Over the past year the HR helpline has been asked to help on a wide range of employee queries that impact both organisations and employees.

In this week’s HR article, we reveal the top five recurring questions and themes that the HR helpline has received and provide an overview of best practices and steps to manage them effectively.

1: How Should I Follow a Fair Redundancy Process?

If you are tasked with restructuring your workforce, you may be faced with the tough decision to make some of your employees redundant. To do this, you must follow a fair, legal and transparent process. Listed below are key points of the process:

• Establish a genuine and justifiable reason for redundancy – you need to ensure that you have a valid business reason for redundancy such as financial constraints, closure, or reduced demand for services.
• Consultation – if fewer than twenty redundancies are planned, employers can consult directly with affected employees, explaining the reasons for redundancy and exploring alternatives to redundancy. If there are 20 or more redundancies planned within 90 days, employers need to consult with employee representatives or a union for a minimum of 30 days, and 45 days where there are 100+ redundancies.
• Fair selection process – employers must define objective and non-discriminatory selection criteria and then apply this consistently to the affected employees.
• Consider alternatives – consider options to avoid redundancy such as redeployment, reduced hours, or voluntary redundancies.
• Provide notice and support – issue written redundancy notices in line with statutory or contractual notice periods, offer information on outplacement support and confirm redundancy pay, if applicable.
• Right to appeal – allow employees to appeal the decision which forms part of a fair process.
• Documentation - keep clear and accurate records of the process to demonstrate fairness and compliance. 

2. What is the Best Way To Manage A Grievance?

Managing complaints in the workplace, whether informal or formal, requires employers to follow a fair and supportive work environment. There are two ways that employers can manage complaints in the workplace, informally and formally:

• Informal Grievance – employees should first try to resolve the issue informally by discussing their concerns directly with their line manager or HR. The manager should then investigate and take reasonable steps to resolve the issue quickly, such as mediating or adjusting working conditions.
• Formal Grievance – if the issue remains unresolved, the employee should submit a formal grievance in writing, detailing the concern and desired resolution. The employer must acknowledge receipt of the grievance and outline the grievance procedure. An investigation manager should review the grievance by gathering evidence and interviewing relevant parties. The employee will then attend a hearing to present their case, and they can bring a colleague or trade union representative to support them. The decision / outcome must be communicated in writing and the employee has the right to appeal. 

3. What is Best Practice When it Comes to Managing the Probation Process?

Managing the probation process effectively ensures that new employees integrate well and meet performance expectations. Below is an outline of the management process.

• Clear communication of expectations - before starting, provide the employee with a clear job description, performance criteria, and key objectives for the probation period. They should have a copy of the probation policy and be aware of the duration of probation, the reviews periods, and potential outcomes.
• Regular monitoring and feedback - assign a line manager to oversee the employee’s progress who will need to conduct regular check-ins to assess performance, provide feedback, and address concerns.
• Formal review meetings – the manager should schedule structured review meetings, typically midway through and near the end of the probation period. The reviews should evaluate performance, attendance, behaviour, and cultural fit whilst highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.
• Documentation – it is crucial to maintain detailed records of all feedback, training, and support provided during the probationary period.
• Support and development – managers must provide necessary training and resources to help the employee succeed and offer constructive advice and set achievable goals to improve, if needed.
• Probation outcome - at the end of the period, confirm the outcome in writing, if an extension is required, the employer should allow extra time to improve.

4. Can You Advise on the Correct Disciplinary Process?

The disciplinary process is a structured approach to addressing employee misconduct or performance issues; below is a list of steps which outline the management process:

• Informal Resolution - minor issues should be addressed informally through discussion with the employee. Managers should offer guidance, support, and opportunities to improve.
• Formal Process - If informal efforts fail or there is an allegation of serious misconduct, the manager must initiate the formal process by investigating the issue thoroughly. They must notify the employee in writing of the hearing, clearly outlining the allegations, evidence, and potential consequences and provide reasonable notice. The disciplinary hearing manager should conduct the hearing with impartiality and present the evidence whilst allowing the employee to respond and ask clarifying questions. After the hearing, the hearing manager should decide on an appropriate outcome based on the evidence and inform the employee in writing, detailing the decision, reasoning, and any right to appeal.

5. How Should I Manage Training and Development Requests?

There has been an increase in employees’ requests to develop their skills through training and development. When responding to training and development requests, managers should adapt a structured approach, to ensure alignment with organisational goals and employee needs.

Evaluate how the training aligns with the employee’s current role, future development, and organisational objectives, and consider how the training will improve performance, skills, or career progression.

If management approves the request, they should inform the employee of the decision in writing and outline next steps for enrolment and support. If the Practice is unable to support the request, explain the rationale and explore other development opportunities.

Do follow up post-training to review the impact and ensure skills are applied effectively and encourage knowledge-sharing to maximise organisational benefit.

A clear and fair process ensures employee development is supported while balancing business needs.

You can submit an HR query by following the link in our FPM Core compliance system.