Dealing with Sensitive Issues in Employment

Dealing with Sensitive Issues in Employment

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
Lynda Jay, Independent Consultant, HR Solutions
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
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