Whatever the size of your organisation, you should always be prepared to deal with employee relations issues when and if they arise. Pro-actively planning procedures and creating policies are a necessity in any organisation as these will go a long way in reducing the number of employment law issues within your organisation.
However, they cannot rid you of them full stop, and it is important to have the knowledge and experience to handle issues that may arise in a fair and consistent manner. Not only is this important to ensure you comply with employment law regulations, but also to ensure you have a happy and motivated workforce.
The employment relationship can be a difficult one. An organisation should have various policies in place to handle certain circumstances where statutory employment law needs to be taken into consideration. Examples of this include maternity and paternity leave, flexible working, disciplinary and grievance procedures, working time regulations, minimum wage, employee leave entitlement and much more.
These policies and procedures need to be in place to ensure fair and consistent treatment of employees not only in regards to the law, but also each other.
However, should you require more detailed advice and guidance in a particular area, then an employment law specialist is your best option. These professionals are trained in all aspects of employment law and will be able to provide you with up to date knowledge and advice around general themes or a specific case that you may need assistance with.
Smaller organisations may lean on the expertise of specialists more than larger businesses due to a lack of an internal HR Team, however larger organisations are more likely to have more employee relations issues that require more attention and detail than a HR team can manage.
Furthermore, as the law continually changes and current statutory rights are regularly updated, it is important that all organisations amend their current policies and procedures to reflect these changes. Employment law advice from a specialist is key to developing positive employee relations within your organisation.