We will be collating and summarising the latest HR related news and events from each month to keep you in the know. From new HR trends to employment law changes, each HR roundup will contain useful information for those within HR or management roles.
Handling resignations during disciplinary procedures
On the 10th of June, Boris Johnson officially resigned from being an MP due to the ongoing Partygate investigations. Boris Johnson claimed that “that they [privileges commute] are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament”, and therefore resigned with immediate effect.
As an employer, or staff/practice manager, dealing with resignations are more often than not an inevitable part of employee management. It can be especially challenging, however, when resignations are given due to the employee undergoing disciplinary proceedings.
Employees can find themselves amidst disciplinary procedures and investigations for a variety of reasons. However, these are often resolved in step-by-step disciplinary processes conducted by employers and managers to ensure that there is a fair and just outcome for all parties and staff involved. Generally, the outcomes of these procedures are often warnings, dismissals, or no action being taken. Sometimes, however, the employee can decide to resign to avoid any negative outcomes of the investigation, perhaps to protect future career prospects and avoid a dismissal on their work record, or to maintain a level of privacy or dignity.
However, there is no guarantee that resignation during disciplinary procedures will result in no further action taken. For example, patient safety and professional healthcare regulatory frameworks can impact the disciplinary process. If an employee has breached these, the employer may continue the proceedings and report findings to relevant regulatory bodies, which can affect the employee in future healthcare work prospects.
Pride month – LGBTQ+ awareness in the workplace
June marked Pride Month in the western world, and as a result many organisations and employers within the health sector demonstrated their support for all of their staff and patients who identify as LGBTQ+ by celebrating Pride in the workplace.
Katie Elliot, HR Consultant and Associate CIPD, provided 5 ways to support LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace:
- Arrange diversity and inclusion training.
- Display pronouns in your emails and on your website.
- Create an LGBTQ+ specific policy.
- Form an LGBTQ+ support group.
- Highlight repercussions of discrimination at work.
The above advice can be easily applied within your healthcare organisation, practice, or care setting. It does not need to be restricted to the month of Pride – in fact, it is a good idea to implement these kinds of changes as soon as possible in order to ensure inclusivity in the workplace for LGBTQ+ staff and patients all year round.
Industry leading neonatal leave
Marks & Spencer has introduced a Neonatal Leave Policy, offering up to 12 weeks of paid leave to employees with babies needing specialist neonatal care. The policy aims to provide families of premature or medically fragile newborns the opportunity to spend crucial time with their infants without work concerns or depleting their maternity, paternity, or adoption leave.
With the new Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill reaching Royal Assent this year, it is important for employers in the healthcare sector to also look at and review their own Neonatal Care policies in regard to leave and pay. If one does not yet exist for your staff, it is vital to be aware of the new Bill which will likely come into effect either next year or in 2025, and be prepared to implement it into policy when required to do so.
Named and shamed – not paying the national minimum wage
In June, over 200 companies were named publicly for failing to pay certain staff the national minimum wage in the UK. 63,000 workers were left out of pocket with a shortfall of around £5 million nationally. As a result, their employers were ordered to repay these losses and collectively faced penalties of almost £7 million. This list includes healthcare and health-related businesses, showing that these repercussions exist for all industries, including the health sector.
Therefore, it is advised that employers are adhering to the NMW legislation and requirements, otherwise they could face heavy penalties and financial losses in the long term. One way to combat underpaying employees unintentionally is to ensure an effective payroll system within your business, with accurate recordings of hours worked and wages issued. This can be more easily achieved with the use of HR software which can help monitor and track employees’ holidays, absences, and other factors that can affect staff pay.
