Welcome Spring!
Is it just me or are you pleased to see the lighter evenings starting to emerge!
Christmas has been and gone and F&B HR has started 2024 with a BANG! So far this year, and we are only in March, we have delivered training on various topics including Managing for the First Time (for newly appointed Managers), Managing Attendance and HR Skills training to name a few! We have assisted in both investigation and disciplinary hearings on behalf of our partners and reviewed policies, handbooks, and contracts. As ever we have continued to network at various events – who doesn’t love a good chat (about all things HR!).
F&B HR are open to collaboration and to having conversations with likeminded people – whether they are also self-employed and on their own, or if they’re part of a bigger company or department. We all have so much to give. If you’re worried about competition, don’t be. There’s room for everyone and our ideas.
Welcome Spring!
Is it just me or are you pleased to see the lighter evenings starting to emerge!
Christmas has been and gone and F&B HR has started 2024 with a BANG! So far this year, and we are only in March, we have delivered training on various topics including Managing for the First Time (for newly appointed Managers), Managing Attendance and HR Skills training to name a few! We have assisted in both investigation and disciplinary hearings on behalf of our partners and reviewed policies, handbooks, and contracts. As ever we have continued to network at various events – who doesn’t love a good chat (about all things HR!).
F&B HR are open to collaboration and to having conversations with likeminded people – whether they are also self-employed and on their own, or if they’re part of a bigger company or department. We all have so much to give. If you’re worried about competition, don’t be. There’s room for everyone and our ideas.
What’s next for F&B HR?
Training – we are lucky enough to have had some great feedback on the bitesize training sessions we delivered over the year to date so we will continue with these as well as develop more subjects that cover the employment life cycle. They will continue to be bite sized of around an hour so that it’s not taking up too much of your time. They will also act as a refresher for any skills or knowledge that you may have applied before but just needed that sense check, before you take any action.
Upcoming Training Courses
13th March – Employee Engagement and Culture
17th April – Managing Disciplinaries and Capability Concerns
15th May – Appraisals and Managing Performance and Objectives Setting
12th June – Grievance Management
Retained packages – as per our last newsletter, we have also had a few businesses ask about retained packages, which we do provide to businesses. We tailor make our services as not all businesses that we partner with, are looking for the same service. Some businesses ask to buy a certain amount of time from us either per week or per month or some want a selection of services over a course of 12 months so that they have peace of mind. Whatever you’re looking for, we can help.
Referrals – most of the businesses we work with have been through referrals (proud moment!). We ask those that we work with to leave a Google review for us, and you can do so here: https://g.page/r/CfPbExntUR_9EAI/review
We have also promised that if a Company refers us to another, we will make a charitable donation to the charity that the referrer chooses. Community is really important to F&B so we are committing to that and as we grow, so will the work and support we provide within our community.
Culture – Last year we helped a gaming company assess their company values and looked at how they shape their company culture. We are advocates of positive, effective and engaging cultures at work. If you are struggling to recruit the right people, if your employees could be more engaged, it may be time for you to assess who you are and where you’re going. We can help you with that so get in touch and we can help you drive your business forward.
Interview support – We are working with UTC Swindon on 8th March at their ‘Employability Ready Day’, completing mock interviews and team activities with the students. Being able to support events like this is great and we really enjoy being able to help the communities we live in.
Get organised – You may start thinking about having a spring clean but how do you keep employee records? Monitor holidays and sickness? If you’re still working on paper-based requests or are reliant on the wall calendars with different coloured dots for each person, now could be the time to streamline your processes and ensure you’re GDPR compliant with a HR system. We implement systems for businesses, and they are a cost-effective time saver. If you want to make sure that you avoid risks of data breaches or need a more fail proof system, let us know and we can discuss how we can set you up and manage this for you.
What’s next for F&B HR?
Training – we are lucky enough to have had some great feedback on the bitesize training sessions we delivered over the year to date so we will continue with these as well as develop more subjects that cover the employment life cycle. They will continue to be bite sized of around an hour so that it’s not taking up too much of your time. They will also act as a refresher for any skills or knowledge that you may have applied before but just needed that sense check, before you take any action.
Upcoming Training Courses
13th March – Employee Engagement and Culture
17th April – Managing Disciplinaries and Capability Concerns
15th May – Appraisals and Managing Performance and Objectives Setting
12th June – Grievance Management
Retained packages – as per our last newsletter, we have also had a few businesses ask about retained packages, which we do provide to businesses. We tailor make our services as not all businesses that we partner with, are looking for the same service. Some businesses ask to buy a certain amount of time from us either per week or per month or some want a selection of services over a course of 12 months so that they have peace of mind. Whatever you’re looking for, we can help.
Referrals – most of the businesses we work with have been through referrals (proud moment!). We ask those that we work with to leave a Google review for us, and you can do so here: https://g.page/r/CfPbExntUR_9EAI/review
We have also promised that if a Company refers us to another, we will make a charitable donation to the charity that the referrer chooses. Community is really important to F&B so we are committing to that and as we grow, so will the work and support we provide within our community.
Culture – Last year we helped a gaming company assess their company values and looked at how they shape their company culture. We are advocates of positive, effective and engaging cultures at work. If you are struggling to recruit the right people, if your employees could be more engaged, it may be time for you to assess who you are and where you’re going. We can help you with that so get in touch and we can help you drive your business forward.
Interview support – We are working with UTC Swindon on 8th March at their ‘Employability Ready Day’, completing mock interviews and team activities with the students. Being able to support events like this is great and we really enjoy being able to help the communities we live in.
Get organised – You may start thinking about having a spring clean but how do you keep employee records? Monitor holidays and sickness? If you’re still working on paper-based requests or are reliant on the wall calendars with different coloured dots for each person, now could be the time to streamline your processes and ensure you’re GDPR compliant with a HR system. We implement systems for businesses, and they are a cost-effective time saver. If you want to make sure that you avoid risks of data breaches or need a more fail proof system, let us know and we can discuss how we can set you up and manage this for you.
community.
F&B HR Celebrated their 1st Birthday!
WOW – Happy Birthday to us!!
Who would have thought when this journey started in February 2023, we would have survived our first year which has been filled with hard work, dedication, and the support of the fantastic businesses that we have partnered with.
We could not have done it without you so THANK YOU!
Here’s to many more years to come.
F&B HR Celebrated their 1st Birthday!
WOW!! – Happy Birthday to us!!
Who would have thought when this journey started in February 2023, we would have survived our first year which has been filled with hard work, dedication, and the support of the fantastic businesses that we have partnered with.
We could not have done it without you so THANK YOU!
Here’s to many more years to come.
Employment Law Changes
2024 is set to see some employment law changes coming – are you ready?
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The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 will provide additional safeguards for pregnant employees, as well as those on or returning from maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave facing redundancy.
Subject to parliamentary approval, from the 6th of April 2024, the Carer’s Leave Act 2023 will offer a new entitlement which can be taken from the first day of employment of one week of unpaid leave per year for employees who care for dependents with long term needs.
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The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 is due to come into force in October 2024. This Act will amend the Equality Act of 2010 which places a duty on employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. This act places greater significance on employers taking responsibility for making their workplaces safer for all staff.
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Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 will come into effect in April 2024 and will enhance the existing right for employees to request flexible working arrangements.
There are some key changes to the legislation that you need to be aware of:
Change #1 – Day One Right to Request Flexible working.
Change #2 – Requirement to consult with the Employee.
Change # 3 – Two requests per 12-month period.
Change # 4 – Respond to requests within two months.
Change # 5 – Removal of the requirement for employee to set out the effect of their request.
Navigating Employment Law can be daunting but here at F&B HR we have you covered. Let us review your contracts, policies and handbooks to make sure they are legally compliant. We can also offer bespoke training for your teams on the upcoming changes.
Employment Law Changes
2024 is set to see some employment law changes coming – are you ready?
The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 will provide additional safeguards for pregnant employees, as well as those on or returning from maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave facing redundancy.
Subject to parliamentary approval, from the 6th of April 2024, the Carer’s Leave Act 2023 will offer a new entitlement which can be taken from the first day of employment of one week of unpaid leave per year for employees who care for dependents with long term needs.
The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 is due to come into force in October 2024. This Act will amend the Equality Act of 2010 which places a duty on employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. This act places greater significance on employers taking responsibility for making their workplaces safer for all staff.
Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 will come into effect in April 2024 and will enhance the existing right for employees to request flexible working arrangements.
There are some key changes to the legislation that you need to be aware of:
Change #1 – Day One Right to Request Flexible working.
Change #2 – Requirement to consult with the Employee.
Change # 3 – Two requests per 12-month period.
Change # 4 – Respond to requests within two months.
Change # 5 – Removal of the requirement for employee to set out the effect of their request.
Navigating Employment Law can be daunting but here at F&B HR we have you covered. Let us review your contracts, policies and handbooks to make sure they are legally compliant. We can also offer bespoke training for your teams on the upcoming changes.
In Focus – Remote Flexible Working Request
It’s useful for employers to understand the cases that have recently gone through tribunals, just so that you can see the types of issues that end up in court and how the judges reach decisions.
This newsletter focuses on a case where an employee had been working entirely from home since early 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. After the employer asked staff to return to the office two days a week, the employee submitted a flexible working request asking to work remotely every day. In her request, the employee stated that she was a high performer working this way.
In a letter outlining the organisation’s response, the employees line manager acknowledged that yes, she had performed well whilst working from home and had been effective at building relationships with colleagues, despite not meeting in person. Nevertheless, the manager relied on the statutory reason of a detrimental impact on performance and quality of output to reject the request. This was because, the manager felt that the employee would miss face-to-face training sessions, departmental away days, and meetings. The employee would also not be able to effectively coach new team members, and as a manager with a team of four, her ability to input into managerial strategy and engage in collaboration with colleagues would also be negatively impacted.
The employee appealed against the managers decision, but this was also rejected, on the basis that it would be of “real” benefit to her and the team’s performance if they were able to connect face to face in the office. The employee brought claims alleging a breach of the flexible working process because it went over the three-month deadline, and that the outcome relied on incorrect facts.
OUTCOME!
The Employment Tribunal (ET) found that the process was concluded 21 days after the statutory decision period, so they awarded the employee one week’s pay of £643.
However, the Tribunal rejected the claim that incorrect facts had been relied upon. They said that the employee’s manager, had clearly taken into account a wide range of factors in considering the impact that remote working would have on the employee’s ability to perform individual parts of her job. The manager had acknowledged that the employee had performed well from home, and that there were many aspects of the role that were not affected by remote working.
The Tribunal agreed with the managers conclusion that the more senior elements of the employee’s role, especially around people management, could not be as effectively performed remotely as face to face.
The Tribunal also said that technology is not well suited to fast-paced interplay that comes from face-to-face meetings or training, and that it was reasonable for the employee to be expected to attend work in person. Moreover, the manager was not incorrect in identifying the potential risks to the employee’s performance and that the employers expectations around various activities including face-to-face training and coaching were legitimately part of their expectations for the employee and her work.
Many organisations that continued to allow home working after lockdown ended are now seeking to conclude to get their staff back into the office. For some, this means incentivising them to do so by offering additional perks. Others have demanded that employees now return and taken a more forceful approach. This case shows that where employees are resisting calls to return to the office, employers should be careful to break down the individual’s role and examine each part as part of the overall assessment as to whether or not remote working should be permitted.
Take note that if you look to reject a flexible working request to work remotely, it’s important to build a detailed picture of the employee’s job role and why it is not suitable for remote work.
What this case does not mean is that employers can simply rely on the statutory reasons for refusal without providing support as to why they apply. The manager in this case took care to take a balanced look at what parts of the employees’ role could and could not work remotely, and it is clear from the judgment that this examination led the ET to hold as it did
In Focus – Remote Flexible Working Request
It’s useful for employers to understand the cases that have recently gone through tribunals, just so that you can see the types of issues that end up in court and how the judges reach decisions.
This newsletter focuses on a case where an employee had been working entirely from home since early 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. After the employer asked staff to return to the office two days a week, the employee submitted a flexible working request asking to work remotely every day. In her request, the employee stated that she was a high performer working this way.
In a letter outlining the organisation’s response, the employees line manager acknowledged that yes, she had performed well whilst working from home and had been effective at building relationships with colleagues, despite not meeting in person. Nevertheless, the manager relied on the statutory reason of a detrimental impact on performance and quality of output to reject the request. This was because, the manager felt that the employee would miss face-to-face training sessions, departmental away days, and meetings. The employee would also not be able to effectively coach new team members, and as a manager with a team of four, her ability to input into managerial strategy and engage in collaboration with colleagues would also be negatively impacted.
The employee appealed against the managers decision, but this was also rejected, on the basis that it would be of “real” benefit to her and the team’s performance if they were able to connect face to face in the office. The employee brought claims alleging a breach of the flexible working process because it went over the three-month deadline, and that the outcome relied on incorrect facts.
OUTCOME!
The Employment Tribunal (ET) found that the process was concluded 21 days after the statutory decision period, so they awarded the employee one week’s pay of £643.
However, the Tribunal rejected the claim that incorrect facts had been relied upon. They said that the employee’s manager, had clearly taken into account a wide range of factors in considering the impact that remote working would have on the employee’s ability to perform individual parts of her job. The manager had acknowledged that the employee had performed well from home, and that there were many aspects of the role that were not affected by remote working.
The Tribunal agreed with the managers conclusion that the more senior elements of the employee’s role, especially around people management, could not be as effectively performed remotely as face to face.
The Tribunal also said that technology is not well suited to fast-paced interplay that comes from face-to-face meetings or training, and that it was reasonable for the employee to be expected to attend work in person. Moreover, the manager was not incorrect in identifying the potential risks to the employee’s performance and that the employers expectations around various activities including face-to-face training and coaching were legitimately part of their expectations for the employee and her work.
Many organisations that continued to allow home working after lockdown ended are now seeking to conclude to get their staff back into the office. For some, this means incentivising them to do so by offering additional perks. Others have demanded that employees now return and taken a more forceful approach. This case shows that where employees are resisting calls to return to the office, employers should be careful to break down the individual’s role and examine each part as part of the overall assessment as to whether or not remote working should be permitted.
Take note that if you look to reject a flexible working request to work remotely, it’s important to build a detailed picture of the employee’s job role and why it is not suitable for remote work.
What this case does not mean is that employers can simply rely on the statutory reasons for refusal without providing support as to why they apply. The manager in this case took care to take a balanced look at what parts of the employees’ role could and could not work remotely, and it is clear from the judgment that this examination led the ET to hold as it did
Blogs
We are writing blogs on a variety of topics including the new flexible working arrangements which you can find here: Blog – F&B HR Consultancy (fandbhr.co.uk)
If you would like us to cover a specific topic then do let us know.
Get in Touch
We hope you found our Spring Newsletter informative and inspiring. If you have any questions or would like to explore how F&B HR consultancy can support your organisation’s goals, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, let’s navigate the ever-changing HR landscape and build a brighter future for your workforce.
If you need any people advice please do get in touch with us!
