Part of my role is monitoring absence. It's come to my notice that one member of staff has been off for some time because of a leg injury. I have reasons to suspect there's nothing much wrong with him. His job involves minimal manual work. I've told him  More...
22 October 2008 12:10

As HR director of a newspaper publishing group I'm dealing with the case of a long-serving employee who is clearly an alcoholic and whose behaviour and language is upsetting some of his colleagues, although most don't seem to mind. I'd like to dismiss h  More...
10 October 2008 17:55

Employers cringe when they see an employee misbehaving in public , but what can they do about it? Stephanie Dale and Hannah Ford consider the options.   More...
08 October 2008 15:03

Dishonest workers have increasingly fiddled expense claims to make themselves extra cash as rising prices in the shops and at the petrol pumps take their toll, legal experts have claimed. Consultancy firm Employment Law Advisory Services (Elas)  More...
08 October 2008 08:00

What's the strangest or most awkward gripe you have ever come across? We want to hear from you. Get it off your chest here In a previous HR job I was in the unenviable position of being the first port of call for grievances and general moaning by th  More...
15 September 2008 00:00

I wholeheartedly agree with the reader who believes that the decision in the Procek v Oakford Farms Limited case regarding how grievances are dealt with is a backward step ('Formal procedures will put people off complaining', Personnel Today ,   More...
28 August 2008 10:52

Manufacturers' body the EEF is to tour the UK with conciliation body Acas to help employers understand how the forthcoming dispute resolution system will work. Next April, a more flexible system will replace the current grievance, disciplinary and  More...
22 August 2008 08:45

Vodafone sacked or disciplined 429 employees for fraud or ethical breaches last year, according to figures revealed in its annual corporate responsibility report. The mobile communications giant also dismissed or warned 186 contractors during 200  More...
07 July 2008 10:00

I enjoyed reading Ranjit Dhindsa's article regarding Acas's new code of practice on discipline and grievance ('Be seen to be fair or face up to a fine', Personnel Today , 27 May ). It prompted me to ask Personnel Today readers for their comments  More...
13 June 2008 00:00

The revised Acas code of practice on grievances and disciplinary procudures is shorter and less prescriptive, but employers should still be wary  More...
23 May 2008 17:48

A country-wide database of 'workplace offenders' will be launched later this month to combat the annual loss of half-a-billion pounds through staff theft and fraud. The National Staff Dismissal Register will allow employers to share and access detai  More...
08 May 2008 14:58

Q One of our managers was out at a social event with staff. In an incident witnessed by everyone present, he got a female member of staff in a headlock and grabbed her breasts. The woman later reported the incident, but stated that she didn't want it ta  More...
13 March 2008 11:39

Court staff will face disciplinary action for serious failures that resulted in hundreds of defendants escaping trial and thousands more avoiding being recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC). Justice secretary Jack Straw announced an urgent   More...
13 March 2008 09:33

Half of small and medium-sized firms are "afraid" to discipline staff for fear of being sued, new research has found. A survey of 1,100 employers conducted by employment law firm, Peninsula, found that nine in 10 respondents would discipline staff i  More...
28 February 2008 11:28

Employee misconduct usually requires HR to follow up with an investigation, but what's the best way to approach it?   More...
11 February 2008 15:12

In many cases, employees who are subject to disciplinary action are suspended as a matter of course. However, the recent case of Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust v Atkinson has highlighted the danger of suspension witho  More...
04 February 2008 13:00

The government's Employment Bill proposal to completely scrap the statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures was hailed as great news for all those in human resources (HR) who had struggled with the unwieldy processes introduced in 2004.   More...
14 January 2008 12:23

Surrey County Council has launched a hotline telephone service for staff to vent any workplace grievances, as part of its investing in staff strategy. The anonymous service enables the council's staff to raise problems on matters such as bul  More...
14 January 2008 10:37

It's January, and everyone is back at their desks. But for a few tired revellers it won't just be a hangover they are nursing after their behaviour at the Christmas party. Some may be hauled into a disciplinary meeting after overstepping the mark with a  More...
08 January 2008 00:00

Employers face bigger fines at employment tribunals if they fail to follow a statutory code of practice under proposed new laws. The Employment Bill gives tribunals the power to increase compensation by 25% if an employer 'unreasonably fails' to fo  More...
14 December 2007 11:00