DO NOT tell her she will be useless because of the pregnancy; that she will
never be the same again; that she has been dishonest when the pregnancy was
suspected; and, that she has sought a promotion and pay rise on false grounds
becuase of the pregnancy.
Such behaviour has just cost one boss nearly £60000 in compensation, £37,100 of that being awarded for injury to feelings.
I think that makes the point nicely
without me having to say more!!
The Border and Immigration Agency have now issued details of the application process for employers wishing to apply for a license to employ foreign workers under the new points based system, which replaces the existing work permit system.
As from Autumn this year any employer wishing to employ workers under the new Tier 2 system on a work permit must be licensed as a sponsor.
The cost of the application is £300 for a small
sponsor and £1000 for all other sponsors.
A small sponsor will be a company that comes under s382 and 383 of the Companies Act as a small company or is unincorporated and employs less than 50 people.
Yet again hospital workers have been caught sending obscene e-mails to each other and so far 13 have been sacked, 28 have been disciplined and 10 are still to be dealt with.
It is well known that offensive material is freely passed round offices and from work place to workplace by e-mail. The general consensus seems to be that it is harmless fun - Until a claim is made and then the employer is liable for the actions of the employees.
Employees – stop sending offensive e-mails, even if you receive them, don’t send them on.
Employers – monitor what your employees are doing on your systems and if you find offensive material is being received and sent, crack down now and discipline where necessary.
The Samaritans have released a survey showing that one in four people have suffered workplace bullying.
That is a horrendous statistic and should sound big warning bells for employers!
The impact of bullying on anybody can only ever be negative and can lead employers to lose very good workers because of it, or end up with workers who are so distressed they are not functioning well at work. Emotional health needs to be nurtured in workers, as well as physical health.
I'm not sure about their suggestion of wearing slippers to work on the Samaritan designated Stress Down Day on February 1 - but whatever works for each workplace! Everybody from the head honcho down, should be aware that bullying in any form is unacceptable and any claims of bullying should be investigated carefully and taken seriously.
A good anti-bullying policy and some company wide workshops are invaluable to ensure that everyone understands and gets the message.
Happy New Year! You're probably sick of hearing that now - particularly given that we are being told what a miserable year it is likely to be economically!
However, as has been well documented lately it is a time of year when employees who are not happy in their job make a concerted effort to find a new one. It is also the time of year when employers resolve to get their employment issues sorted out.
Any employer who has not yet got contracts of employment in place should tackle the issue now! Those who do have should make sure that they are up to date in this ever changing world of employment law. I certainly offer a free employment law health check, as I am sure do many others, there is really no excuse for not getting your employment documentation in order.
Employees looking for a new job need to understand what the whole package means to them. These days employees are just as interested in the benefits of the job as well as the job itself and the salary. A lot more turns on how many holidays are offered, whether there is a contributory pension scheme, or private health insurance, for example. Good employers should ensure that the whole package is attractive to potential employees.
The moral of today's story? Review your documentation and policies. If you haven't got any - put them in place! An employer who ignores the basics of employment law will eventually end up paying through the nose!
Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use.
The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated.
But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention.
If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here.
Gail Escolme joined HWK in 2004 as a specialist Employment lawyer. Gail’s detailed knowledge across a range of employment matters, acting for both employers and employees has recently been acknowledged in the Legal 500, the comprehensive resource for legal professionals. Gail is only too aware of the minefield that Employment Law has become and aims to build relationships with her clients, working together on a day to day basis in dealing with the employment aspects of their business, thinking practically and commercially to deliver solutions.
