The objective of the training is to ensure designated Advisors are competent and confident in undertaking their role.

The training will support attendees knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the role to include:

• An overview of harassment and bullying, its various forms, differences and similarities;
• An overview of informal and formal dignity at work procedures and how both work in practice;
• Requirements for confidentiality and impartiality when undertaking the Advisor role, including circumstances when it is appropriate to disclose confidential information;
• Important personal skills and qualities required to perform the role;
• Undertaking the role: working through the stages of the meeting with the employee to include:

Listening to the employee’s issues,

• Asking helpful questions,
• Providing advice and guidance on policy options
• Record keeping including, what to record and record retention/deletion.

This course will include practical skills and role play tasks to give attendees the opportunity to experience the Advisor role in the most realistic way possible.

Our comprehensive half day course will provide attendees with a strong foundation in data protection law and the requirements of good data management practice. The course will also raise awareness around different types of data breaches and the steps that should be taken to mitigate against any loss or harm to the employee.

Key areas of learning include:

• An overview of the law regulating data protection
• Understanding the fundamentals of lawful, fair and transparent processing
• The principles of good data management
• A review of individuals data protection rights
• What constitutes a data breach and what actions should follow?
• Recognising and responding to a subject access request

The workshop will walk attendees through the requirements of a fair and lawful dismissal, giving clear guidance on substantive and procedural fairness. Using of a variety of case studies, attendees will also be guided on key stages of the disciplinary process, starting with case preparation through to making balanced and fair decisions. The workshop will equip attendees with practical strategies for handling responses to allegations and dealing with complex challenges.

In addition, the workshop will also specifically look at the role of the appeal manager and in particular, the range of appeal grounds and correct approach to progressing each.  Managers will be guided on making decisions on appeal outcomes and the basis for overturning decisions on appeal.

This interactive workshop with cover:

• How to avoid unfair dismissals
• Preparing for high level disciplinary and appeal hearings
• Conducting hearings – understanding the employee’s case  / appeal grounds through effective questioning
• How to correctly weigh up evidence
• Applying fair sanctions and applying “the band of reasonable responses test”,
• Overturning original decisions on appeal
• Understanding mitigation and the part it plays in final decisions
• The importance of drafting well-reasoned rationale documents and guidance on what they should contain.

Delivered over 2 days to provide a detailed and highly practical understanding of the key areas of HR involvement, the subject areas covered include:

• The role of HR in supporting employees and your organisation
• The importance of employment contracts and the purpose of policies and procedures
• Effective strategies for the management of short and long term absence
• How to support and advise on performance management issues
• How to support and advise during investigation and disciplinary processes, including dismissal
• Grievance handling
• Understanding less favourable treatment, avoiding discrimination, managing disability and making reasonable adjustments

The course will focus on practical aspects of these topics, with an emphasis on upskilling attendees on how to:

• Draft letters, frame allegations, prepare outcomes and well-reasoned rationale documents
• Prepare for and conduct investigation interviews and disciplinary hearings, including areas for questioning and identifying sources of evidence
• Manage employee grievances and consider options to resolve issues and support harmonious working relations
• Document meetings and take reliable notes that may be relied on in future Tribunal proceedings

This is an interactive and highly practical course delivered over 2 days to provide attendees with an in-depth understanding of the key aspects of the employment relationship. The use of practical exercises and case studies will develop managers’ skills and confidence when dealing with a range of employment issues.

Conducting Investigations & Disciplinary Procedures

We cover the legal and practical aspects of investigations and managing discipline and the importance of fairness and consistency in the application of the organisational rules and procedures, including:

• Understanding the importance of the Organisation’s policies and procedures
• The role of the investigator, how to conduct effective workplace investigations and understand sources of evidence
• How to conduct effective investigatory interviews and prepare an investigation report
• The role of the disciplinary chair and the responsibilities towards an employee during a disciplinary process
• Managing formal discipline including: how to draft allegations of misconduct; holding effective disciplinary hearings; and the rights of the accompanying person
• How to make fair and reasonable disciplinary decisions, prepare a rationale document and a well-drafted outcome letter
• The importance of note taking and the retention of records to protect the Organisation
• The law in respect of unfair dismissal and the LRA Code of Practice on Disciplinary (and Grievance) Procedures

Effective Performance Management

The management of performance is an important responsibility for managers and team leaders, however managers need to feel confident to be able to handle potentially challenging/sensitive conversations. We cover:

• Identifying early signs of unsatisfactory performance and engaging early intervention measures
• Handling challenging/sensitive performance conversations – what should be covered and what should be avoided?
• How to provide constructive feedback and set realistic goals, standards and objectives
• Motivating and encouraging employees through effective communication
• Practical guidance on managing on-going performance issues through a formal process up to and including termination.

Managing Absence

We cover both practical and legal issues involved in dealing with absence, with particular emphasis on holding conversations and conducting meetings with absent employees about different medical issues.

Though the use of case studies the session will cover the following areas:

• Proactively managing absence at the early stages to include:
• Gathering relevant information from employees who report absent;
• Conducting effective return to work interviews

Case managing longer term absence to include:

• Preparing for and holding employee attendance review meetings
• Reviewing medical reports with employees
• Understanding the duty to make reasonable adjustments and the role of the manager in implementing adjustments.

Managing Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace

Promoting and maintaining a workplace that is one where all employees are treated with dignity and respect requires that managers are able to identify behavioural concerns and deal with complaints in an appropriate and sensitive manner. We cover:

• The purpose of the Organisation’s Dignity at Work and Equal Opportunities Policies
• The obligations and responsibilities managers have in the promotion of dignity at work
• Identifying bullying and harassing behaviours and understanding the similarities and differences between bullying and harassment
• Handling employee complaints using both an informal and formal procedure

This highly practical course covers all the legal and practical aspects of effectively managing the disciplinary process from conducting investigations through to holding appeal meetings. At the end of the course attendees will have a better working knowledge of all elements of the process and the importance of fair procedures and ensuring consistency in the application of organisational rules and procedures.

Course content

• An overview of the law relevant to discipline, including unfair dismissal and the WRC Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures
• The importance of the Organisation’s policies and procedures in communicating standards and the process for dealing with misconduct
• When is suspending an employee appropriate?
• Conducting thorough investigations from planning stage to completing an investigation report
• How to conduct effective investigatory interviews and deal with common challenges such as, requests for anonymity
• Drafting disciplinary invitations and practical guidance on framing “fit for purpose” misconduct allegations
• Preparing for and holding fair disciplinary hearings; understanding the right to representation
• How to make fair and impartial disciplinary decisions and prepare a rationale document and a well-drafted and reasoned outcome letter
• The importance of documenting meetings and key criteria for taking reliable notes

Our comprehensive one-day training course will give those who handle dignity at work complaints the confidence and expertise needed to undertake such investigations.  The training will upskill attendees in performing the investigator role, to include: gathering evidence; interviewing different types of witnesses; making findings of fact and writing conclusions, as well as focusing on some of the critical skills required to be effective in the role.

Course Content

Key areas covered in the training include:

• The nature of dignity at work investigations and purpose of the investigator’s role
• Understanding the distinctions between harassment and bullying, including the legal test for harassment
• Scoping and planning a dignity at work investigation
• Gathering evidence, including how to conduct better investigation interviews with different types of witnesses (complainant, alleged perpetrator, observer, other) using effective questioning techniques
• Handling difficult interview situations
• Assessing evidence and making findings of fact
• How to structure and present an investigation report
• Documenting meetings and key criteria for taking reliable notes

This half-day course is designed for anyone within your Organisation who is either assigned to deal with allegations of bullying & harassment, or whose role is to oversee bullying & harassment (Dignity at Work) complaints. As such, this course will be of benefit to all levels of management and those in an HR professional role.

The Bullying Code of Practice specifically highlights that those tasked with dealing with bullying complaints must have appropriate training and experience. Through this course we examine the requirements of the Code and provide practical advice on the handling of complaints to ensure fairness to all parties involved and compliance with the Code.

Course Content

Through the use of case studies, the course covers the following areas:

• Bullying and harassment: understanding the similarities and differences between the types of behaviours
• Understanding the roles of the Contact Person and the Nominated Person and their responsibilities
• How to handle, and attempt to resolve, concerns via an informal process and the benefits of an informal resolution
• The role of mediation and when it might be appropriate
• How to conduct a formal investigation, from preparation of terms of reference, to presenting an investigation report
• The importance of documenting meetings and key criteria for taking reliable notes

This one-day course will simplify the principles of TUPE, and will enable you to decide on the best strategy and practice to ensure a successful outcome of the TUPE process for your business.

This half-day course will provide a comprehensive awareness of how to identify the most suitable options for your business when facing a downturn in activity or a need to restructure. We will demonstrate how to communicate and carry out a redundancy programme in the fairest, most effective and legally compliant way from start to finish.