A new survey shows British employers have a positive outlook on the potential that AI technologies have to increase the number of jobs and improve recruitment, upskilling and employee engagement. The findings come from a new survey of over 2,000 British employers by Experis. 54% of employers believe AI could have a positive effect on…
Employment Tribunals are going digital
Throughout 2023, the Employment Tribunal (ET) service intends to roll out digital case management systems for use by Judges, ET administrators, legal representatives, litigants in person and Acas. Online Processes will move online, away from paper. Among other things, the new digital systems will be used: to submit claims, responses and applications to the ET…
Ten tips on managing subject access requests
On 24th May 2023, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published guidance on subject access requests (SARs) for businesses and employers. 1 What is the entitlement? Workers are entitled to a copy of their personal information from your organisation. This includes where you got their information from, what you are using it for and who you…
[ READ MORE ] from Ten tips on managing subject access requests
Record levels of long-term sickness
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 2.55 million people in the UK are not working owing to long-term sickness. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there are more than 400,000 additional people outside the labour market because of ill health. There has been a noticeable increase in conditions related to mental ill health, especially…
How can you develop a fertility and assisted conception policy?
According to the Fertility Network UK, it is estimated that 3.5 million people in the UK struggle with fertility. Sadly, over half of the employees experiencing fertility issues report feeling that they do not receive adequate support from their employers. More employers are launching IVF and assisted conception policies amid calls for greater legal protection…
[ READ MORE ] from How can you develop a fertility and assisted conception policy?
Ten tips on managing stress at work
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’. Some people benefit from a certain amount of pressure as it can keep them motivated. However, when there is too much pressure it can lead to stress. Stress is not…
No one named. No one shamed
The Employment Tribunal Naming Scheme database was created four years ago to list employers who have failed to pay workers’ compensation ordered by employment tribunals. Not one has been added to the list. In December 2018, the government announced a scheme to name and shame employers who fail to pay employment tribunal awards within a…
EHRC recommends that government consider biological definition of ‘sex’ in EqA 2010
On 4th April 2023, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published a letter to Kemi Badenoch MP, Minister for Women and Equalities, recommending that the government consider redefining ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 (‘EqA 2010’) to mean biological sex. The EHRC notes that sex and gender reassignment are protected characteristics under the EqA…
Nine ways to manage your employees’ mental health
Acas has published new guidance and other resources for employees and employers on making reasonable adjustments for mental health in the workplace. The advice covers: What reasonable adjustments for mental health are. Examples of reasonable adjustments for mental health. Requesting reasonable adjustments for mental health. Responding to reasonable adjustments for mental health requests. Managing employees…
[ READ MORE ] from Nine ways to manage your employees’ mental health
Keeping up with the updates
As we approach the end of the tax year, here are five jobs for HR : 1 Publish your gender pay gap report You have 12 months to publish your organisation’s gender pay gap figures from the relevant snapshot date (31st March for the public sector and 5th April for the private and voluntary sectors)….
Is telling an employee to ‘man up’ sex discrimination?
Facts In Woods v NHS Property Services Limited, a male employee who was told to ‘man up’ when he complained about being punched by a female colleague complained about sex discrimination. In January 2020 Mr Woods raised a grievance about a female colleague who had punched him three times. The grievance outcome partially upheld the…
[ READ MORE ] from Is telling an employee to ‘man up’ sex discrimination?
Schools and colleges: take care when giving references
Employers who provide references for their staff members must take reasonable care to ensure the information disclosed is true, accurate and fair. Schools and colleges also have to include any safeguarding concerns and whether they have subjected the employee to a formal capability procedure. In Smith v Surridge and others, the High Court had to…
[ READ MORE ] from Schools and colleges: take care when giving references
