Let's Get Back To The Office
There are businesses who are fortunate to be able to bring their staff back to work, and we have received questions on returning employees to work and the practicalities of bringing staff back. Some staff will have not worked yet in 2021, they are at home perhaps in a very small bubble – so it is probably a fair assumption to say that there will be some anxieties from staff in relation to returning to the workplace therefore it is important for employers to take some time to consider how best to manage the process of returning to work.
We have been asked a number of questions from employers in relation to bringing their staff back to work, for example:
- A staff member is refusing to come back to work. What do I do? So the first thing I would ask here is what are the individual’s reasons for not wanting to return to work.
Do they have health & safety concerns?
People have been safe at home for a long time now and there is an understandable anxiety amongst some people about going back into the workplace. If this is the reason, then you need to show to the employee how you have met the requirements of the Protocol and how you are taking preventative measures in the workplace.
As an employer you have a duty to ensure employee’s safety, health and welfare so it is important that you are taking the right measures and then able to put your employee’s minds at ease. By implementing return to work protocol’s you are promoting communication and collaboration between employers and employees. Employees need to be able to show employees the preventative measures they have taken. Perhaps details of risk assessments completed. If there is a particular employee with specific health concerns, you will need to take into account their specific risk factors which you may consult with the employee on.
Are they afraid to travel on public transport?
Be open to suggestions here as much as possible such as staggering work times in order for them to avoid peak transport times which will mean packed public transport so as previously mentioned be open to suggestions as much as possible.
- Do I need to re-issue contracts of employment for staff when they return from lay-off? ?The simple answer is no, it is not necessary. An employee’s contract of employment is not broken when they are placed on lay-off, their service remains. So assuming that they are returning to work on the same terms and conditions as when they left, then it will not be necessary to reissue a contract.
- When returning employees to hybrid working, do I need to re-issue a new contract? Our advice here would be yes, it would be best to re-issue the contract or at least an amendment to the contract. A person’s place of work is considered a basic term of the contract of employment, so if the place of work of work is changing that needs to be addressed. If you are agreeing, for example 2 days at home and 3 days in the office it is best to put that in writing to avoid any confusions or misinterpretations down the line. It is also worth having a flexibility line included in the place of work just to say that it may change.
- Can I take an employee back on reduced or different hours? Due to social distancing necessities and our new norms, it is likely that this will become common practice. It is permissible, once the employee agrees as effectively it is a change to the terms and conditions of employment so it is certainly advisable to get agreement from the employee in writing.
- Can I return some employees from lay-off and not others? This scenario will become more common over the next few months as we reopen fully. Yes some people you can certainly bring back before others however it is important to be aware that when choosing employees to return you are using reasonable selection methods and avoiding discrimination and that you are making decisions based on what is right for the business.
We at Bright Contracts can help you get back to the office in line with government guidelines and give your employees the confidence to return with the aid of our COVID-19 policies - temporary working from home and our vaccine policy which are available along with a number of other policies in our Bright Contracts software. If you wish to avail of a free trial you can do so here or you can book a demo of the software with one of our Bright Contracts consultants. To purchase Bright Contracts & download the software you can do so here.
Role Changing During Covid-19 - Can the employer require its employees to take on different roles to cover absence?
An employer can expect its employees to carry out different roles within the business where their contract of employment permits this. The employer should consider the relevant job descriptions to see if they comprise of the proposed changes, or if the contract contains a flexibility clause that allows the employer to vary the employees' roles and/or duties. If the employment contract does not allow for this, employers must be aware of the difficulties of imposing contractual changes which could potentially result in claims for constructive unfair dismissal. Any changes to the contract of employment should therefore should be undertaken with early consultation and with a view to reaching agreement with employees.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, employees may be more prepared to accept changes to their contract of employment where there is an imperative need for the work to be carried out, or where the viability of the business may be at risk. Employees may be willing to take on different roles if they are aware that it is for a brief period. The employer should be as transparent as possible with employees about the duration of any changes to their roles. An employee may be seen as having agreed to contractual changes if they carry out the varied role without any complaint.
Employers should ensure that suitable training is provided to any employees who may be required to carry out unfamiliar tasks and a risk assessment should be carried out to cover the temporary redeployment. For example, young or pregnant workers should not be substituted into inappropriate work.
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Bright Contracts: The Only HR Software You'll Ever Need
Contracts. . . they are the pain point of every HR professional when recruiting new employees, processing promotions, extending contracts etc. To non HR professionals it may seem like typing up contracts is quick and easy work but this could not be further from the truth. The following are just some of the pain points I’ve had when typing up contracts, read and tick off any that may apply to you too when creating contracts of employment:
- Formatting Issues
- Grammatical Errors
- Mis-matched Fonts
- Saving Error: Corrupted file error meaning I have lost my entire document
- Time consuming reading complete contract to check for errors
- Printing Errors: Prints off centre or like a jigsaw puzzle making it frustrating to read
Well, how many points did you tick off that were applicable to you? If you found yourself even ticking off two of the above then you need Bright Contracts in your life as this software eliminates every single one of them pain points and produces a consistent, formatted, clean and compliant contract and handbook for each of your employees.
Read the below quick fire Q&A to gain an insight into what bright Contracts is, how it works and how it can help you with your contract and handbook creation:
What is Bright Contracts?
Bright Contracts is a software package that has everything you need to create and manage a professional staff handbook and contracts of employment. What was once traditionally an expensive, complicated and time-consuming process is now quick, easy and affordable with Bright Contracts.
Why should I use it?
Without employee contracts in place, an employer is risking large settlements in the case of staff disputes, and fines in the case of regulatory inspections. Having contracts also clearly defines the contractual relationship between you and your employees. Bright Contracts is the easiest way to get sorted.
What is in the handbook & contracts?
The contracts of employment include all core terms which must legally be supplied to new employees. From April 2020, the written statement of particulars must be provided on or before the first day of employment. While the Employment Rights Act 1996 states the items that must be included in the written statement of particulars, employers can refer to their employee handbook for precise details of issues such as: disciplinary and grievance rules and procedures, sickness and pensions etc. which are provisioned for in the Bright Contracts software ensuring your business is fully compliant with employment law.
What legislation is the software based on?
Bright Contracts has been written taking into account employment legislation across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The main piece of legislation governing the content of Bright Contracts is The Employments Rights Act 1996 and The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996. The legislation specifies that employees must receive written terms and conditions of employment and what these terms and conditions are. In addition Bright Contracts has taken cognizance of current best practices as well as all relevant legislation in the creation of the content of the contract and handbook. Legislation also requires that employers are provided with details of procedures relating to dismissal, disciplinary and grievances, all of which are covered in our documentation.
How do we know this system complies with requirements and what if the law changes?
The system content has been compiled and tested by HR/Employment law experts. The system will be updated with any changes in legislation, changes brought about by case law or changes in best practice. These updates will be flagged to all current users and will be free to download.
How many people can access Bright Contracts?
When a licence is purchased it comes with two activations which means it can be activated on two separate computers. Once these activations have been used they cannot be deactivated and reactivated on another device.
Do I print off the handbooks and contracts?
The simple answer is yes however if you are trying to reduce your paper foot print then you can also have the handbook and contracts of employment as a pdf document which can then be e-mailed or, if you use our Bright Pay Connect product you can upload the documents to the employee’s connect profile.
You can avail of a free trial of the software or purchase a Bright Contracts licence to adapt these policies to your business today. If you are looking to adopt or change your HR Software book a free 15-minute online demo to see how Bright Contracts can change your world of HR.
