Employment Practice

The pace of technological development and variation of economic factors are such that change is the only constant. Most employers will, at some time, need to lose staff. Generally the handling of redundancies leaves much to be desired and few employers manage such situations with the tact and humanity it demands. Commentary All employers are obliged to consult with employees, or, if there are more than 20 to be made redundant within 90 days, elected representatives of their employees (whether unionised or not) in good time before redundancies are decided. Where there are no elected representatives then an election needs to take place. Redundancy IS a dismissal, but it is a dismissal for which the employee is in no way culpable - and employees should not be treated as if they were culpable. In addition, the effect on those not being made redundant must also be assessed and managed in the interests of the future operation of the Organisation. Policy Devising a redundanc...

The correct mix of skills and experience an employer needs can only be obtained properly and efficiently if there is a continual assessment of the skills required. From this assessment and from the short-term vacancies created on an unplanned basis, those responsible for recruitment can operate a 'sourcing process'. They must not only be trained in all aspects of interviewing etc. but also need to ensure there is no discrimination in the process. Setting up a suitable monitoring scheme (with attendant spot-checking for compliance) which records all applications and their progress/disposal, with brief reasons, may be advisable. Recruitment Plan Procedure The following would be usefully sourced: A manpower chart reflecting the expected needs of such department (for each department). A management succession plan showing the skills required and expected to be available in (say) 3 and 6 years time. A training plan showing those employees expected to participat...

Over the past 20 years there have been a number 'employee involvement' initiatives - BS5750, ISO9000, team briefing, Investors in People, cascade briefing and Quality Circles etc. Sometimes these have been introduced virtually as fashion accessories - there are more than a few employers, qualified for Investors in People recognition, who do anything but invest in their people - or even communicate with them. The last phrase summarises the underlying advantage of all these initiatives - if employers and employees have open, sincere and real COMMUNICATION, regardless of the aims of the process, progress will be achieved. Of course if there was effective communication and consultation these initiatives would be largely unnecessary. Demand To around 75% of the average employer' s workforce, the need to know what is going on within their employer' s business is real and failure to provide this negates efficiency and productivity - and thus profitability. I...