⭐️The HR Hero Weekly Update⭐️
Kate Bennett The-HR-Hero
Helping SME’s from 1-100 staff with employment law, HR and people management. To set healthy boundaries with your team and protect the business - SOS Call | on going support | HR consultancy | training - DM me🦸🏻♀️
Hey there,
This week I had a flashback to Covid lockdown days.
Both kids were off school on Wednesday, due to the teachers strike and Rich and I were both working from home all day.
By the time the kids woke up and decided to eat - we were ready for lunch - oh what a teenages life it is!
It was actually lovely to take a bit of timeout during the day to all eat together - even though the kids were eating breakfast and we were having lunch!
We even had a discussion about watching the lockdown ritual programme 'say yes to the dress' - old habits die hard! But I managed to talk them out of it.
Anyway, throughout January I talked about recruiting new staff. So to kick off February, we're looking at what happens when new staff start their employment with you.
And what to consider to ensure your newest recruits quickly become effective members of the team.
HR Practice - When new staff start employment
We’ve all started a new job at some point. Whether it was your first Saturday job as a teenager, to that top executive position.
No matter what job role it is, it’s often an anxious time. When we worry about all sorts of things that we are unsure of, about the new role and a new company.
Here are just some of the things that people have told me, that they dislike about starting a new job:
Or was there something else that was concerning for you, when starting a new position?
Nominate a Buddy!
For employers it can be helpful for you to nominate a "buddy" who could, for example, accompany the new employee to lunch on their first day, and be the first point of contact in respect of any questions that they have during the first few weeks of employment.
Generally, that friendly face, who enables your newest member of staff to settle in quickly and feel part of the team. So, choose wisely, not only selecting the successful candidate during recruitment, but also how you introduce your new employee into the business. A term we call ‘onboarding’ in HR.
I’ve seen the most competent people, who start a new role, quickly leave.
This is often because the onboarding process, hasn’t enabled the new employee to quickly settle into the company.
This is usually not through lack of wanting to get it right, but everyone is so busy! You’ve probably been short staffed for a while, which is why you have been recruiting and then you’ve found an amazingly competent new member of the team and people breathe a sigh of relief, as they can get now get on with their job.
Leaving the newest recruit to get on with theirs – unsupported!
Cost of Replacing Staff
And if this hasn’t convinced you enough to look at your onboarding process, then think about the costs. On average, the cost of replacing a member of staff is more than £30K.
According to research by Oxford Economics and Unum, the average cost of turnover per employee (earning £25,000 a year or more) is £30,614.
Therefore, to replace three staff on this wage in one year, will cost around £90,000!
Don’t under estimate the costs of replacing your staff, which can include:
The time it takes to get new employee to optimum productivity, usually takes around 6 months. Therefore, the probationary period is crucial!
If you would like to know more about supporting new staff during their probationary period, then have a read of my recent blog, by clicking the button below.👇
Employment Law News
Government rejected bid to make menopause a protected characteristic
An article in People Management explains, 'the UK government has rejected Committee recommendations to consult on making menopause a protected characteristic and pilot a workplace menopause leave policy in England.
The Women and Equalities Committee of the House of Commons, which produced a report with recommendations based on the impact of menopause, criticised the “glacial” government progress on this issue and called it a “missed opportunity to protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce”.
As part of its response, the government said it would not launch a consultation on these recommendations, including a duty to provide reasonable adjustments for menopausal employees, as such action risked “unintended consequences [that] may inadvertently create new forms of discrimination”.
Some of the discrimination risks identified by the government included being towards “men suffering from long-term medical conditions or eroding existing protections”.
Instead of a change in legislation, the government said it was focused on encouraging employers to implement workplace menopause policies'
You can read the full article, by clicking here.
Key Takeaway:
Even though menopause isn't an establishes protected characteristic. Employers need to be mindful of employment tribunal claims, that arise out of people with menopausal symptoms. This could include, age, disability, sex, and gender reassignment.
The first menopause employment tribunal case was just 10 years ago.
The employee, Ms Merchant, brought a tribunal claim against her employer, BT, on the grounds of gender discrimination.
She was experiencing difficult menopausal symptoms, which was affecting her performance at work.
An article in the HR Director, explains the case.
'In Merchant v British Telecommunications plc a tribunal held that direct sex discrimination had occurred when an employer had failed to treat an employee’s menopause in the same way as other medical conditions when applying its performance management policy.
The Facts
Ms Merchant had been the subject of BT’s underperformance procedure on and off for a number of years and culminated in a final warning being issued.
When the problems continued, a process was commenced to determine whether Ms Merchant should be offered alternative employment or be dismissed.
At a meeting to discuss the issue Ms Merchant presented a letter from her GP which said that the menopause was causing her to suffer from a number of health problems which can affect her level of concentration at times and she referred to her menopause several times during the discussion.
The manager decided not to investigate her medical condition, although BT’s performance management policy clearly stated that managers must find out whether the underperformance was being caused by health factors.
He dismissed Ms Merchant for incapability, stating that it was difficult to assess if the menopause did impact on performance.
The Judgement
A tribunal upheld Ms Merchant’s claim for unfair dismissal and direct sex discrimination.
The manager had failed to investigate the possible impact of the menopause, the reason being, according to his evidence, that his wife and his HR adviser had both been through the menopause and so he could make a judgment on the effect on Ms Merchant’s performance and the impact on her ability to concentrate.
This failure was a clear breach of BT’s own performance management policy could only be explained by the fact that he did not take menopause, a strictly female condition, seriously as a medical condition and that he would never have adopted “this bizarre and irrational approach with other non-female-related conditions”, in circumstances where it is self-evident that all women will experience their menopause in different ways and with differing symptoms.
Therefore, the failure to refer the claimant for medical investigation, after being informed of her menopause, before taking the decision to dismiss, was direct sex discrimination as a man with ill-health in comparable underperforming circumstances would not have been treated in the same way.'
To read the full article, click here.
If you're worried about how to support staff through the menopause or haven't got a menopause policy, then book a FREE call with me today by clicking the button below.👇
That's it from me for this week.
Hope you have a great weekend.
Take care, Kate 🦸🏻 ♀️
PS. Have you heard about my HR Roots membership?
To find out more, click the button below👇
Disclaimer: Every reasonable effort is made to make the information accurate and up to date, but no responsibility for its accuracy and correctness, or for any consequences of relying on it, is assumed by the author or publisher. If you are unsure about how this information applies to your specific situation, please seek expert/legal advice.