Last year we held the official opening of our well-being room. We planned the room in great detail involving all of the staff in its creation. Our own, Hannah and Jennifer designed and painted the feature wall. The idea was to make it bright and colourful giving the effect of lots of light.
A year in and we have decided to reflect on the positive effect our well-being room has had on our staff and others who have come to use it (prior to the lock-down restrictions).
Read MoreDebates over flexible working have been everywhere recently. When the coronavirus pandemic first arrived on our shores in the spring, the government’s announcement that we should all “work from home if we can” ushered in a huge sea-change for workers across the UK. Although a return to the office was then encouraged over the summer, there was no great stampede – office workers largely preferred to continue working from home. Following a recent spike in coronavirus cases, working from home is now the official advice once again.
Read MoreAs the Chancellor’s coronavirus job retention scheme enters its final phase and the prospect of a return to normal business seems distant for many companies, employers are having to contemplate redundancies if they are to keep their business afloat.
Getting the redundancy procedure right is crucial, as mistakes can open the door for an employee to bring a claim before an employment tribunal, There has already been an increase in claims, particularly in regard to unfair dismissal relating to redundancy.
Here are some common misunderstandings and mistakes for employers to avoid.
Read MoreAs more local lockdowns have been announced, there needs to be more awareness around mental health. Many people are struggling to adjust and are feeling more and more isolated.
As many of you know, SCE are committed to supporting Leeds Mind and as it is coming up to a year that we started our support and opened our well-being room, we couldn’t not get involved in the latest challenge that Leeds Mind have sent our way.
Read MoreAs we are all struggling with a new ‘normal’, the guidance we are provided with can be somewhat confusing at times. So what exactly are the latest updates and what do they mean for you as a business?
Read MoreIn the wake of recent events, there is increased momentum in addressing racial inequalities at work. Whilst this is extremely important, businesses must not forget to take account of employment law and although positive discrimination is prohibited, positive action is lawful and there are plenty employers can do to tackle inequality of all kinds and particularly racial equality.
Read MoreA DSAR is a right that individuals have under the Data Protection Act 2018 to request a copy of the data that an organisation holds about them. The individual can request to see a copy of such data, as well as ask:
Following changes in government guidance, more and more employers are asking staff to come back to the workplace. But what are your obligations as an employer if staff are reluctant or unwilling to return? How should you treat employees who are shielding, pregnant or struggling with childcare?The HSE’s guidance on Working safely during the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak and the Government’s sector-specific guides on working safely during coronavirus (Covid-19) are crucial sources of information.
Read MoreAs the world starts to right itself and the economy starts to meet again, many businesses are in the difficult place of looking at restructures and redundancies.
While many businesses are likely to consider the mental health and well-being of their staff in these, dare I say it, unprecedented times such focus may not particularly be to the physical well-being of staff particularly those who experience other disabilities or long-term conditions.
In this guest blog, I have partnered up with Kate Dean from Enable Disability & Inclusion Consultants to provide you with our three top tips to avoiding a disability discrimination claim.
Read More1. Settlement agreements are legally binding.
They came into effect in 2013 and are contracts that are used to end an employment relationship between the employer and employee.
The agreement must be in writing and it is a completely voluntary procedure. Employees must be given a reasonable amount of time to consider the offer and the ACAS Code of Practice suggests providing employees with a minimum of 10 calendar days to consider the proposed formal written terms of a settlement agreement and to receive independent advice, unless the parties agree otherwise.
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