Embrace HR Aylesbury Flexible working

As a government initiative looks to increase the uptake of flexible working, we look at the pros and cons and legal requirements for HR departments…

The desire to have flexible working is a big pull for prospective candidates.

According to a survey by web conferencing company powwownow.co.uk, 81 per cent of people say that flexible working would make a job more attractive to them and 35% would prefer flexible working over a pay rise.

What’s more, the Flexible Working Task Force, which sees business groups, government departments, charities and trades unions come together, launched a campaign in January with the aim of increasing the number of people flexible working. At the same time, the CIPD report, Megatrends: Flexible Working, highlighted the reasons why flexible working opportunities are being missed – limited options provided by employers, the attitudes of managers and employees’ negative assumptions about the consequences of flexible working.

So being able to offer flexible/agile working is becoming more and more important – and is likely to help you retain existing staff, as well as attracting the widest and best range of candidates.

So what are the pros and cons of flexible working for employers, and what is the legal stuff you need to know when implementing a flexible working policy?  Read on to find out…

Pros

When it is hard to find good staff, it makes sense to make your company as appealing as possible – and offer benefits that will help retain your best employees. Make sure you promote it within your organisation and externally when recruiting new staff.

Offering flexible working as a benefit helps to boost morale among your workforce and can cut down on absenteeism and lateness. It will also promote loyalty and commitment. You will find that staff turnover decreases too. It also helps to promote your organisation as a family-friendly place to work. One of the less considered benefits is that staff can work when they perform best – larks can start early and night owls can work later into the evening – this is another benefit for you if you have a customer-facing business as you can provider longer customer service hours.

Cons

Like all initiatives, there are bound to be some downsides.

For instance, some staff will not have the self discipline to work from home and are likely to binge-watch Netflix instead! And managers who are used to seeing when and where people are working may find it hard to disconnect and not be able to micro-manage their staff, as they like.

Where people work within a team, you will need to ensure there are guidelines put in place to make sure that every member of the team does what they need to. You may need to adopt a culture change if office-based workers consider that home workers are not pulling their weight. It’s amazing how people who spend hours chatting, smoking and gathering at the water cooler or kettle, can resent someone working at home with none of these distractions!

Likewise, a compressed week can be tricky for customer-facing jobs where clients expect someone to be on call five days a week.

The legal stuff

It is important to note that although employees do not have the right to flexible working on demand, they do have the right to submit a request to their employer.

Employees with 26 weeks of continuous service can make a statutory flexible working request and only one request can be made in any 12 months. The request, which must be made in writing, may include a change of hours or place of work.

As the employer you must deal with the request in a ‘reasonable manner’. According to the ACAS code you should discuss the request promptly and allow the employee to be accompanied at meetings. While there are no time limits currently for carrying out any particular step, the entire process (from request to appeal outcome) should be concluded within three months -unless the parties agree to extend this time limit.

An employer can only refuse a statutory request for one of the eight statutory business reasons – these include the inability to reorganise work or the burden of additional costs.

Be aware that if you operate a blanket ban on flexible working, you could leave yourself open for discrimination claims. For instance, should an employee need to work from home occasionally because of childcare problems, or because of as disability, it could lead to a claim of indirect discrimination. Be aware that job applicants can also claim discrimination; so rejecting a candidate who has asked you to consider flexible working can also be an issue.

If an employer agrees to flexible working, that makes a permanent change to the employee’s contract of employment, and your organisation then decides on a blanket ban on flexible working, it has, in effect, changed that contract of employment – and you could be liable for breach of contract or unfair dismissal.

If you would like to discuss this subject further and how it could help your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also with SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury Bank Workers

Bank workers are the mainstay of the care industry, yet HR professionals have struggled for years to define whether they are employees. A recent employment tribunal may have answered the question…

What are bank staff?

The term refers to a pool of people that an employer may call on when they need to cover shifts, holidays or just need extra staff as and when. They are prevalent in the care industry – many nurses and care assistants are on call when they are needed in care homes, hospitals and other health facilities. It is also a form of employment used for industries where work is seasonal.

When workers are classed as bank staff, there is no obligation on the part of the employer to provide regular work, nor is there an obligation for the worker to accept any shift or work if it is offered.

While employees benefit from the ability to get extra staff at short notice, for the bank worker there is none of the security of a permanent position, and none of the protection that is usually offered to employees.

For some bank workers this is perfect – they may only want to work on a very flexible basis, perhaps to work around their partner’s shifts, or around other obligations they have – perhaps caring for their own children or grandchildren, for instance.

However, where a bank worker has been used by one employer on a regular basis, there have been instances where they have taken the employer to a tribunal – arguing that in fact they are actually an ‘employee’ rather than a ‘worker’ and that they should be afforded the same rights.

Little v BMI Chiltern Hospital UKEAT/0021/09

A recent case involved Mr Little, who took the BMI Chiltern Hospital Trust to Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT). In Mr Little’s case, he had been working regularly for the BMI for various periods over nearly 16 years, working an average of between 20 and 30 hours a week as a bank theatre porter.

Written agreements were in place that confirmed that the work would be on an ‘as and when’ basis, that no work was guaranteed, and that Mr Little was perfectly entitled to refuse any work offered. However, there was a stipulation that if he refused work on four consecutive occasions, or was unavailable to work on four consecutive weeks, he would be removed from the bank.

The unfair dismissal claim resulted when the BMI terminated the arrangement for Mr Little to work on the bank.

However, because only employees can bring a claim for unfair dismissal, a pre hearing review had to be held to decide if he was an employee or not. Thanks to the fact that there was no obligation on the part of either party to provide or accept work, the tribunal decided he was not an employee and his claim failed.

That was not the end of the story – Mr Little appealed the decision, on the basis that each separate period of work for the BMI equated to a separate contract of employment and that during each period, there was mutual obligation.

However, the tribunal decided that while there were separate contracts, these were for freelance services and not employment contracts, so his appeal failed.

So, what does this mean for employers?

While you may think this means that you will never be at risk of bank staff claiming that they should have the rights of an employee, you would be wrong. Each case will still be judged on its own values.

However, HR teams should ensure that the following are in place to ensure that they are in a strong position should they ever find their company facing a tribunal:

  1. Ensure there is a written contract outlining both parties’ obligations.
  2. Ensure you conduct regular reviews of how and when bank staff are employed – ensuring that they are not regularly used for the same role, or same regular hours for instance.
  3. Written confirmation that the bank worker understands there is no mutual obligation.
  4. Ensure there is provision made for shifts to end partway through with no obligation for you to pay for unworked hours.

If you would like to discuss this subject further and how it could help your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury Mental Health

We all know that a company must have appointed first aiders, but who is taking care of your staff’s mental first aid?

Did you know 57% of UK workers (MIND: Half of workers have experienced poor mental health in current job, 11/09/2018) have experienced some issue with their mental health? And yet, while there is a legal requirement to have a first aider on site in case someone gets hurt at work, there is no such requirement for looking after your staff’s mental health.

However, that could be set to change. Last month, a debate took place in Parliament on legislative change around mental health first aid in the workplace. A cross-party group of MPs backed a motion to introduce legislation that would see mental and physical first aid placed on an equal footing. The move followed a public petition that garnered 200,000 signatures and the backing of 50 UK businesses and 60 MPs.

HSE – the independent regulator for work-related health – has also released guidance on mental health first aid (HSE: First aid needs assessment).

The problem with mental health issues is that they carry extra challenges – the stigma attached to it, the fear that revealing issues to your employer will put your job at risk, that colleagues and managers will judge you… Little surprise that a survey conducted by Mental Health charity Mind revealed that while half those surveyed had experienced a mental health problem, only half of that number had discussed it with their employer.

Aside from the human cost of ignoring mental health issues in the workplace, there is a financial cost too. According to the Centre for Mental Health Mental ill health costs UK employers £34.9 billion each year (Mental Health at Work: The business cost ten years on, 05/09/2017).

Why you need mental first aiders

If you have trained mental first aiders within your organisation, they will gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding mental health and the impact it can have on people.

They will also learn how to spot the signs of those who are struggling and gain the confidence to lead them in the direction of the support they need.

Like physical first aiders, it is not the job of your mental first aiders to ‘cure’ anyone with issues – they are there to spot the signs and point people in the direction of professionals who can help them further.

Mental first aiders can help to empower those who have long-term issues and enable them to thrive in the workplace. They can also help prevent mental health issues arising in the workplace by helping to create a supportive culture.

How to get mental first aiders trained

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised training course. It can teach your staff how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health, offer help and guide them to the appropriate support.

Mental Health First Aiders need to complete a two-day MHFA course. See mhfaengland.org for more details.

If you would like to discuss this subject further and how it could help your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury Right to Work

Update streamlines company checks on future foreign employees and their eligibility to work in the UK…

Employ someone who doesn’t have the right to work in the UK and you could find yourself at the start of a five-year jail sentence, not to mention the unlimited fine that you would have to pay. An employer who takes on someone who they knew or ‘had reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work here is risking a lot – their own freedom and their entire company potentially. So there’s a lot at stake and you need to make sure you make the required checks on any prospective employees, so that you are not liable.

New for 2019

Since April 2018, organisations have been able to use the online right to work checking service provided by the Home Office, and a new update on this comes into effect from 28 January 2019. Previously, it was a three-step checking procedure, which called for organisations to conduct follow-up checks on documents that are time-limited.

From the end of January, it will be possible for Human Resource departments to rely solely on the online service, without having to get documents from the prospective employee UNLESS your employee’s immigration status cannot be checked online.

In order to protect yourself, you must make sure you use the online service for each individual and only take them on once online checks have been completed. You will also be responsible for ensuring that the photo on the online check tallies up with the real-life person – and you must also keep a clear copy of the online check response for the total time the individual is employed – and for two years after that. This copy can be an electronic or hard copy.

If you employ students, you will need to have details of their term dates – and another online check must be done before any time-limitations run out.

When the online check is not enough

There will be cases where the online check cannot be carried out – for instance if there is an outstanding application, appeal, or review with the Home Office. In this instance, you should contact the Employer Checking Service and get a Positive Verification Notice, which will cover six months.

UK Nationals

As of 28 January 2019, if carrying out document checks on UK nationals, you no longer need full birth and adoption certificates. Short-form certificates are sufficient, together with an official document containing their National Insurance number. This is designed to make it easier for checks to be carried out on citizens without a UK passport.

If you would like to discuss this subject further and how it could help your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury Laughter

It’s not just an old wives’ tale – laughter and keeping happy can be the secret to content and productive staff – it’s the science of Laughology!

Laughology is a training and consulting organisation founded by Stephanie Davies.

Working on the stand-up circuit, she realised that humour could help her survive as she performed on the club circuit (in particular the male-dominated working men’s clubs in the North), and in turn came to the realisation that it could help both individuals and organisations.

With a background in community arts and a master’s degree in psychology, Stephanie studied at the famous Gesundheit! Institute with Hunter Doherty ‘Patch’ Adams – the doctor portrayed by Robin Williams in the film Patch Adams. Stephanie is now one of the UK’s most renowned experts on the science of humour, laughter and happiness.

Built around the psychology of humour, laughter and happiness, Stephanie has taken the Laughology model of learning and development to businesses and schools, with a combination of organisational behaviour change programmes, one-off sessions and workshops.

Now for the science part

Laughter and humour can trigger processes in the brain that make it easier to learn. They lead to the release of neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin, which are capable of heightening emotional response and maximising neurological function.

Think about the last time you went to a workshop or presentation – which bit did you remember the most? Odds-on it was the part where the presenter or instructor used some humour, got the delegates to interact and made you laugh. So, ensuring that any key messages or content you want to be remembered come with a touch of humour is incredibly effective.

A happy workforce

No one can be 100% happy, 100% of the time – it’s just not realistic. But realistic happiness combines a mixture of emotional states and mindsets that lead to positivity, resilience and robust mental health. Confidence, coping skills, positive relationships, support and personal development are the main drivers for this realistic happiness.

According to research, happy people are healthier, more motivated, resilient – and more productive, so for businesses and organisation, promoting happiness among staff is key.

How do they do it?

Laughology has really focused on the science behind happiness and uses that to devise effective methods to help bring realistic happiness into people’s lives.

It’s not about coming into the business and getting everyone belly-laughing and tittering all day long. It’s about ensuring that people have the skills to manage the ups and downs of life – whether at work or in their outside life – the ability to learn from their experiences and to grow and progress through the hard times as well as the good times.

The aim is to help organisations use the psychology of happiness to create a culture of happiness within their business, which allows the staff to build resilience, wellbeing, engagement and productivity.

If you would like to discuss this subject further and how it could help your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury Autumn Budget 2018

Key points for HR professionals to consider…

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, revealed his Budget 2018 on Monday 29 October – promising it would be a Budget for ‘the strivers, the grafters and carers’.

What are the key points for HR?

Mental health care

Increased spending for health care services should be a boost for employers, with many becoming more aware of the importance of managing staff who are suffering with mental ill health.

If you are looking at your internal processes to ensure support is in place within the workplace, and that external services are accessible for employees, the announcement of a 24-hour mental health crisis hotline will be a great tool.

Minimum Wage increases

Increases to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) will be introduced in April 2019. A reduction in business rates in the Budget should help to balance this out in your own budgets.

The changes are as follows:

  • National Living Wage for employees aged 25+ – from £7.83 to £8.21 an hour
  • National Minimum Wage rates:
    • employees aged 21-24 – from £7.38 to £7.70 an hour
    • employees aged 18-20 – from £5.90 to £6.15 an hour
    • employees aged 16-17 – from £4.20 to £4.35 an hour

Apprenticeships

The amount non-levy paying employers have to pay apprentices has been halved. At present, employers pay 10 per cent with the government paying the remaining 90%. This will drop to 5% in April 2019. The apprentice rate is rising from £3.70 to £3.90 an hour.

Self-employment

The IR35 rules are set to be extended to the private sector. These rules make employers responsible for assessing whether workers who are engaged through intermediaries, usually on a self-employed basis, should be taxed as if they were an employee. This change is set to come in in April 2020 – it will only affect to large and medium-sized organisations.

What didn’t happen?

There were rumours that there would be cuts to pension allowances or other moves to reform tax relief but that didn’t happen in this Budget.

If you would like to discuss this subject further and how it may affect your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury Christmas party dress code

How does your company dress code stand up to the latest government guidance and what do you need to consider for this year’s Christmas party?

Government Guidance

Earlier in the year, the government released some long-awaited guidance on discriminatory dress codes [CIPD: New dress code guidance published 22/05/2018].

Called ‘Dress codes and sex discrimination – what you need to know’ it offers best practice guidelines on how employers can avoid dress codes being discriminatory – with particular focus on sex discrimination.

The guidance followed a petition set up by Nicola Thorp, whose agency told her its grooming policy insisted women wear heels measuring between two and four inches. She was sent home for wearing flat shoes. The petition gathered more than 150,00 signatures.

The petition led to a report produced by two parliamentary committees, which gathered evidence from hundreds of women who felt that the way they had been forced to dress while at work was discriminatory or made them feel uncomfortable.

The guidance followed in May and while it doesn’t suggest that dress codes and uniforms for males and female staff should be identical, it does say that the standards imposed on both genders should be of an equivalent level.

The guidance isn’t very exact and it has been accused of being too wishy washy, with too many suggestions rather than hard guidelines – perhaps not surprising due to its very nature whilst considering LGBTQ. (For more information on LGBTQ, please click on the Wikipedia link.) But the general upshot is that while it says it may be unlawful to expect women to wear high heels, it would be best for companies to avoid making any gender-specific requirements at all when it comes to dress codes. For example, the dress code could require all employees – of either gender – to ‘wear smart shoes’.

Employers also need to consider religious requirements – for example expecting staff to wear a skirt, which could be against religious requirements to keep their legs covered.

Where the standards are the same for both genders – ie you need to dress smartly – you are on solid ground. Once you start expecting women to wear makeup or nail varnish or skirts – which is gender-specific – then that ground becomes legally shaky.

You might also need to think about making clothes accessible for those with disabilities. Not all disabilities are visible – someone with diabetes or arthritis may find it uncomfortable to wear smart shoes for instance. Someone in a wheelchair or with mobility issues may struggle with zips and buttons or find them uncomfortable when sitting in a chair.

Office Parties

Lots of companies have already booked their Christmas party – while some of us do little more than arrange a meal in a local pub with a few drinks, other companies arrange far grander affairs. It’s vital that you consider how any dress code could affect your employees and overshadow what is supposed to be a fun event to look forward to. At all times, think inclusiveness.

For instance, have you made it a black-tie affair? Not everyone has a dress suit in the wardrobe – and hiring one is not cheap. While your managers may think nothing of shelling out for suit hire, consider younger, lower-paid staff – and people who just don’t have spare cash to spend on one night out.

The same goes for female staff who may not be able to splash out for a new dress and for what should have been a fun night out with colleagues.

It’s important that everyone feels comfortable with the party dress code – if you are planning on some sort of themed event, ensure the fancy dress is easily attainable. Going for a colour theme – black and white for instance – allows people to enter the spirit as much as they want to/are able to. It’s easy to add a white scarf to a black dress, while those who want to go all out are welcome to hire a panda costume or get the department to dress up as a set of dominoes!

Giving people plenty of choice and options will allow them to do what they feel comfortable with and leave them to enjoy the night – which is the whole point of that office party!

If you would like to discuss any issues relating to inclusiveness, and how it may affect your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury Employees Working

Guidelines released by the government show that protection of workers and the legal responsibilities of employers to their staff are set to remain…

The looming spectre of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit is breeding an atmosphere of uncertainty across the UK – whether you are a home owner, business owner or someone who has to deal with HR issues and workers’ rights.

March 29, 2019 will see the EU leave the UK – and if the increasingly likely-looking ‘no-deal’ happens, the government has released guidelines on what the legal implications might be.

Workers’ Rights

The good news is that the government has already confirmed that there will be no alterations to current rights for workers of their protection – this is all covered in the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which translates EU legislation into UK law. Dominic Raab, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, told a recent press conference that domestic law already exceeds the EU when it comes to these matters, and that existing EU provisions would be transferred into UK legislation after Brexit.

What could be a risk in the longer term is the fact that, because these rights will simply be under UK rather than EU law, Parliament could at any time choose to scrap them and there would be no redress to the EU Court of Human Rights.

EU Citizens

If you’re a European Union (EU) citizen, you and your family will be able to apply to get either ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status. This will mean you can continue living in the UK after December 2020.

The application fee will be £65 for adults and £32.50 for children. The application process will be phased and is intended to be fully operational by March 2019. There will be a grace period until 30 June 2021 for EU nationals to apply for either status.

Two useful articles on this include An employer’s guide to preparing for Brexit [People Management: An employer’s guide to preparing for Brexit, 3 Sep 2018] and, on the Gov.co.uk website here [GOV.UK: Settled and pre-settled status for EU citizens and their families].

European Councils

One group that may be affected are European works councils, which represent the European employees at a company or organisation. However, the document states that UK regulations will be altered to enable new requests for a works council to be set up and to allow existing ones to continue.

If your company has European Works Councils and trades unions that are parties to European Works Council agreements, you may need to review your agreements as there will no longer be reciprocal arrangements between the UK and the EU.

Insolvency

Another change relates to employer insolvency. Should an employer go into insolvency, employees will still be protected under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and Pension Schemes Act 1993 implementing the Insolvency Directive [EUR-Lex: Document 32008L0094] or relevant legislation in Northern Ireland.

However, UK and EU employees who work in an EU country for a UK employer may be at risk. It is possible that they will be covered under the national guarantee fund in that country, but that is not a given at this stage.

Finally, should we leave the EU without a deal, the UK would also no longer have access to the European Single Market. This would mean companies would have to make customs declarations on all EU trade, and you may need to employ customs brokers or warehousing. This could be pricey, especially for smaller businesses, so if this applies to your organisation it would be worth becoming familiar with existing guidelines for importing and exporting outside of the UK.

Read the full guidance document from the Government here [GOV.UK: Workplace rights if there’s no Brexit deal].

If you would like to discuss any issues relating to your HR provision and Brexit, and how it may affect your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.

Embrace HR Aylesbury GDPR-3-Months-On

It’s three months since the GDPR regulations were introduced – now is a great time to review your own situation and ensure that those responsible for HR in your organisation are complying with these regulations…

The GDPR regulations, which were introduced in May, govern how businesses – whatever their size – handle personal data; this includes information handed over during the recruitment process, as well as staff information, data garnered from marketing initiatives and so on.

According to the Information Commissioner, the new laws, along with some high-profile investigations, have been instrumental in bringing data protection and privacy to the core of the UK public’s consciousness:

Elizabeth Denham said: “This is an important time for privacy rights, with a new legal framework and increased public interest.

“Transparency and accountability must be paramount, otherwise it will be impossible to build trust in the way that personal information is obtained, used and shared online.”

Interestingly, in contrast, recent research from the Chartered Institute of Marketing [CIM: Public understanding of data protection down as GDPR arrives] suggests that public understanding of data protection had actually dropped following the introduction of GDPR, as had their trust in companies using their data responsibly, with 73% not trusting technology platforms such as Facebook and Twitter with their personal data.

So, three months in, do you understand your own responsibilities with regard to GDPR – are you happy that you are compliant, and that you can remain compliant with the regulations going forward?

If you need a reminder about how important this is, if you do not comply with the GDPR regulations, which aim to enhance data protection and the right to privacy for EU citizens, you could find yourself facing a fine of 20m Euro or 4% of the company’s turnover.

For HR staff, it means that company employees must opt in to their personal data being used – and be aware of what it will be used for. This also applies to those in the recruitment process.

It is easy enough to put into practice – a data privacy statement should be signed by each employee – however you must remember that if you ever plan to use that information for a different purpose to the one outlined in the statement – you MUST get their express permission.

So, if you made sure this was done in time for May’s new regulations, now would be a good chance to revisit your statement and ensure that data is not likely to be used for any other purposes than those you listed last time.

If there are new additions – ensure you get a new statement produced, issued and signed.

Still not really sure where you stand with relation to the GDPR and data protection? We recommend this really useful tool for SMEs ­- Data protection self-assessment toolkit from the Information Commissioner’s office (ICO).

This toolkit will help you assess whether you are remaining compliant with GDPR, and what you need to do if not. The checklist is aimed at small and medium businesses.

At Embrace HR we know that managing people’s personal information is part and parcel of the HR process. We use HR software to easily keep data up to date and to manage what we need to keep and for how long. Software is a simple way to help comply in part with the GDPR. Take a look here for more information and to sign up for your free trial.

If you would like to discuss this subject further and how it may affect your business, please contact Cecily Lalloo at Embrace HR Limited.

T: 01296 761 288 or contact us here.

Based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Embrace HR Limited supports business owners who do not have their own HR department or those that do but need help from time to time. We also work across the Home Counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and also SMEs based in London.