News
Returning to work safely after Covid-19 lockdown
As the Irish Government has outlined its roadmap to re-open the country, many employers are now looking towards the future needs of their business and how best they can plan for their eventual return to work. The Irish government has listed the following essential control measures that should be implemented in every business. Social distancing (ideally 2 metres). Personal contact of less than 15 minutes. Good Hygiene (increased levels of cleaning surfaces and specifically hand hygiene). As you may be aware, the government has published a ‘Return to Work Protocol’. This document is a result of collaborative work by [...]
The six step process to providing constructive criticism
Managing employee performance can be the most challenging aspect of your job as a business owner or manager. A large part of successful performance management revolves around clear communication and the provision of regular feedback to employees - in fact these are vital to the continued efficiency and performance of your team(s) and your overall organisation. HR Team director, Martina McAuley, advises the best approach when addressing an employee’s underperformance: “The best approach is referred to as a ‘positive sandwich’. Begin with positive feedback, feed in with addressing the negative issue at hand and finish with a positive statement. This [...]
Managing an underperforming employee in the workplace
Although the world has changed, the importance of performance management hasn’t. Your overall strategy and team goals need to be set and communicated, and performance progress still needs to be measured. HR Team Director, Martina McAuley, says: “Good performance management is built on clearly setting expectations, ensuring employee accountability and providing regular feedback to staff. Communication is key – daily team briefings, regular management meetings and one to one meetings with employees should be implemented. “Establishing an employee’s skill or will; the establishment of basic standards, expectations and targets (BET); adopting appropriate management style and clear communication are the four [...]
Pride month reminder to employers on protected characteristics
June is designated as ‘Pride Month’ and seems as good a time as any for employers to be reminded of their general obligations regarding protected characteristics and discrimination in the workplace. Pride Month is dedicated to raising awareness of the concerns facing the LGBTQ+ Community as well as encouraging inclusiveness and celebrating LGBTQ+ culture. This is the 20th anniversary of ‘Pride Month’ since the initiative was set in place by US President Bill Clinton in 1999. It is a month intended for celebration, as well as the promotion of tolerance regardless of one’s orientation. This global event highlights the [...]
10 Methods To Effectively Manage and Motivate a Remote Workforce
Keeping remote workers engaged through a period of permanent or temporary home working can be challenging but there are simple steps that can be taken by both employers and employees to overcome the challenges. In this article, HR Team co-director, Martina McAuley, provides her expert advice on optimising performance while working from home. Reasons identified by HR Team for lack of motivation or underperformance: Lack of clarity on employer expectations. Poor job design – non-flexible when moving to remote working. Employees not receiving effective training or induction into the workplace. Unsuitable reporting structure or lack of clarity surrounding reporting structure. [...]
Is your workplace ready? Covid-19 return to work package provided by HR team
Employers are being urged to mitigate the Covid-19 risks of the planned return to work to avoid further operational downtime. Safe Team lead consultant, Paul McLaughlin, has warned that the reintroduction to working life following the lockdown “needs to be risk assessed, and adequate controls need to be implemented to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 before employees return to a safe working environment, a legal obligation for all employers”. “Organisations that fail to properly plan for the safe return to work, risk contributing to a further outbreak and further delay back to normal operations. There are steps that can easily [...]
Employers ‘duty bound’ to make Covid-19 updates to H&S policies
Irish employers are obligated to make Covid-19 updates to their health and safety policies, says a leading health and safety consultant. Employers are being urged to update safety measures, risk assessments and safety statements to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 as some employees prepare to return to work. Workers will gradually start returning to work, with almost 150,000 building workers expected to return this month. Safe Team health and safety consultant, Paul McLaughlin, says that when they do, employers will be responsible for taking steps to protect staff from the spread of coronavirus. He says: “Employers have a general duty to [...]
The HR Advisor April 2020
Download The HR Advisor April 2020
€2,500 available for businesses seeking expert HR advice and training
The Lean Business Continuity Grant is worth up to €2,500 for third party consultancy costs, training and advisory purposes. Employers can avail of the voucher to seek professional advice at this challenging time from HR Team. Ensure you remain legally compliant, receive employment law advice, and implement contingency plans in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Eligible applicants will be: An Irish-owned enterprise, across any sector, with up to 50 employees. Applications must be submitted in the name of a company registered with the Companies Registration Office and incorporated in the Republic of Ireland at the time of application. Applications will [...]
Essential guide for a home working risk assessment
Employers in both Ireland and the UK have specific duties to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all workers – even when employees are working remotely. The outbreak of Covid-19 and the current campaign of self-isolation to stop it's spread has led to a huge increase in working from home. Employers are required to show the same duty of care for their employees when they are working off premises. This covers the provision of supervision, training, education and the implementation of sufficient control measures to protect the homeworker. The employer has liability for an accident or injury of a [...]