We’ve all come across employees who are just, well, difficult! They don’t do anything major, but there are multiple, small incidents where they break a rule or refuse to engage with a new policy – they seem to think they’re somehow ‘above the law’. But perhaps they’re not – a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) […]
A contract of employment is an agreement between an employer and employee and is the basis of the employment relationship. Most employment contracts do not need to be in writing to be legally valid, but it is better if they are. A contract ‘starts’ as soon as an offer of employment is accepted.
Sometimes, an employee does something so outrageous, you want to just kick them out of the practice… But, it’s worth taking a breath before you act! There are is a lot of confusion about disciplinary procedures in the workplace, and we are frequently told by people that an individual has ‘already had a first written […]
Sickness absence has been estimated to cost the UK economy £18 billion a year, and causes major disruption to a busy vet practice. Much absence is genuine and unavoidable, but we’d like to share a few of the best excuses for veterinary practice employees being unable to come to work…
The introduction in 2013 of fees for individuals wishing to bring a claim in an Employment Tribunal saw a 70% drop in claims. The decision of the Supreme Court in July 2017 that these fees were unlawful led to speculation that claims would rise again.
Sandrine Yvenou, of Eurostar, Managing performance Sandrine’s presentation built on her last session, which had outlined how Eurostar sets out its expectations of the team, giving clear guidance of the behaviours which demonstrate different levels of performance. If employees know what is expected of them, this can form the basis of performance management, since both […]
In July this year the Supreme Court ruled that the fees charged to individuals who wished to bring an Employment Tribunal Claim were unlawful. Following their introduction in 2013, there was a 70% drop in cases going to tribunals, suggesting that they have been a significant disincentive to many employees.
We had a really fantastic Elite client meeting in London this June. There were so many excellent insights that we can’t possibly cover them all, but we’d like to share a few with everyone. The morning session was a presentation by Sandrine Yvenou and Tamsin Crook from Eurostar (pictured above) about providing excellent customer service. […]
Deal with problem employees wherever possible within two years of employment starting. Although there are exceptions, most employees cannot bring a claim for unfair dismissal until they have two years of continuous employment. Remember that discrimination actions have no qualifying time period, and can be brought even before employment begins. Ensure all your staff who […]
The presentation by General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the British Army, was, for many, the highlight of our first Elite meeting, and I thought I’d try to distil some of his pearls of wisdom for those of you who weren’t there. General Mike pointed out that any group with a common purpose is […]