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While there is no legal requirement to carry out a return to work discussion following an employee’s absence, there are numerous benefits in doing so. Such discussions are an important part of absence management and ensuring managers are aware of any issues potentially affecting a staff member’s ability to carry out their role effectively. In […]

During an investigation, disciplinary or grievance process, it’s easy to get so embroiled in the detail that you forget one important thing; to obtain consent from any witnesses who are providing you with evidence, whether that be evidence against an employee whom you are disciplining or evidence for or against an employee or employees involved […]

If there is one single workplace Health and Safety issue that can affect most employees, it could well be Work-Related back pain. As an employer we must protect our employees from the risks of developing back pain caused by work activities. Together, employers and employees can take simple steps to manage back pain in the […]

What Should the Temperature be in a Workplace? Firstly, a myth buster. There is no maximum or minimum workplace temperatures where the employee is entitled to stop work. However, the employer is legally required to do everything they can to control workplace temperature, and the suggested minimum is 16 degrees Celsius, or 13 degrees Celsius […]

On 4th October 2023 the Supreme Court provided its findings on Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and another v Agnew and others. The case dealt with the issue of how far back an employee could claim for backdated holiday pay. Such a claim can be brought against an employer as a […]

What is Unauthorised Absence? Put simply, unauthorised absence is classified as when an employee fails to come to work without notifying the employer. Approach to Unauthorised Absence? There can be many different reasons for the unauthorised absence of an employee (otherwise known as being absent without leave – AWOL). Some may be deliberate; others may […]

The recent case of Mallon v AECOM Limited demonstrates that an employer does not need to know the specifics of a disabled applicant’s disability, or the difficulties it poses, for the duty to consider reasonable adjustments to apply. The Claimant, Mr Mallon, applied for a post with AECOM Limited (the Respondent). The Respondent’s recruitment process […]

Every year accidents involving pedestrians and workplace vehicles result in injury and tragically fatalities that could have been prevented with the right precautions. Recent data published by HSE shows that 135 workers were killed in work related accidents in the 2022/2023 reporting period and 15% of those fatalities were caused by being struck by moving […]