Revealed: UK employee in bags of trouble, 66% of Irish workers have dealt with rude colleagues, more paid sick leave days are on the horizon in Canada

Have you heard the latest news???

Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we give you a rundown of the week's top employment stories around the world.???

From the UK to Australia to Canada, stay on the pulse of current trends impacting your business, plus get up-to-the-minute commentaries on all things HR and legal.??

Sainsbury’s employee in bags of trouble

An employee who was caught stealing ‘bags for life’ from Sainsbury’s has been dismissed for gross misconduct this week.

In a recent case (Doffou v Sainsbury’s), a night shift worker was putting their employee discount to good use and purchasing some groceries. Sounds perfectly innocent right? Unfortunately, when using the self-checkout, the employee didn’t pay for multiple reusable bags for life and ultimately ended up sacked from Sainsbury’s for life…

The employee in question filed for unfair dismissal, but the claim failed as the tribunal found that a fair procedure had indeed been carried out.

An important takeaway for employers is that even when a fair reason for dismissal is given, a tribunal will still look at whether a fair procedure has been followed. Therefore, it’s vital your procedures and investigations are handled correctly. For instant advice on this topic ask BrightLightning: Is stealing a fair reason to dismiss?

Or for more in-depth advice read our article on: What is unfair dismissal?

NEW code of practice on fire and rehire

The government has confirmed it intends to bring the new statutory Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement into force in July 2024.

The code will provide practical steps employers should follow when undertaking an exercise to change employee terms and conditions.

The steps focus on negotiation and compromise where possible from the employer to encourage an employee to agree to the new terms rather than using the threat of dismissal as the single bargaining tool.

Once implemented, failure to follow the Code will result in an uplift to an employee's unfair dismissal compensation of up to 25%.

For instant advice on this topic ask BrightLightning, Is dismissal and re-engagement an unlawful practice?

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World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024

This Sunday (28th April 2024) is World Day for Safety and Health at Work. This year’s theme is ensuring health & safety in a changing climate.

Climate change is a global issue that affects every aspect of our lives. What might surprise you, is just how much impact it has on workers and businesses…

Today, 1.2 billion jobs are at risk because of environmental decline. The ILO predicts that in less than seven years, up to 3.8% of total working hours could be lost to climate-induced high temperatures.

We get it, it doesn’t make for light reading. But understanding the threats posed by climate change to health & safety at work is necessary to manage and reduce the risks to you and your team.

For more in-depth health & safety support and advice on this topic read our latest blog.

Dealing with rude colleagues

Despite the well-known perks of politeness, it seems the office landscape is increasingly characterised by a rising tide of rudeness.

Two thirds of workers have recently reported encounters with workplace grumps, according to a SHRM survey. These aren’t your garden-variety office villains though; their transgressions range from the silent treatment to outright undermining managers, disrupting projects, and harming your business’ image.

A recent study by RTé revealed that snubs from colleagues sting more than those from customers, possibly as it feels like a betrayal of the unspoken office code of honour…

An important takeaway for employers is to provide ways for employees to discuss and approach managers about these issues.

Effective communication is key.? But don’t just let employees vent—document. Make sure you keep a log of any offences so you can handle the situation effectively.

Reports of serious rudeness should be taken very seriously, and the correct investigation and disciplinary process must be followed.

Interested in learning how you can improve communication in your workplace? Read more tips on effective communication for managers here.

Irish eyes aren’t smiling on the job market …

Employers in the Emerald Isle face a wake-up call this week, as Ireland falls four places to rank 36 in the most attractive countries for professionals list.

While only 8% of Irish workers are looking to pack their bags for foreign shores compared to a global average of 23%, it’s the top talent from foreign countries that are proving difficult to retain.

With employers and representative bodies urged to address the infrastructural challenges, a dash of support in the pain points of housing and visa matters could be the secret ingredient to maintaining Ireland’s edge as a prime destination for professionals.

If you’re interested in other ways you can attract big talent to your business, check out our blog on hiring.

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End of Pension Procrastination? Auto-Enrolment Pension Bill Published

Ireland’s getting a new team player in the pension league this week, the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System.

While published at the end of March, much remains to be done to implement and establish the new 2024 bill.

The bill pairs up employees aged 23 to 60 with a cosy retirement nest egg, as long as they’re not already with another pension plan and earn at least €20,000 a year.

The goal? To get everyone saving without lifting a finger. For high-earners, the contributions are capped at €80,000 of pay—because even pensions need boundaries.

And to ensure everyone plays by the rules, a shiny new authority will play referee – the so-called Pensions Authority.

Game-face on employers, it’s time to prep your business for the big change—coming to a payroll near you by year’s end.

Put payroll confusion to rest with accurate reporting from BrightHR. Discover our Payroll Navigator.

Managing Anzac Day public holiday obligations

Anzac Day is a public holiday that holds great significance for Australians and New Zealanders across the region.

In accordance with public holiday regulations, business owners must also pay attention to restricted trading day obligations and make sure that employees who may be working on Anzac Day are paid properly.

This year, the public holiday falls on a Thursday. This means you should also be prepared for a flood of annual leave requests for Friday. Employees hankering for a long weekend may send in their leave requests late, leaving you to scramble for last-minute replacements to stay fully staffed.

It’s important to maintain your leave policies and keep employees informed of what the correct process for requesting time off is and make sure they follow it.

When push comes to shove, using our open shift features lets you alert your staff to available shifts that they can pick up on a first come first served basis.

Learn more about how to manage your public holiday obligations here.

Sky shut down

How many air traffic controllers monitor 11% of the Earth’s airspace? The answer is just 950.

How many of those air traffic controllers had to take personal leave to bring Sydney Airport to a halt recently? Two.

Their absence led Airservices Australia to implement a ground delay program lasting eight hours—keeping planes grounded to avoid holding any of them up in mid-air.

The result: 75% less take-offs and landings an hour, plus lengthy delays to flights.

Air traffic controllers undergo rigorous training for over two years before they can take on their role. But that may not be the only reason behind the understaffing. Allegations of organisational bullying have also been haunting the agency.

Even if you don’t run Sydney Airport, understaffing can be a challenge for any business to overcome. Especially if your workplace culture is lacking.

That’s why it’s critical for businesses to not just use recruitment tools to streamline hiring, but also make the best use of effective scheduling tools to stay on top of their changing requirements.

More paid sick leave days are on the horizon

Non-unionized employees with three months of continuous employment in Prince Edward Island are currently entitled to only three days of unpaid leave. However, starting October 1, 2024, new amendments to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) related to paid sick leave will come into effect.

These amendments will establish a tiered system for paid sick leave entitlements, which will supplement the existing unpaid leave entitlements.

Non-unionized employees with 12 months of continuous employment will be entitled to one day of paid sick leave. After they've completed 24 months of continuous employment, they get an additional day of paid sick leave (2 days ).

The number of paid sick leave days increases as employees' tenures lengthen, so any non-unionized employees with 36 months of continuous employment get three days of paid sick leave.

Eligible employees can only use their unpaid sick leave after they've used their paid sick leave.

If you're wondering how pay is to be calculated for paid sick leave, it'll be based on the employee's regular rate of wages for the hours they would have worked if they hadn't taken any leave. For salaried employees, it must be calculated at their regular rate of pay for a day of work.

Keeping track of these employment law changes can seem overwhelming, but with support from employment relations advisors, it doesn't have to be.

Contact our team of highly trained Canadian HR and employment relations experts for BrightAdvice and get accurate answers to your pressing questions and concerns.

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The deadline to report forced labour is fast approaching

Businesses that produce, sell, distribute, or import goods into Canada (or elsewhere) or are a controlling entity that engages in any of the above business activities as a reporting entity in Canada should be aware of the deadlines for two reporting obligations—May 31, 2024.

If you're one such business, you must complete a report for the Minister of Public and Emergency Preparedness and submit answers to an online questionnaire regarding the steps your business has taken in the last financial year to prevent and reduce the risk of forced labour or child labour being used at any stage of your production of goods in Canada or elsewhere.

Your report must also be approved by your business's governing body, including directors, officers, agents, or other business mandataries. You must also submit evidence of their approval.

Failure to file your report on time or filing a report with false or misleading information could lead to fines of up to $250,000.

You can learn more about your reporting obligations here.

It's almost Mental Health Awareness Week

This year, Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from May 6 to 12. Its theme is the healing power of compassion. Celebrated each year since 1951, this national event is coordinated by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

Employers are encouraged to raise awareness of, and reduce the stigma around, mental illness, especially in the workplace. As mental illness is the leading cause of disability in Canada, allowing your employees to share personal mental health experiences can help normalize these conversations and contribute to better employee wellbeing.

By actively participating in Mental Health Awareness Week , you show your employees you're invested in their wellbeing and creating a psychologically safe workplace culture.

Some ways you can do this are by spotlighting your mental health benefits, such as wellness initiatives or an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). You can also invite guest speakers or mental health experts to your workplace to provide mental health education and training to managers and staff.

Our learning management system, BrightLearn, is packed with helpful e-learning courses on topics like mental health awareness, to help equip your staff with the skills they need to manage and better their mental health this Mental Health Awareness Week and beyond.

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And that’s a wrap. Tune in next week for more HR headlines in a hurry and make sure you stay ahead of major employment law changes!

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