I have written elsewhere about certain pitfalls you should be aware of when hiring staff on a 90-day trial period. Sometimes, though, you just need a checklist to make sure you are doing the right thing. Who has the time to review all the most recent case law on a
From time to time employers need to make changes to their business that can affect their staff. Just finding yourself at the receiving end of your employer’s proposals for change, where your job is at threat, can be a very stressful time. On top of this, however, your employer will
“But don’t I have to give him three warnings before I dismiss him?” That was the question an employer asked me as they were pondering whether it was time to dismiss an unruly staff member. It’s fair to say this client of mine is not alone. Many employers and employees
You may have heard the term “constructive dismissal” and wondered what it meant. I accept the terminology is a little unusual. It sounds like something that happens to a builder when he is laid off. Or perhaps, like the term “constructive criticism”, it refers to a dismissal was helpful in
Hiring new staff is risky. You never know exactly how they will turn out. Will they perform to your expectations? Will they cause you endless trouble and frustration because they can’t do the job as you hoped, or don’t listen to your instructions, or just don’t get it? You can
If you are an employee, you may find talk about changes being made to your role get your back up. You signed up to perform certain duties (hopefully set out in a job description). That’s what you committed to, and you’re aware that employment agreements can’t be changed unless both
“Oh no, I have a restraint of trade in my employment agreement!” That was the thought that went through the mind of a client of mine. He had already resigned and was looking forward to his new job. However, he had forgotten that, in the long distant past, he had
Suspending an employee from work is a serious matter. So much so that the Court of Appeal has described suspension as a “drastic measure“. Why is it serious, you ask? Well, for one, you risk breaching the employee’s employment agreement if, without good reason, you stop them from carrying out
Employees sometimes want to know whether something they have done is worthy of dismissal. Unfortunately, there are no stock answers. Employment law requires an assessment of fairness taking into account all of the circumstances. While it may be fair to dismiss an employee in one case for some particular conduct,
The answer for most difficulties in relationships, employment-related or otherwise, is to communicate more – not less. Nevertheless, communicating in a tense work environment, when making eye-contact is hard enough, can be very difficult. Additionally, we may wonder whether the other side is even going to listen. Will they be
