How to Conduct a Welfare Meeting
A welfare meeting is a supportive and informal discussion between an employer and an employee to address concerns about the employee’s health, wellbeing or personal circumstances, as part of an organisation’s absence management procedure. If conducted properly, the meeting should allow the employer to understand any issues affecting the employee’s work and explore matters such […]
Swearing at Work: Advice for Employers
Swearing at work refers to the use of inappropriate, offensive or profane language in the workplace. Whether or not swearing at work is acceptable will depend on the context and the employer’s expectations of its workforce. In some working environments, swearing may be commonplace and culturally accepted as part of everyday communication between colleagues. But […]
Capability Procedure for HR & Managers
A capability procedure is a formal process used by employers to address an employee’s underperformance due to a lack of skill, knowledge, or ability, rather than misconduct. It ensures that employers manage performance issues fairly, transparently and in line with employment law. However, in practice, correctly following a capability procedure can be a practical and […]
How to Spot a Fake Sick Note
An important aspect of an organisation’s absence management programme will be identifying and dealing with suspected fraudulent sickness absence and non-genuine sickness claims (‘pulling sickies’) or exaggerating symptoms or a condition to justify more time off work. For managers and HR, this means being alert to signs of potential issues, such as being given a […]