For the last couple of years businesses have had a really tough time, what with the increase in national insurance contributions and national minimum wage.
Just when you thought it was safe, the government introduced the Employment Rights Act. This brought in a whole host of changes including day one rights for paternity leave, parental leave and statutory sick pay.
The biggest proposed change was to reduce the time limit for bringing a claim for unfair dismissal from two years to making it a day one right. After consultation, this was increased to six months. That means that anyone who has worked for a business for six months has the right to bring a claim for unfair dismissal. This does not change anyone who wants to bring a claim for discrimination based on a protected characteristic as this has been a day one right for years.
Going forward, it is really important that businesses have policies in place for the probation period. On the basis that anyone who works for a business for six months can then bring a claim for unfair dismissal, it is imperative that businesses undertake probation reviews, ideally at weeks one, and thereafter monthly up to month 5, where a decision should be made as to whether to extend that probation period or whether to terminate the employee’s contract of employment.
There is a significant risk that if businesses do not have such policies or reviews in place that it will be an ‘own goal’ for an employee who has not had probation reviews during the first few months of their employment.
However, it isn’t just about having the right policies in place. It is also important that you make time to ensure that your new staff members are properly on-boarded and that they feel part of the company from day one. The onboarding process is one of the most important parts of the employee / employer relationship as it gives an immediate view as to the ongoing relationship between the employer and employee.
I’m sure we’ve all worked for businesses where your ‘induction’ is nothing more than a quick tour of the office, kitchen and showing you where the bathroom is. If your new starter is going to give you hours of their life, surely spending a bit of time to get to know them and make them feel welcome is a small price to pay.
Whether you employ 1 or 1,000,000 employees, all businesses need some element of HR support. As a business owner or manager, you’ve got enough to juggle without having to add HR into the mix. The constant change in employment law can be a minefield, even for seasoned HR professionals.
At Hybrid HR, we provide HR support on a retainer or pay-as-you-go basis. If this is something which you think you need, then please don’t hesitate to drop us a line and we can have a chat (or even better a coffee) to see how we can help you.