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 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...

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.     In this episode we talk about: Why fertility is an important consideration for employers. The benefits...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

In this episode 195 of the podcast I bring you the fifth 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 5th episode is about the process of preparing and exchanging witness evidence. In this episode I cover: When you need to exchange statements. How to prepare witness statements. What witnesses to call. What you need to include in the...

In this episode 194 of the podcast I bring you the fourth 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 4th episode is about the process of disclosure where you are required to share the evidence you have with the other party. In this episode I cover: Your legal obligation to provide documents that support and undermine your case. Why you...

In this episode 193 of the podcast I bring you the third 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 third episode is about what happens at the Case Management or Preliminary Telephone Hearing: The purpose of the case management hearing. The preparation needed for the telephone hearing. Why it is important to complete the agenda...

Step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal Process In this episode 192 of the podcast I bring you the second 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 second episode is about what happens after the claim and defence have been filed and includes: The different process that is likely to apply based on the type of claim. If it is a...

Step by step guidance on the Employment Tribunal Process In this episode 191 of the podcast I bring you the first 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 first episode is about starting the claim process and includes:   ACAS Early Conciliation process Why you need to obtain a certificate from ACAS When an employer may not know that...

In this episode 190 of the podcast I bring you my tips and ideas on how to best handle having difficult conversations with employees. One of the most difficult parts of managing people is having uncomfortable conversations particularly about performance and behaviour. But it can be an easier process and one that you do not have to dread. In this episode of the podcast I cover: What is a difficult conversation? Examples of difficult conversations Reasons we avoid difficult conversations...

In this episode 189 of the podcast I bring you a detailed account of how to get your recruitment process right, and why a good process is important to ensure that you get the best candidate, conduct recruitment fairly and avoid any legal claims. In this episode of the podcast I cover: What you should consider before you start a recruitment process. Best practice. Things to avoid. The importance of having objective selection criteria at every stage of the process. What you should include in...

In this episode 188 of the podcast I bring you a detailed account of the probation period at the start of employment or the start of a new job role. Probation periods are something that most employers use but rarely utilise in the correct manner. In this episode of the podcast I cover: What a probation period is. Why you should have a probation period. What is the purpose of a probation period. When not to bother with a probation period. How it will set up the tone of the relationship...

In this episode 187 of the podcast I bring you an interview with Jeri Williams, an employer who has implemented a results only working environment within her business. In this episode of the podcast we cover: What is results only working or ROWE? Why Jeri decided to implement results only working in her business? The practicalities of implementing results only working. The benefits to staff recruitment and retention. What are the teething problems or potential issues that can arise. How to...

In this episode 186 of the podcast I bring you information and ideas on how best to deal with issues of alcoholism and substance abuse at work. In this episode of the podcast I cover: Why employers need to think purposefully about how to deal with alcohol and substance abuse among employees. Why alcohol and substance abuse issues may arise. Your legal duties as an employer. The impact of alcohol and substance abuse at work. How to deal with disciplinary issues that arise as a result of...

In this episode 185 of the podcast I bring you my observations of the critical things that employers and HR professionals should be considering and acting upon now. This is in light of things that we are seeing in practice and which I can foresee causing difficulties in the very near future. In this episode of the podcast I cover: Why thinking about mental health and wellbeing of staff is critical at this time. At a very minimum you should be developing a wellbeing strategy for employees....

The importance of following a fair process in an unfair dismissal claim In this episode 184 of the podcast I bring you details of a recent case decided by the Court of Appeal in respect of unfair dismissal in a redundancy situation. The case is Gwynedd Council and S Barratt & I Hughes In this episode of the podcast I cover: The basic position with regards to unfair dismissal and redundancy dismissals. Details of the case and why the Judge at the Employment Tribunal decided the...

In this episode 183 of the podcast I bring you an interview with Nicola Green, a specialist in helping organisations with menopause support at work. In this episode of the podcast we cover: Why it is important for employers to think meaningfully about menopause support. The benefits of putting in place good menopause support and strategy. The fact that menopausal women are the fastest growing demographic in the workplace. Why having mental health first aid in place is important. What...

In this episode 182 of the podcast I bring you details of the current legal right to request flexible working and what employers need to know, as well as detail about the consultation for change to the flexible working rights and requirements.

In this episode 181 of the podcast I bring you my thoughts on the main changes to the world of work that employers need to be aware of. These are my views on what has caused the change and what employers have to consider moving into 2022. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on this? Have I missed something? What do you think will be the biggest change in 2022? Please leave a comment below or email me [email protected].

In this episode 180 of the podcast I bring you my practical top tips for managing mental health in the workplace. These are my practical tips which I recommend all employers implement in their business or organisation. Promoting good mental health practices and wellbeing need not be difficult and in this episode I breakdown into some easy steps to follow.

In this episode 179 of the podcast I bring you an extract from a webinar I recently delivered for our HR Harbour Members on the top tips for managing sickness absence. These are my practical tips for really managing sickness absence with employees. I understand how difficult it can be to manage employees who are absent and in this episode I breakdown into some easy steps to follow.

In this episode 178 of the podcast I bring you a fantastic interview with Karin, Sophia and Lindsay from Gateway Women an organisation who support childless women. To quote from the podcast interview “Women in the workplace who are childless is the biggest diversity issue that HR have not heard of” and hopefully in this episode we can educate employers and HR about the issue so that at the very least awareness is raised about this issue that is affecting more and more women.