STAFF are such an important resource to most businesses and normally by far the most expensive.
Therefore it is vital that organisations manage their staff, and any issues that may arise, in the most effective way possible.
The Institute of Directors is giving particular focus to this over the next two months.
At a seminar on March 19, Caren Hyde, from local legal and fiduciary services provider Appleby, gave an outline of the Employment Act and the potential pitfalls from hiring to firing. In her presentation she discussed some of the cases which had resulted in Employment Tribunals.
On May 1, the IoD is holding another employment related seminar highlighting why mental health is a workplace issue. This is being presented by members of the Mental Health team of the Department of Health and will address these important points:
l Most people with mental health conditions are in paid employment and are almost as likely to be working as anyone else.
l Employers should expect to find that at any one time nearly one in six of their workforce is affected by a mental health condition
l The combined costs of sickness absence, non-employment, effects on unpaid work and output losses in the UK is £26 billion a year
l It is so important for employers to understand the potential problems relating to their employees and to have the knowledge to ensure that they avoid the serious pitfalls in a well-structured and considered way rather than having to deal with a serious issue after it has gained momentum.
COURSE
Following naturally from these seminars the IoD is holding a half-day course on May 23 on how to avoid an Employment Tribunal which will be delivered by Julie Bradley, head of the Manx Industrial Relations Service (MIRS). On this course she will include:
l The importance of prevention/what employers need in place
l How to deal with issues
l The role of MIRS
l Some examples/facts and figures of Employment Tribunal cases that have arisen
l Alternatives to the Tribunal and what is involved.
Good and timely handling of employment issues can be a positive experience for both the employer and employee but so many companies get it wrong and when they do it can be extremely damaging to the reputation, as well as possibly the finances, of the organisation.
On June 13, the IoD is holding a one day course on the director’s role in managing reputation.
The course tutor is Seamus Gillen, who is a senior adviser to the Reputation Institute, an academic and advisory body dealing with issues of reputation management.
He has worked previously in Whitehall as a senior civil servant (and as Private Secretary to two Cabinet Ministers) which means that he looks at issues from different perspectives based on both the public and private sectors.
All of these events are also open to non-members of the Institute of Directors.
For further details of any of these events contact Ann Clayton on annclayton@manx.net