Croner Training

Dealing with sensitive issues in employment

Date	20 April 2010
Duration	1 Day
Price	GBP 649 + VAT Membership Price: 324.5 + VAT
Location	London
Venue	The Hatton (etc Venues)
Registration	9.00-9.30
Close of Seminar	17.00
Our code	34338
Also held on	10 November 2010, London 28 April 2011, London

• Why you should attend this seminar
• Who should attend?
• Benefits of attending
• Programme
• Speakers
• Quotes from past delegates
• Are you a Croner publications subscriber?
• In-house training
• A total compliance solution

Why you should attend this seminar

As anyone in HR is only too painfully aware, there are numerous issues which might be relatively straightforward for a lawyer to offer advice on but which are much more difficult to handle in practical terms. Difficult, yet not impossible! This programme has been designed specifically to help you deal with the most sensitive and emotive situations you are likely to come across in the workplace.

The speakers are experts in their field and will give you practical guidance and advice on how to resolve such issues within the present – and developing – legal framework and in accordance with current best practice. There will be ample opportunity for you to raise issues with which you are particularly concerned right now.

Who should attend?

All those concerned with day-to-day personnel issues, including:

• HR and personnel professionals
• Company directors
• In-house legal advisers
• Line managers

The programme is equally applicable to private and public sector organisations.

Benefits of attending

This seminar will:

1. Give you practical advice and guidance on specific issues currently troubling many employers
2. Reinforce your legal knowledge to help you avoid costly mistakes and pitfalls
3. Help you recognise symptoms of problems in the workplace, such as bullying and drug abuse, enabling you to tackle the problems before they get worse
4. Offer practical advice on how to identify – and deal with – sensitive health issues
5. Enable you to deal with personality conflicts, personal hygiene and office romances sensitively yet effectively
6. Provide guidance for handling redundancies
7. Help you identify and deal with sensitive discrimination issues
8. Provide an understanding of privacy in the workplace
9. Give you tips on breaking bad news

Above all, this programme will give you the confidence to confront and resolve any sensitive issue secure in the knowledge that you are following fundamental legal principles and applying best HR practice.

Programme

9.00 Registration and coffee

9.30 Discrimination – handling day-to-day issues

• Sex discrimination
• Flexible working requests
• Transsexuals
• Age discrimination
• Dealing with requests to work past retirement age
• Age-related banter
• Disability
• What is a disability?
• What is a ‘reasonable adjustment’?
• Case law update
• Honesty at work
• Giving and receiving references
• Criminal convictions
• Criminal offences in and out of work
• Bullying and harassment
• How to respond to complaints
• Policy and procedure
• Case law update

Patricia Jagger,

10.45 Coffee

11.00 Personal issues

• Personality clashes
• When should you intervene?
• How should you deal with it?
• Can you dismiss?
• Personal hygiene and appearance
• How to deal with problems such as body odour
• Potential constructive dismissal claims
• It could be a ‘medical’ complaint
• Office romances
• Should an employer take action?
• Problems caused by relationships
• Potential sexual harassment claims
• Handling the bad news
• Implementing redundancies
• Consultation requirements
• How to select for redundancy
• Looking at alternative work
• Examples of letters
• Dismissal and maternity rights
• Can you ever dismiss a pregnant woman?
• Negotiating settlements/compromise agreements
• What is a compromise agreement?
• When should they be used?
• Calculating severance packages

Patricia Jagger, Independent Consultant, JM Personnel Services

12.30 Lunch

1.30 Sensitive discrimination issues

• Religious discrimination
• Dress codes
• Religious holidays
• The right to pray
• Sexual orientation
• Insensitive remarks and behaviour
• Sexual orientation
• Insensitive remarks and behaviour
• Handling ill-health
• Short-term illness
• Long term ill-health
• Terminal illnesses
• Dealing with particular issues:
• Alcohol abuse
• Drug abuse and drug testing
• HIV/Aids
• Mental illness

Patricia Jagger, Independent Consultant, JM Personnel Services

2.45 Tea

3.00 Privacy and protection

• Data protection – law relating to privacy and personal protection
• Monitoring and surveillance
• Human rights
• Personal freedom
• Right to privacy
• Investigating internet and email abuse

Louise Randall, Associate, Shoosmiths

4.15 Close

Speakers

Patricia Jagger is a law graduate, specialising in employment law, with a post-graduate professional qualification in HR. Following a successful career as an HR Manager in manufacturing, retail and the motor industries, she established her HR and training consultancy in 1988 and advises a number of well-known clients on HR and employment law issues. She is also a lay member of the Employment Tribunals and writes articles on employment law for professional publications.

Louise Randall is an Associate in the employment team, based in the Solent office. Louise advises predominantly corporate clients and senior executives, providing practical and pragmatic commercial advice and assistance covering all areas of employment law. Louise has specialist expertise in the financial services sector. Louise advises clients on all aspects of employment law, providing day to day advice to HR managers and senior executives regarding employment strategy and everyday employment issues; disciplinary/grievance handling and employment tribunal claims. Louise has a particular interest in data protection and advises on the employment law angles of the Data Protection legislation and is experienced in dealing with multi national transfers of data.

Quotes from past delegates

' A very good course touching upon a number of HR aspects'

'Patricia made the topics interesting and gave great practical examples'

Are you a Croner publications subscriber?

If so then you are entitled to an additional 5% discount on your booking. Simply enter your Croner BP number on our online booking form to qualify (offer applies to online bookings only).

If you are interested in subscribing to any Croner title and receiving this and other benefits then call 020 8547 3333 for more information.

In-house training

This seminar can be presented exclusively for your organisation on an in-house basis. You can:

• Have the programme designed for your specific needs
• Choose your preferred date and location
• Save on staff travel, time and accommodation costs
• Maximise the impact of the training by putting an entire team through the same programme

For more information about this service – and a no-obligation quotation – please call the in-house team on 0845 076 0679 or e-mail incompany@cronertraining.co.uk

A total compliance solution

Whether you’re an HR professional in a multi-national, managing personnel issues in a medium-sized organisation or running a small business we have the HR information you need to get the most out of your staff and comply with the law. From consultancy, and comprehensive online information services to books we have you covered. Simply visit www.croner.co.uk for more information.

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