Feeling hot, hot, hot!

 

 

As we move into summer, the temperatures will keep rising (hopefully!). But with hot weather can come HR issues. So we wanted to give you some advice to make sure they don’t make you sweat.

It’s too hot in here!

You must keep temperatures in the work environment ‘reasonable’. What is ‘reasonable’ is dependant on the type of work being carried out. If the work is physical, temperatures will need to be lower. If people are getting to warm, make sure you have the windows open and also keep some water in the fridge, to make sure your staff are staying hydrated.

You are not going out dressed like that!

You may relax your dress code policy when the weather is very hot, but to what extent is up to you. It is important to still be presentable, especially in client facing roles and still adhere to the Health and Safety regulations relevant to your business.

Either way, you must remind staff to dress appropriately. Common sense can go a long way, no matter the weather.

First come, first served!

Having an effective holiday policy can help deal with competing holiday requests. You are not obliged to agree to holiday requests at a specific time, such as school summer holidays, unless it says otherwise in the Contract of Employment.

If you have several employees asking for the same time off, the best way to deal with it is on a first come, first served basis, or a rota. Be consistent and fair.

Where are you?

You have refused the holiday request, but they go ahead and take it anyway! The best thing to do is to carry out an investigation to establish why the employee has acted in this way. If there is no justifiable reason, start the disciplinary process. No ifs, no buts.

When are you coming back?

What do you do if employee returns late from their holiday? Instead of assuming the worst, give the employee the chance to explain, in the case of ill health being provided as an explanation, you are able to ask for a medical certificate as evidence. But if you feel the reasons that have been provided are not genuine, then you may want to consider starting a disciplinary process.
Have a burning HR issue in your business? Call us on 0115 870 0150 or email nickie@yourhrlawyer.co.uk