just a few – we would suggest ten at the most. You may wish to include a mix of competency type – for example, one or two core competencies that support the company vision, five job-specific competencies, and a handful of leadership competencies to assist with career progression and optimising talent.

If you’re creating a framework for the first time, check out the CIPD website for some useful tips on how to make yours a success.

360-degree review

As it might sound, this type of review system considers information from the wider area and provides a full 360-degree vision of an employee’s performance as seen by their peers and staff from other departments. It can be extremely beneficial, with the information provided helps you to form a picture of how your employee operates while they’re away from the activities you see as their manager.

Again, it is important to keep any questions included in a 360-degree survey to a minimum and also, to make it clear to the respondents exactly what it is you want to obtain from them. Stick to clear and measurable questioning techniques where you can – including grade scales, for example. While it might be tempting to throw in a few open questions, which are an effective means to retrieving broader feedback, try to link these to a measured question to avoid respondents straying from the point. For example, a 1-10 graded answer to the question ‘How well do you feel your colleague contributes ideas in team meetings?’ could be followed with ‘In a few words or sentences, please explain the reason for your grading’.

Self-evaluation

While management and HR have their objectives to meet, it’s important to remember your staff have their own needs to meet and many would say ‘feeling valued’ ranks much higher nowadays on their list of employment must-haves. Self-evaluation is a great way to give your employees a chance to have their say in terms of their performance, at the same time, providing each one with a sense of value.

Now, on its own, self-assessment might not be the most effective way to measure an employee’s performance although when used alongside a competency framework and 360-degree evaluation, it can be an extremely effective tool, often providing you with insights you would otherwise have missed. Once you know how your employee feels about their performance, it can be used alongside the information gathered from your other reviews to make a deeper assessment of their current ability, helping you to shape a plan to help them improve as required.

Whatever mechanism you choose to adopt for performance measurement, remember it is much more effective when done consistently and at regular intervals throughout the year. An annual appraisal is OK; quarterly catch-ups provide much more insight and in turn, success. Which ensures better outcomes for your employee and you, the manager.

In need of some HR advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR advisors at any time.

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The Do’s And Don’ts On Withdrawing An Offer Of Work

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Ahh. The relief when you’re recruiting and you finally have that ‘YES!’ feeling about a candidate – particularly when you’ve been trying to fill the vacancy for some time and constantly coming up with square pegs for a round hole.

Yet, before you go rushing toward the paperwork preparation – or even provide a verbal offer to the candidate – it’s time to stop for a second. There are several things to consider before you hand over an employment contract; at least, if you’re wanting to ensure the hiring process runs smoothly with both parties – employer and employee – clear on the expectations moving forward.

Our HR specialists are often asked about the protocol when making an offer of employment and whether it can later be withdrawn. The answer is simple: it depends on how your offer was structured in the first place. Time for a reminder, then, of the key considerations when you’re hiring someone new into your organisation and best practice for a written offer of employment.

Conditional work offers

This type of offer is exactly as it sounds: an offer, but with some conditions attached. It’s more than fair to provide a conditional offer to your new employee, and we would encourage that this becomes standard to your hiring process. Here are a few conditions to consider including along with your offer of employment:

References – it is very much expected for a recruit to provide two references – at least one from a former employer – before you take them on, giving you confirmation they are who they say they are and have the skills necessary to fulfil the role on offer. A personal reference is also useful when it comes to accessing a candidate’s character.

DBS checks – if the position involves working with vulnerable or younger people then this type of tick in a box is often compulsory to the role, and something you have likely already checked during the early stages of the recruitment process. Still, it is a good idea to include it as part of your final stage checks in case you need a backup.

Medical checks – does your vacancy warrant a level of fitness to perform the role effectively? Or, is the role a senior one within the company? Either way, you might want to consider including medical checks as a condition to prevent hiring someone physically or mentally unable to fulfil the role’s tasks.

Proof of qualifications – this is fundamental to many positions, particularly where you are hiring for a senior or mid-entry level role where often the expectation and salary are based on the skills and experience a candidate brings to the table.

Proof of right to work – people applying for work in the UK should be in the correct legal position to do so, which means having British citizenship or a visa allowing them to reside and work in the UK (since Brexit, which took effect on January 1, 2021, the latter now applies to any new EU citizens arriving into the UK to work).

Unconditional work offers

If you made an offer without conditions then you are still entitled to withdraw your offer but only before your new hire has accepted the contract.

Once an offer of employment is accepted, your proposed hire can claim ‘breach of contract’ if you later withdraw. A claim can include their seeking losses incurred for resigning from their current role, with damages or compensation to match your company’s standard notice period (typically, at least one month’s pay – three months for senior roles). Depending on the reason you give for the withdrawal, a candidate may also look to seek compensation based on discrimination if they feel inequality has come into play.

It’s best not to leave things to chance when recruiting new hires. Make sure all parties know where they stand from the outset to avoid a potentially sticky situation later on.

In need of some HR advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR advisors at any time.

Call us on 0330 0881857 or email enquiries@optimal-hr.co.uk

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Care Workers’ Rights While Sleeping Over – The Rules On Pay

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Care workers are being denied access to the National Minimum Wage for their hours spent asleep during an overnight shift.

In March, a court ruled in favour of learning disability charity Mencap, dismissing claims brought by two of its former employees they were entitled to the minimum wage while asleep, instead, favouring the employer’s defence to pay only the statutory amount during their hours awake.

The ruling brings a five-year battle between Mencap and Clare Tomlinson-Blake – later, joined by a second claimant, John Shannon – to a close, clearing the company of any rights to repay the former workers earnings missed during their tenure and setting a precedent to all UK-based care homes moving forward.

Care providers nationally are celebrating the result, which provides absolute clarity as to how their care workers are compensated, an area previously dowsed in uncertainty. It also secures the financial situation for many facilities; had the workers’ claims been successful, the estimated bill for care homes stood at £400 million, a figure Mencap suggested would have caused severe financial implications for larger organisations like theirs while bankrupting countless smaller ones.

It’s less celebratory for care workers such as Tomlinson-Blake, who feels others like her should be compensated fairly for overnight shifts, whether they’re awake or asleep, with staff available in emergencies and therefore ‘working’ to protect society’s most vulnerable.

It falls at a particularly difficult time for many within a sector already famed for its unattractive rates of pay, with care workers under increasing pressure during the Covid-19 pandemic, forced to work for longer hours in an environment where exposure to the virus has been much greater than it has elsewhere.

Before her original court-hearing in 2017 – when Tomlinson-Blake first raised a claim against Mencap – care workers were paid a flat rate of £35 for night-shifts. After that hearing, it was suggested workers be paid by the hour, and at the national minimum wage rate, in effect doubling their pay to around £70 per shift. Yet a ruling for employers to provide the pay gap in back payments for up to six years announced at the same hearing was later reversed, giving a green light to employers to revert to their original lesser flat rate of pay – something that looks unlikely to change in the wake of the latest ruling in March.

Others, however, are choosing to pay their staff at an increased rate regardless of the guidance and one they feel equates to the value each employee brings to their role. It’s a trend the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) hopes will eventually extend wider, as they call on the government to establish a standard fair rate of pay for all overnight care workers, preventing further damage to the sector in the wake of the recent court ruling.

In need of some HR advice? Wherever you are in the UK, you can arrange a chat with one of our friendly professional HR advisors at any time.

Call us on 0330 0881857 or email enquiries@optimal-hr.co.uk

We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In!

 

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