Edition 19 - July 2023
Government announces more choice for fathers and partners taking paternity leave
The Government commenced consultation on reforming parental leave and pay back in 2019, but any further progress was unfortunately delayed by the pandemic. The consultation was to consider how parental leave and pay could be adapted to create greater equality in parenting whilst working. The Government are now in a position to re-commence the consultation.
The current legislation allows eligible employees to take two weeks of paternity leave and receive statutory paternity pay. The leave can either be in a one or two-week block, to be taken during the first eight weeks after a child is born or adopted.
The changes the Government will be making will give employed fathers and partners more choice and flexibility around how and when they take paternity leave.
The changes will mean fathers and partners will be able to split their leave into two blocks of one week. This will provide more flexibility than only one block of one week or two weeks under the current legislation.
Fathers and partners will also no longer be restricted from having to take their paternity leave within the first eight weeks of the birth or adoption of their child. They will have the choice to take their leave and pay at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child.
The new regulations will also change the way an employee gives notice of leave and pay to their employer. Fathers and partners will need to give notice that they intend to take leave 15 weeks before the expected week of childbirth (EWC) or matching/ placement date, and then 4 weeks’ notice of dates prior to each period of leave.
It is anticipated that these changes will create more flexibility for fathers and partners wishing to take paternity leave.
We would recommend that paternity policies are updated to reflect the new legislation, and ForrestHR can support you with this. Get in touch with the team today.
Mental health first aid refresher training
It is important for Mental Health First Aiders and MHFA Champions to attend a Refresher course each year.
Just like physical first aid, updating skills and knowledge allows people to perform this vital role confidently and safely.
Regularly refreshing knowledge and making time to practice skills with others also empowers training staff to perform the role confidently and safely.
Contact us to organise your refresher training through our trusted partners.
How to deal with recouping overpayments
Unfortunately payment errors can sometimes occur, resulting in employees
being paid more than they are entitled to. It is imperative that businesses act quickly and decisively, taking swift action to recover money while also managing delicate employee relations.
Most businesses have deduction clauses in their contracts which mean that they can take the equivalent sum from an employee’s future pay.
If a deduction clause is not in place, an employer may need to potentially take
further legal action to rectify.
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Forrest Payroll can support you with getting it right and taking the stress out of managing the monthly payroll.
Managing conflict in the workplace
Managing conflict at work is key to helping reduce the potential negative impacts that disputes and conflicting interest can have on the individuals, and on the workplace in general.
Conflict can also have the following impacts on the business:
In May 2021, ACAS published a report which shows that nearly half a million employees resign every year as a result of workplace conflict, so it is really important for employers to deal with any conflict as soon as it starts.
Forrest Training Academy are running a workshop on managing conflict in the workplace on Tuesday 12th September 2023, secure your place today to prevent any negative impact on your business that conflict can bring.
SafeContractor accreditation
Are you looking to gain your safe contractor accreditation but don’t know where to start?
SafeContractor is an accreditation scheme which recognises an organisation's capabilities for health and safety, which gives the reassurance that you are compliant with health and safety to a set level of standards.
Forrest Health and Safety can support you with the full process, including the provision of:
Get in touch with the experts today to begin the process of accreditation for your business.
Throwback to Sophie featuring on the mini blog series ‘Peer Insights’, view the article here.
Some of the Kent based team recently enjoyed a team meeting and lunch outing, catching up on all things Forrest and making exciting plans for the future.