Haunting HR Horror Stories
Over the years, we have helped many organisations that have found themselves in hair-raising situations due to mishandling of cases. I’m sure being called ‘the grim reaper’ will resonate with many other HR professionals out there. We firmly believe though that line manager training is key – managers should not be afraid to deal with employee relations issues provided they have the tools to do the job.
The trick is to have a trusted HR partner who can support you; the treat for your organisation and your Managers is then having the knowledge in how to deal with such matters. Below are some scenarios of when it has gone spooktacularly wrong:
Most of your team members have children and you think the best candidate would ‘fit in with the team’. Your talent pool may be as deep as a cauldron but asking a female candidate at interview if they are planning on having children is NEVER a good idea! We have supported many line managers through recruitment processes, informing them of what you can and can’t ask at interview; this is critical to ensure you do not discriminate and asking if they plan on being a mummy should always be avoided. That would be a grave situation!!
You are a male manager and you tell your female team member how ‘sexy she looks in that outfit’ – if you don’t say it to male team members, don’t say it to female ones – you can dress it up how you like but a harassment claim will surely come knocking on your door
Dismissing someone during their probationary period and saying it is due to performance, when it fact it is because they have a e.g. a disability and you don’t know how to deal with it. Sadly, it is a FAQ for us, however in our experience knowing your rights as an employer but also the employee’s rights as an individual, reduces the shock of receiving a discrimination claim.
Despite what your employees might think, you know that your managers are not witches or warlocks and they don’t fly on broomsticks, but they also shouldn’t be fooled by their team members. Upskilling them by giving them training, and subsequently, the confidence that they are doing things right is key. We design and deliver our training workshop in a bespoke way to suit your business needs. The feedback we’ve received after every session indicates that majority of managers feel more confident to tackle these situations early on. Upskilling them is not only beneficial to them and their own development but equally as important to your organisation as when issues are nipped in the bud, you have happy people and they are more productive.
We can help your Managers to get through those scary moments. If you’re a business owner or MD looking for an affordable HR partner you can trust, why not talk to us? We are DYING to hear from you … enquiries@p2hr.co.uk