HR and Employee Relations
Absence Management
Employee absence is a concern for any organisation, particularly in terms of staff morale, business performance and financial cost.
An absence management framework needs to support the health of employees while providing clear guidance on unauthorised absences.
Types of absences include long or short-term sickness, authorised absences such as maternity, paternity or parental leave, unauthorised leave (AWOL) and persistent lateness.
Konnect HR understands the difficulties of managing this process and therefore provides support with return-to-work interviews, occupational health intervention, keep-in-touch welfare meetings, reasonable workplace adjustments, phased returns and absence monitoring.
All such measures are designed to offer an employee fair and clear guidance for a smooth return to work.
Konnect HR will manage, support, and guide you through this process, thus reducing any potential business risk and keeping your business running.
Ill health capability process
The Employment Rights Act 1996 states that capability is a ‘skill, aptitude, health or any other physical or mental quality.’
Capability is a situation when an employee is not performing a specific job to the required standards due to health or a physical issue.
For example, if an employee is absent from work for a long period that no longer allows them to return to work, either on a phased return or with reduced hours.
After considering reasonable workplace adjustments, it may be necessary to follow the ill-health capability route allowing a business to decide an employee’s employment status.
This is a process that needs to be handled with care by a HR professional, ensuring that all relevant welfare meetings and other considerations take place.
Konnect HR has in-depth experience with such complex cases and will manage and guide a business to a satisfactory resolution.
Disciplinary and grievance hearings
For most businesses, disciplinary and grievance issues are among the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of HR management.
Issues can disrupt workplace harmony, create low morale, and lead to a catalogue of absences and resignations.
All matters should be resolved informally in the first instance before proceeding down the formal route.
Konnect HR can either fully manage and/or support HR managers through this process, ensuring that all procedures are followed.
Managing investigations
A full and impartial investigation should take place in cases of disciplinary, grievance, harassment, workplace conduct, and discrimination allegations.
This involves a series of interviews and fact-finding exercises to ascertain if there is a case to answer.
All evidence should be recorded, and employees treated fairly, impartially, and informed of the outcome with respect to any further action.
In cases where a Tribunal is involved, a judge will expect an employer to have followed the ACAS code of practice and treated the employee fairly.
Konnect HR has extensive experience in conducting such investigations and producing reports with recommendations. This provides a solid platform to move forward.
Policies procedures & contracts
A company HR handbook provides clear guidance for employees to understand the expectations of an employer/employee relationship, and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Employee Relations Bible.’
Konnect HR will review existing policies and procedures, and align them with current legislation and best practice, including newly evolved policies.
We will also draft a tailor-made handbook that takes into account current practices and processes, and align it with employee contracts.
Contracts – Explicit terms and conditions or particulars of employment are a legal requirement from day one of employment. Our employment contracts cover all legally required terms, conditions and obligations.
Konnect HR will draft legally binding contracts of employment ranging from basic permanent contracts to more complex executive versions.
Changes to Terms and Conditions – As the workplace evolves, some contracts can become outdated and require changing, this may be to accommodate for reduced hours, flexible working, working from home, or a change in duties.
Konnect HR will also help to update or change the terms and conditions as a contract becomes outdated. Examples are accommodation for reduced hours, flexible working, working from home and a change in duties.
Why not take a health-check with Konnect HR to see if your contracts, policies and processes are up to date?
Underperformance
This can be a particularly difficult area to manage, as there are often internal or external factors that influence an employee’s performance.
It could be a knowledge gap that requires additional training or health/medical issues that have not been identified.
Konnect HR will create Performance Improvement Plans, (PiPs), designed to provide structured, measured support to improve performance.
Konnect HR can also provide support in the form of detailed, confidential conversations to understand medical or personal issues an employee may be experiencing.
Whatever the reasons, Konnect HR is highly skilled in Employee Relations matters and prides itself on navigating through complex issues.
Probationary reviews
Does your business have a robust framework for new employees on probation?
Konnect HR will work with your business to create a framework that measures up to your organisation’s KPI expectations.
This will provide new starters with the support and development required to become successful and fulfilled members of your team.
Bullying & harassment
The workplace environment and employee expectations have shifted dramatically over the last few years.
However, many businesses have not evolved in their workplace practices. Sometimes, this creates a toxic work environment, high staff turnover, excessive sickness absence and low morale.
Businesses can experience higher than normal levels of grievances, some of which may involve difficult conversations with long-standing staff members.
Konnect HR will manage grievances and any internal investigations to produce satisfactory outcomes.
In addition, we can help you develop strong policies and provide training for employees to create a stable, happier work environment.
Discrimination
This is a challenging area of Employee Relations and HR, and many businesses fall foul of its complexities without realising it. Consequently, this becomes a stressful work situation if a claim is taken to a Tribunal.
The rules are primarily governed by the Equality Act 2010 which maps out which ‘Protected Characteristics’ are covered under discrimination law. This is further clarified by case law decided in Tribunals.
Discrimination can occur at the recruitment stage and throughout employment. It covers many forms, including direct and indirect discrimination.
Both employers and employees can be held responsible and liable for their actions when they discriminate at work.
It is for this reason that Konnect HR supports a business with relevant practical advice while ensuring that an organisation is protected.
Safeguards such as minimising the risk of claims, and avoiding conflict and disharmony at work can be provided via training and promotion of equality.