Dear Visitor,

Welcome to People Matter from HR Solutions 4U.

What's in this issue?

• Royal Wedding Bank Holiday
• Are "Fit" Notes Working?
• 2011 Law Changes-6 Things You Need to Know
• Motivated Teams Equals Peak Performance

 Royal Wedding Bank Holiday

What is an employee’s holiday entitlement as an additional bank holiday has been granted for the Royal Wedding this year?

With an extra bank holiday announced to mark the Royal Wedding, whether employees are entitled to an additional day’s holiday will depend on the wording of their employment contract. Employees do not have an automatic right to paid time off on a bank holiday.

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 Are "Fit" Notes Working?

Employers support fit notes but do not believe doctors are completing them correctly.

According to research carried out by XpertHR on sick pay arrangements, two-thirds of employers did not fully implement the recommendations made in every fit note they received.

Organisations said the main problems they faced were doctors not understanding the nature of individual jobs, not filling in the notes correctly and making suggestions that were impossible for the company to accommodate.

2011 Law Changes- 6 Things You Need to Know

Employment Law Changes              

1. Abolition of the default retirement age

One of the biggest legal changes employers will have to contend with in 2011 is the abolition of the default retirement age (DRA). Although the DRA will not be completely abolished until 1 October 2011, transitional arrangements will come into force from 6 April 2011.

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 2. Changes to maternity and paternity leave provisions

In April there will be two changes to maternity and paternity leave provisions.

Fathers of babies born on or after 3 April 2011 will be allowed up to 26 weeks' additional paternity leave, if the mother returns to work before using her full entitlement to statutory maternity leave.

On the same date, rates for statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will increase from £124.88 to £128.73 per week.

3. Right to request flexible working extension

The right to request flexible working will be extended to parents of children under the age of 18 on 6 April 2011. It currently applies to parents of children under the age of 17, or 18 if the child is disabled.

The Government has also announced that it intends to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees. Consultation and review is to be completed by December 2011.

4. Equal treatment for agency workers

From 1 October 2011, agency workers will be entitled to equal treatment on basic employment conditions, such as pay and holidays, after they have worked in a role for 12 weeks, under the Agency Workers Regulations 2010.

5. Equality Act 2010

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers will be able to treat individuals with a protected characteristic more favourably during recruitment and promotion processes when faced with two or more candidates of equal merit, if the more favourable treatment is intended to address under-representation in the workforce.

The single public sector equality duty will also be introduced and both provisions will come into force on 6 April 2011.

6. Bribery Act 2010: corporate offence introduced

In April 2011, a corporate offence of failing to prevent bribery by people working on behalf of the business will be introduced under the Bribery Act 2010.

Are you daunted by all the legislative changes this year? We can help to ensure you are complying with the latest requirements, and implement any changes. Please contact us to discuss your needs on 01256 328428.

Motivated Teams Equals Peak Performance

January is typically a month where motivation can be low amongst employees – a return to work after the enjoyment of the festive break, and the whole year stretching ahead.

Having a fully motivated team ensures more energy, commitment, improved performance and productivity, and reduced absence/turnover.

So, what can you do to motivate staff? Here are some top tips:

• Operate an open door policy – make it clear to employees that you welcome feedback and suggestions as well as wanting to know if they are experiencing problems
• Suggestion box/scheme – a formal suggestion scheme where employees can make proposals for improvements, particularly in working practices, can work well. Be sure to regularly review suggestions and keep staff informed on progress of those you decide to take forward.
• Have a well structured performance management programme – ensuring staff receive constructive feedback on their performance with development and training opportunities, and career advancement where appropriate.
• Consider a reward scheme for outstanding employee performance.
• Publicly praise staff when they perform well – often recognition for a job well done, is all employees want.
• Equally, if issues of poor performance arise, these should be handled swiftly and confidentially, with an opportunity for the employee to talk openly about any challenges they are struggling to overcome.
• Clear anti-bullying and harassment policies in place to ensure all staff feel safe, and are clear about the steps they should take, should they feel the need.

For further guidance and help on implementing these ideas, please contact us on 01256 328428. We will also be running a training course on motivation this year, so please let us know if you would like more information.

HR for every step in the Employee Lifecycle

www.hr-solutions4u.co.uk