Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Letters

by Personnel Today 13 May 2003
by Personnel Today 13 May 2003

This week’s letters

SARS advice is not to compel staff to take unpaid leave

In response to the article on employers’ responsibilities regarding staff
travelling to SARS-affected areas (‘SARS epidemic could create legal
minefield’, 29 April 2003), I would like to clarify the CIPD’s position.

I was asked by your interviewer what the position would be if the Government
introduced a compulsory period of quarantine and employees voluntarily went to
a SARS-affected area on holiday, knowing they would not be able to return to
work. I replied that, in those circumstances, employers "might feel
justified" in requiring the quarantine period to be taken as unpaid leave,
but that the legal position was not clear.

We would not recommend that employers should compel employees to take unpaid
leave where they are required to take time off in such circumstances. The
situation with SARS is clearly evolving on an almost daily basis, and the CIPD
advises that employers should closely monitor the advice given by the
Government.

Diane Sinclair
Lead adviser, public policy, CIPD

Nobody wins in cat and mouse game

The fact that employers struggle with over-complex legislation comes as no
surprise (News, 22 April). The companies most affected have failed to get an
effective information management system in place, which allows complete control
over regulatory information. This includes HR legislation. In such cases,
increasing red tape becomes a type of cat-and-mouse game, where nobody wins.

What the article lacks is a solution. Rather than complain to the
Government, or pin the blame on Brussels, employers need to be proactive.

Companies need to implement systems so they can manage the information
overload effectively. By disseminating this to the right people, they can
ensure consistent and accurate information is always available and regularly
updated.

By keeping on top of legislation, using the correct systems, employers can
ensure they take appropriate action before issues get taken out of the office
into court.

Paul Ellis
Director,TSO

Napping on the job is hardly flattering

I was interested in your Guru article on staff taking a nap (29 April).

A friend of mine was running an internal training session when she realised
a delegate had fallen asleep. Deciding to save the delegate embarrassment, she
continued speaking. The delegate slept for an hour – only waking when she started
to snore.

Helen Boardman
Training and development manager, Addleshaw Booth and Co

Practical experience scores over theory

I have been a licentiate member of the CIPD for a number of years. I remain
one because I refuse to spend unnecessary time and money resitting exams which
are purely based on theory, and do not have any real relevance to the skills
required for a position within HR/personnel.

Has this stopped my professional career? Of course not. Years of experience
are far more valuable than textbook theories. The only real benefit I ever
found was the experience of studying with fellow students. Again, any good
networking system would increase this. I feel let down and deserted by the
CIPD.

Jean Dugmore
via e-mail

Personnel Today
Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Redundancy fear haunts Europeans
next post
Employees call for congestion charging across UK

You may also like

Employees going into office just 1.5 days a...

15 Aug 2022

Barrister wins gender critical belief discrimination claim

27 Jul 2022

‘Patchy’ mental health services failing ethnic minority communities

11 Jul 2022

Global study highlights hypertension treatment failings

8 Jul 2022

NICE sets out new guideline on managing depression

8 Jul 2022

Half of employees struggle to switch off on...

8 Jul 2022

Five steps for organisations across the globe to...

8 Jun 2022

The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls

24 May 2022

Grants scheme set up to support women’s health...

16 May 2022

How music can help to ease anxiety at...

9 May 2022
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+