Recruitment and Retention   The journey to the top

Landmark Case   The right to work flexibly

Did you Know?   People with lost voices and those who are fat

Double whammy……   A second chance for employees to appeal

Stress busters   ‘I’m too stressed to come to work’ – sound familiar?

Recruitment and Retention

It was suggested recently that recruiting and retaining key staff is as difficult and challenging as climbing a very steep mountain, blindfolded, walking backwards in very deep snow! I think the word we are looking for here is challenging - and challenging it certainly is - there’s a lot to get right.  (If for any reason you are climbing that mountain, take of the blindfold, turn around, and find a guide to help you climb in the form of Picasso HR!)

Let’s face it finding the right employee is hard enough at the best of times, what with your competitors offering potential employees everything under the sun to entice them across, and you, following what you thought was a very successful recruitment campaign, are left wondering if the person you are interviewing is actually the same person as the one described in the C.V., surely there must have been a mix up? - The mountain seems to be getting steeper and you’re seriously thinking of jumping off!! Well don’t jump just yet, at least not without a parachute!

The issue of recruiting and retaining core employees is a topic that is discussed at length in many publications, primarily because it affects all types of organisations and costs a fortune. On average, turnover costs employers around £4,301 per employee. Be assured that it’s just as difficult for your business as it is for others.

Finding appropriate strategies to overcome the problem of recruitment and retention is the way forward and here at Picasso HR we work closely with our clients to develop approaches that tackle these issues.  We believe each client is unique and therefore we are determined to reflect their individuality as an employer through appropriate strategies.  Consequently it’s not a one size fits all approach and a subject that needs an expert eye – however to help get you started we’ve come up with some basic essentials that your organisation can put into play almost immediately.

For practical tips on recruitment and retention read the full article.

Relationships

Develop relationships with your potential employees before you need them. Sounds a little odd I know, but think about it, if your organisation requires specific skills from their workforce, e.g. accountancy, then you should be linking with training providers, colleges, universities and telling them about your organisation now.  Consider taking the odd student during the holidays and develop them – get them to start thinking your way……

Considering developing a graduate recruitment scheme? Speak to us at Picasso HR and we’ll work with you to develop one specifically for your organisation.

Identify your ideal candidate

Putting the right person, in the right seat, on the right bus is the starting point. A competency based job description helps your potential employees understand exactly what is expected of them in terms of skills, knowledge, key responsibilities, attitude and aptitude.    

For advice on how to manage the process of reviewing your organisations internal skills and ability contact Picasso HR.

Tap into your employee and industry networks

Talking and being open with your employees and industry buddies about the new position available is a useful approach to attracting potential employees. They will tap into their friends, family and associates and will help widen your net. It’s great PR internally and externally so couple this with the normal approaches to recruitment, such as advertising in the local press or using an agency, and not forgetting advertising on your website.

Looking for specific skills and having trouble attracting suitable candidates? – Use Picasso HR to manage you recruitment campaign

Offer an attractive, competitive benefits package

This really isn’t just about money – it does help to ensure you are competitive and benchmarking your salaries against those of your competitors is a good start.  But considering other benefits such as flexible working and attendance bonuses is another – just think of the cost of absence and the effect of poor performance (try putting a price on that!) – Often finding an organisation that allows individuals to balance home commitments alongside those at work is a more attractive option for many than just money.

Need help to develop a flexible working scheme? Considering introducing a bonus/attendance scheme? Or just want to know more about family friendly policies – Picasso HR will work with you to develop approaches exclusive to your business.

General everyday people management

We aren’t trying to teach you to suck eggs or doubt that you don’t treat your employees with the utmost respect but this lies at heart of retaining employees.  By simply involving employees in decisions that effect their jobs, recognising excellent performance and by providing opportunities within the company for cross-training and career progression, people know that they have room for career movement and feel valued – ultimately you become the employer of choice.

Often learning about what motivates employees and what makes them tick helps to understand how best to manage people – Picasso HR have developed a range of exclusive, alternative management training courses designed to support you and your staff deal with everyday matters - and don’t worry they’re far from boring, as well as being held in the heart of the Suffolk country side so there’s no escape! They are interactive so you’ll definitely leave with a spring in your step! – For more information about tailored solutions or information concerning courses in the following areas Contact Picasso HR:

• Leadership and Management
• Conflict resolution/managing difficult people
• Absence Management
• Disciplinary and Grievance
• Communication Skills
• Interview techniques
• Performance Management
• The Empowering Appraisal
• Equality and Diversity

Landmark Case

The Employment Rights Act 1996 was amended in 2003 and brought into force the right for employees to work flexibly should they be eligible. The recent refusal by British Airways to allow Pilot Jessica Starmer this right is one of the few cases to be considered by an employment tribunal since the legislation came into force.

The right to work flexibly is available to employees who meet the qualifying service requirements and are also able to demonstrate that the request is being made solely to care for their children. Importantly, employment tribunals will consider carefully the reasons why the employer has declined the request and the Employment Rights Act specifies 8 grounds that an employer can rely on to justify refusing a request:

• Burden of additional costs
• Detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand
• Inability to reorganise work among existing staff
• Inability to recruit extra staff
• Detrimental impact on quality
• Impact on performance may be detrimental
• Insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work
• Planned structural changes

If an employer refuses

Should an employer decide to refuse a request to work flexibly, the refusal should come with a sufficient explanation as to the grounds for this refusal. A set procedure is in place for employers to follow when considering a request and as with most decision making imposed upon employees, they are able to challenge any decision you make that affects them directly.  Interestingly, the grounds to challenge a refusal under the Employment Rights Act are limited and can only be brought under the legislation if the employer has not followed the statutory procedure or the information/facts that were used to make the decision were inaccurate.  In essence, the employee can only challenge a decision if no reason has been specified or if the reason is not one of the 8 permitted grounds as explained under the legislation.  Arguably, it is highly unlikely that an employer is unable to use one of these grounds in their explanation.

Uncapped compensation

Given that limitations exist for an employee to dispute a refusal, employees are able to rely on their pre-existing employment rights established by case law to pursue a discrimination claim should a request be refused.  This could change the situation dramatically for the employer as unlike the Employment Rights Act, to make a claim under current discrimination legislation the employee does not need to complete a qualifying period of employment to become protected under this legislation, the compensation is uncapped and employers should be aware that a refusal may be followed by a an independent discrimination claim from the employee.

1 request per year

According to the legislation, employees are able to make one request to work flexibly per year although they are able to make as many informal requests as they deem necessary and these should be taken seriously. This includes discussing the proposal with the employee and showing that the request has been considered, otherwise a discrimination claim may follow.

Most employers therefore are encouraged to consider requests carefully and embrace the potential for different approaches to work, otherwise, as with BA you may find yourself on the losing side.

Family friendly policy

Family friendly policies are becoming increasingly important when managing the process of dealing with and responding to employee requests, such policies should be tailored to your organisation to reflect your individuality as an employer – for assistance and guidance with producing or enhancing your current procedures speak to Picasso HR for specialist support in this area.

Did you Know?

Lost voices

According to Unison, call centre operators are talking themselves out of a job as voice loss threatens the livelihood of 1 in 50 call centre operators.

According to a recent public sector energy conference, voice loss already costs the country nearly £200 million a year which is set to double over the next 10 years as call centres increase.  UK call centres receive on average 300 million calls per day, the pressure on staff means that the industry suffers 25% turnover yearly.

Unison believes that summer aggravates the situation further with hot stuffy offices and air conditioning that can dry out the atmosphere.  They have called for advice and guidance to be given to staff at induction on how best to rest their voices and prevent long term damage.

To tailor your induction programme to meet the specific needs of your business contact Picasso HR

Fat people

Buzah in Romania recently appointed a new Inspector to head their police force.  The new boss, Viorel Stefu has told the police to ‘slim down or risk losing their jobs’.  Apparently Stefu has taken this measure because his men are ‘usually outrun by more robust thieves’!  They will be expected to demonstrate they are able to ‘keep up’ to continue in their roles – although the police in the UK are referred to as ‘pigs’ there definitely seems to be more porkers around elsewhere!

Double whammy……

Employers must now offer employees a second chance to appeal against decisions imposed or they will risk breaching the statutory grievance procedure.

In general terms, the statutory grievance procedures came into force during October 2004 allowing employees the opportunity to complain about any action (or inaction) taken by the employer against them while employed. The main restriction is that the procedures only apply if the complaint could potentially form the basis of a complaint to a tribunal.

Such procedures have been welcomed by employers, particularly as they place a requirement on the employee to have followed the grievance procedure before they are able to make a complaint to a tribunal, thus reducing the risk of a potential claim. However, it is argued that these procedures place additional demands on employers. For example:

• should you fail to respond to a grievance properly, you are likely to face significant penalties should a successful claim result
• if you fail to follow the prescribed procedure you may fall foul of the legislation.

Pitfalls

It is most likely that the majority of grievances are brought about as a consequence of disciplinary action, i.e. warnings, taken against the employee. Given that you should have already followed the statutory disciplinary procedure correctly you will have also already offered the employee an opportunity to appeal against your decision. In extreme cases, should the employee complain that the warning imposed was too harsh they could justify a claim of constructive dismissal and will present you with a grievance (using the modified procedure) setting out their complaint. Consequently it is important to be vigilant when dealing with each individual set of circumstances and appreciate that in a number of cases the grievance procedure will apply to some but not all disciplinary warnings.

Summary

In essence should an employee receive a warning and decide to complain by lodging an appeal there will be 3 stages:

• the complaint will initiate the grievance procedure (stage 1),
• a meeting will follow to discuss the complaint (stage 2)
• finally the right to appeal which will involve a second meeting (stage 3) should they chose to appeal

The double whammy: effectively the employee is entitled to a minimum of two hearings should they decide to complain. Picasso HR clients can be assured that when such a situation arises, qualified advisors are available every step of the way

Stress busters

‘I’m too stressed to come to work’ – sound familiar? Well according to a recent survey conducted by MIND the mental health charity, record numbers of people say they are too stressed to work claiming nearly 13 million working days lost per year due to stress. The report was called after recent figures showed that almost a million people were claiming incapacity benefits for mental and behavioural disorders, the report suggests that the majority suffered from ‘depression, anxiety or other neuroses’. Interestingly thirty times as many days are lost from stress-related mental ill health as industrial disputes.

The word ‘stress’ and its use of is becoming more and more recognised particularly over the last 10 years or so, it is more acceptable for people to say they are ‘stressed’ than ever before. Analysis of stress levels reveals that absenteeism is particularly high in the public sector with staff claiming on average 10.7 days per year equating to £706.00 per employee, according to the report private sector employees take slightly less time on average 7.8 days per year at a cost of £588.00 per employee.

It is important to understand where the causes of stress lie, either in the work place or outside so that specific procedures can be put into place to minimise the risks and manage the situation successfully.

How employers can help:

• Actively discourage staff from working excessive hours – it is recognised, particularly in small business that it is important to get the job done but think about performance, quality and the long term effects.
• Encourage your staff to take more genuine control of their work – Allow staff to have more of a say in decision making, planning and implementation
• Introduce flexi time or home working – often by introducing a more family friendly approach to work relieves the pressure on those members of staff with family commitments.

Other creative solutions exist and Picasso HR can help you develop solutions, communicate with the workforce, train management and implement procedures that are customised for your organisation.

The information in this newsletter is of a general nature and is not a substitute for professional advice. You are recommended to obtain specific professional advice before you take any action.

For further information, advice or assistance on any of the matters raised in this newsletter please contact Picasso HR on 01473 890037.

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