HR Management

Contracts of Employment

As Principal Consultant at HR Response I've been dealing with a number of different issues since I last wrote, one of which was a particularly awkward individual (employee) who's contract of employment was eventually terminated - and not a moment too soon!!  Talking of which I'm just preparing a presentation for tomorrow as I'm giving a talk on implementing Contracts of Employment.  Whilst writing the presentation it struck me that actually there's rather a lot for the employer to remember to put in - and as a reverse of that, remember to leave out.  I read a Contract only last week which the employer had put together.  It was very thorough - if a little too thorough.  The thing is, a Contract is a Contract, signed (hopefully) by employer and employee.  It is just as easy sometimes for the employer to breach their own Contract (which doesn't go down too well at Tribunals) as it is for the employee.  So, to avoid the pitfalls its probably best to have a Contract professionally written. 

Relationships at work

Did anyone see the first in the series of Casualty 1907 last night?  Totally gruesome with legs being hacked off - but in the midst of all the hubbub there's romance between Dr's and Nurses (ahh, bless).  However, as the Dr proposes to the Sister he announces that he'll do the decent thing and leave The London and go and work at St Bart's.  Clearly romance at work was an absolute no no in 1907.   

So, what's this got to do with HR Management in the 21st Century?  Unbelievably romance at work still causes problems 100 years on.  I've experienced organisations that have 'anti love' policies - one of which actively sought to oust the female employee from their job when it was discovered she was in a relationship with a male colleague!!  However, another business owner wanted some advice on how to dismiss one of his female employees because  he couldn't keep  away from her at work and was worried his wife would find out!!! ooer.

Surely as adults we can be a bit more grown up with our personal affairs so as not to need 'anti love' policies at work? After all, a happy workforce is a productive workforce isn't it? And if it all goes pear-shaped there are plenty of other policies to rely on such as Disciplinary, Grievance, Whistleblowing, Performance, etc etc.