Why you should be careful when using demotion as an alternative to dismissal
Demotion is not an area explicitly covered by law. Although mentioned as an alternative disciplinary sanction by ACAS, it is in the courts where precedence and guidance originates on how to use demotion fairly.
Case Law: What can you learn from these tribunal outcomes?
Case law often influences the way employees are managed, what is viewed as best practice and set a precedent for tribunals to consider. The following is a brief round-up of a few notable cases that might help practices.
Managing People Survey - '59% say sickness absence is their most common HR Issue'
Managing staff and HR duties is a time consuming aspect of the Practice Manager role. There are many people-management aspects that can be pre-planned such as appraisals and payroll, however there are occasions when managing people creates issues that need to be dealt with amongst the busy day-to-day schedule.
Long Term Sickness: When is it too long?
Long term sickness that lasts for more than four weeks can be a huge drain on Practice resources and add strain to an already stretched team. So, pro-actively managing long term sickness, although time consuming, can help reduce the impact.
Understanding statutory and occupational sick pay entitlements
Sick pay can often be seen as a frustrating expense where money is leaving the practice and there is no contribution in return, but sick pay is an important area of UK employment rights and it can often get complicated. There have also been some changes that may have passed under the radar with the introduction of the Fit for Work scheme.
HR / Employment Law
Employment Tribunals: How does the claims process work?
I recently attended a mock Employment Tribunal to see how they work and found it quite a sobering experience. The seemingly organic management processes of an employer were methodically unpicked in public view, exposing non-adherence to procedure.
The End of the Afghanistan Conflict: Armed Forces Reservists in General Practice
On Friday 13th March 2015 the Royal Family and many Prime Ministers past, present and (potentially) future - joined Armed Forces veterans to commemorate the 13 year long Afghanistan conflict. Almost 15,000 UK personnel served in Afghanistan.
Holiday Pay – What’s the Latest?
Annual leave was thrown into the media spotlight following a high profile tribunal ruling in November which found that non-guaranteed, compulsory overtime should be included when calculating holiday pay. The case created ambiguity on how to pay annual leave going forward.
A look ahead to the year in Employment Law
Traditionally election years are the calm before the storm in terms of changes to Employment Law, so although it is likely to be a quiet year regarding changes there are still some key pieces of legislation that will come into force in 2015...
How to succeed as a practice manager
Having worked as a practice manager for twenty years at two busy urban practices in Leeds, I am well aware of the extent and varied nature of the role. Each day in the life of a practice manager is different and you never know what is going to land on your desk or come through your door from one day to the next.
5 things to consider when merging your practice
Is it a question of surviving? Can a merger result in lower overhead costs? Perhaps a more balanced life style for the GP partners whilst maintaining that their income cannot drop? These are questions you are faced with when making the decision to merge or not to merge...
October - when the clocks go back but you need to look forward
A number of changes to employment law took effect from the 1st October. You need to take this opportunity to ensure that you are aware of these changes and to ensure that your policies, practices and procedures reflect them so that your Practice remains compliant...
Bending over backwards
Now that the government have expanded flexible working to include everyone, I expect this will have a major impact on GP practices. We have always had the major requirement when recruiting that our staff have the flexibility to cover absences etc...
Legislation Update: Flexible Working
On 30th June 2014 the right to request flexible working was extended to all staff with more than 26 weeks service. This is expected to have a significant impact on GP surgeries where a key aspect of staff management is the expectancy that staff are able to work on a flexible basis...
Changes to flexible working from June 30th 2014
I am sure you all familiar with the current rules in relation to flexible working which provide employees, who have caring responsibilities, the right to request flexible working from their employer. It is worth noting that from the 30th June 2014, the Government will be amending the following...
Website - HR / Employment Law Guidance Area – Major revamp live today!
First Practice Management (FPM) is proud to announce a major revamp of its HR / Employment Law Guidance Area. After extensive revision the new HR / Employment Law Guidance Area is filled with information and guidance for our members to improve their knowledge on all the HR requirements...
Legislation Update: Changes to Right to Work in the UK
From 15 May 2014, an employer who hires someone who is not entitled to work in the UK can be subject to a civil penalty of up to £20,000 (increased from £10,000) for each person found to be working illegally, or a prison sentence of up to two years. From 16 May 2014...
Bank Holiday FAQs
With Easter around the corner and a bumper batch of bank holidays on the horizon, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you these FAQs on dealing with bank holidays. Here are some of the most popular questions proposed to us by our members regarding bank holiday leave...
Can an employer dismiss an employee due to long-term sickness?
Employers are not expected to keep a sick employee’s job open indefinitely, however it is necessary to follow a fair procedure to manage a long-term sickness absence situation. If you proceed towards a dismissal you will potentially have to show that the dismissal was justified...
Legislation Update: Employment Law Reforms
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has announced a new implementation timetable for the major employment law reforms, many of which had originally been intended to come into force in April 2013...
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