Tis the season for staff absences!
08 December 2014
With Christmas just around the corner many workplaces will be planning for the holiday period. Getting workplace issues wrong could dampen festivities, and Acas have gathered together some very timely advice on how to avoid or manage problems.
We are very grateful to Acas for a very thorough collection of helpful advice for employers:
Holidays
Both Christmas and Boxing Day are bank holidays. While thousands will be celebrating with time off, many others will carry on working. A common myth is that an employee is entitled to have bank holidays off but the reality is it depends on what's in their contract.
Written statements of terms and conditions
Contracts of employment elearning
Varying a contract of employment leaflet
View Acas resources that can help
Wehave also updatedour holiday pay webpage to include guidance on the recent Holiday Pay and overtime judgment which may mean that the rules employers and workers follow to calculate holiday pay may need to be updated.
It's good to plan ahead to ensure holiday requests are dealt with and employers have policies in place to handle absences effectively. Acas has guidance.
Managing absence
Winter often means having to deal with a range of work absences from a flurry of holiday requests to illness through colds and flu. Managing absence effectively is key when running a business but can often feel difficult to handle.
Managing attendance and employee turnover guide
Acas winter guidance
Adverse weathercan lead to staff shortages due to travel disruption. The key points are:
Employees are not automatically entitled to pay if unable to get to work because of travel disruption
Be flexible where possible
Use information technology
Deal with issues fairly
Plan ahead
Acas has bad weather guidance to help