Routledge Blakey asks Worried or content??

Routledge Blakey asks – Worried or content??

Are your managers managing effectively within the law?
Are they equipped with the knowledge and skills to minimize the risks to the business?
Can you afford to pay out on unwanted employment tribunals claims brought about by managers lack of skill and knowledge in handling day to day people issues effectively?

The facts

We have a huge claims culture in the UK, no win no fee solicitors supporting employees and a sense of let's give it a go, nothing to lose!

Did you know that last year in the UK, according to Employment Tribunals Statistics 07/08 that employment applications rose by 43% on the previous year to 189,303 compared to 132,577 in the previous year. Looked at by jurisdiction, the total number of claims for 2007/2008 was 296,963, compared with 238,546 for 2006/2007.

For the first time, the highest number of claims related to equal pay. There were 62,706 equal pay claims in 2007/2008, compared with 44,013 for the previous year. In 2005/2006 the figure was 17,268.

There were 55,712 claims related to working time in 2007/2008, compared with 21,127 in the previous year. However, the statistics for this type of claim do tend to fluctuate, there being 35,474 claims in 2005/2006.

There were 40,941 unfair dismissal claims in 2007/2008, compared with 44,491 in 2006/2007.

Claims made under the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 are increasing as employees become more aware of their rights under this legislation. The number of claims rose from 972 in 2006/2007 to 2,949 in 2007/2008.

Claims shown under the category 'other' also rose, from 5,072 in 2006/2007 to 13,873 in 2007/2008. This was because of a significant increase in the number of claims relating to trade union membership.

The Tribunals Service dealt with 81,587 applications of which 33 per cent were withdrawn and 29 per cent involved settlements conciliated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. 13 per cent of claims were successful.

Statistics on the level of compensation awarded in 2007/2008 are as follows:

Jurisdiction	Maximum Award	Median Award	Average Award
Unfair Dismissal	£76,536	£4,000	£8.058
Race Discrimination	£68,991	£8,120	£14,566
Sex Discrimination	£131,466	£5,200	£11,263
Disability Discrimination	£227,208	£8,363	£19,523
Religious Discrimination	£5,720	–	£3,202
Sexual Orientation Discrimination	£22,850	£2,103	£7,579
Age Discrimination	£12,124	£1,526	£3,334

The statistics show that there were 134 costs awards to claimants and 327 to respondents. The maximum costs award was £17,775.

When the MD of a large retailer called me he was concerned about the ever increasing employment law developments and employee claims culture. He wanted to ensure that his line managers were equipped with the knowledge and skills to manage staffing issues fairly, consistently and within the law. A number of management errors, through being unaware of essential operational practice and legal requirements, had resulted in costly employment tribunals and damaged relations within the workplace.

The organisation lacked the internal specialist resource and the time to design and deliver an effective training programme to meet both manager and the company needs. The RBA team of specialists using vast experience and knowledge, each with a strong HR background spanning 20 years, many which were spent operating at board level, were able to provide the advice and support required to drive this new initiative forwards internally.

The actions which followed involved a review of the employee manual to check compliance, together with the design of a training programme and communication closely aligned to the updated policies, procedures and best practice. The modules selected and delivered to all line managers included:

• Managing effectively within the law, this incorporated the statutory requirements and the costs associated with poor practice.
• Managing absence effectively, to include managing short and long term absence, recognising and managing stress in the workplace, operational and legislative family friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, parental leave and flexible working.
• Recruitment and selection, which included data protection, diversity and discrimination, and which highlighted best practice procedures and skills development within a structured competency framework.
• Managing underperformance, the grievance and disciplinary process and dismissal.

The HR Manager has reported that managers have demonstrated a significantly increased awareness of the implications of getting it wrong, the need for consistency and the following of internal procedures resulting in reducing absence and improved staff retention.

According to Gillian Webster, the Managing Director of Routledge Blakey Associates Ltd organisations often leave it too late before considering the essential training requirements of their managers. Investing now in a focused, practical approach to ensure managers manage within the law, and also to drive continuous performance improvements can prevent costly and time consuming actions down the line.

For further information regarding any of the above or to arrange a free no obligation visit to discuss your needs call Gillian on 01274 599233 or email gillian@routledgeblakey.com