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Sickness absence due to ‘morning sickness” In light of the news that the Duchess of Cambridge had to cancel a recent appointment due to suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), or as more commonly known, extreme morning sickness, I wondered just how this affects the average employer; and just wh…
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Is there a difference in a health and safety fine compared to a fire safety fine? A question that I have been wondering about for some time. You would you’re a health and safety person! Well, yes I suppose I am and proud of it! Back to my quandary. It would appear that two companies were co-handed…
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Why do we have probation periods? Although there is no statutory requirement to include probationary periods in an employment contract, this process is recommended to monitor a new or newly promoted employee’s performance. There is no set period that a probation should be for and therefore it shoul…
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Pallet stacking safely is paramount Accidents can happen if stacking safely is not adhered to. Earlier this year a company was fined £2 million when two stacked plastic bales fell and crushed a man to death. What happened? The bales were stacked three high and around eight or nine deep, however…
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Tips for machine safety when operating machines in the workplace With a couple of recent fatalities in the waste and recycling industry associated to machinery, I want to remind everyone about their duties for machine safety. What happened? The basic principle of these tragedies was contact with…
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Does your business have a drive safely policy, or are you one of the 21% of businesses in the UK that lacks one? The HSE estimate that "more than a quarter of all road traffic incidents may involve someone who is driving as part of their work at the time."
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Tribunal Fees Ruled Unlawful Tribunal fees were introduced on 29 July 2013 as a measure to deal with the high volume of Tribunal claims. As a result of the implementation of this policy tribunal applications were reduced by more than 70% in 3 years! Trade body, Unison sought to challenge the gove…
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Shared Parental Leave causing waves in the courts! The Shared Parental Leave Regulations came into force in December 2014 allowing parents to share the care of the child over the 52 week leave period following the birth/adoption. SPL also saw the end of additional paternity leave. Almost three ye…
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Do your apprenticeship contracts fall within the scope of the new rules on apprentices? With the apprenticeship levy in full swing it is important to note that apprenticeship contracts need to be such that they fall within the scope of the new rules on apprentices, rather than the old common-law ru…
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QInteractive 2017 - Another highly successful event Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who attended QInteractive 2017 which was held on Friday, 30th June at Leicester Race Course. We would like to extend a special thanks to our guest speakers and presenters Wasim Khan, Eileen Richards, Chris…
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What lessons can we learn from children? When it comes to living in the adult world, we sometimes need to take a step back and reflect on what we are doing/saying/teaching/treating – (delete the appropriate words) and think about how we can become better/more productive/efficient/worthy – (delete a…
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Imagine the scene – it’s Week 3 of the year’s 2nd Quarter. You know how important it is that the first month of the Q is a successful one, as it helps build momentum or maybe even carry the momentum forward from a successful Q1. Everyone is expecting you to deliver a strong performance, because that…
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All the staff at Quest want to send their thoughts to the friends, family and all those affected by the fire that ravaged through the Grenfell Tower housing block on Wednesday 14th June. We also want to praise the efforts and speed of reaction by the London Fire Brigade and the teamwork of the ambu…
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Incremental Holiday System – Increasing holiday entitlement Increasing holiday entitlement for long serving employees is one of the methods employers use to reward employees for their commitment to the company. This week a client wanted to implement an incremental holiday system based on employee…
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Who is at risk of HAVS? Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is a workplace disease that causes pain and damage in fingers, hands and arms. The main causes are prolonged use of power tools and operating heavy machinery. So, who is at risk? That will depend on the type of equipment you are using and…
Read moreDo you know the 10 steps when dismissing an employee due to ill health? If you are considering terminating an employee’s contract on the grounds of ill health, it is important to follow a fair and reasonable procedure for someone who is on long term sick. You must ensure there are justifiable reaso…
Read moreComplying with health and safety To take the hit or to comply that is the safety question! Top tips below. Companies are still willing to take the risk of not complying with health and safety legislation and those caught out are being hit massively! Is this true? What do you mean? Anecdotal evid…
Read moreHR's role is more than just peace of mind Many people would be forgiven for thinking that HR’s role was only concerned with ensuring administrative processes work smoothly and employee relation issues are managed appropriately. All in accordance with complex and continually changing employment leg…
Read moreAll the staff at Quest want to send their thoughts to the friends, family and members of the school of the poor young girl who lost her life at Drayton Manor on Tuesday. Many thoughts of ‘…how could this happen…?’ I’m sure be resonating for many people, but we know that things can happen that are o…
Read moreProof of eligibility to work in the UK and Immigration Act 2016 Eligibility to work in the UK became a hot topic back in the late 2000s when the laws on illegal working were considerably bumped up. The Asylum and Immigration Act 2006 introduced civil penalties for employers who take on employees w…
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