Managing people within the law

Overview

Line managers have a responsibility to manage their staff effectively and in line with best practice, internal policies and procedures and, above all, employment law. As legislation becomes ever more complex in the area of people management, it is essential that managers have an understanding of employment law and the practical implications for their role.

This course provides managers with an overview of key HR areas and focuses on their role in managing staff fairly, proactively and effectively in line with organisational requirements. Further in-depth training is available in each of the subject areas. The course content is indicative of what can be covered but will be tailored to reflect key areas for the organisation. Participants will be asked to familiarise themselves with relevant internal policies before the training and these will be referred to and reinforced throughout the day.

Learning objectives

This programme will help participants to:

  • Clarify the HR responsibilities of a line manager within your organisation
  • Understand the impact and extent of employment legislation on people management
  • Understand your organisation’s policies and procedures in key areas of HR
  • Effectively manage recruitment, disciplinary procedures, grievances, absence and harassment and bullying complaints
  • Increase their awareness of flexible working and ‘family friendly’ policies
  • Build knowledge and confidence in managing other challenging or sensitive situations

Audience

All line managers, in any type of organisation – large or small; public, voluntary or private sector.

Format

This one-day course is highly participative, using small team discussion, case studies and practical exercises.

Participants will be sent a welcome pack in advance of the course which will include some pre-course work as well as asking them to reflect upon their own experiences and challenges in this area. They will also be asked to familiarise themselves with your organisation’s key internal policies and procedures and bring copies along with them for reference on the day.

Special feature

This programme is, of necessity, tailored to each different organisation in which it is delivered, to reflect their policies and procedures, definitions of managerial responsibility, etc. The content, duration, objectives and material used can all be tailored to suit your specific needs.

Expert trainer

This programme is delivered by Rachel Hicks, our lead trainer in this area. See her profile here.

Feedback

See what participants have said about our ‘Managing people within the law’ workshops:

‘Very informative – a must do course.’

‘Liked doing group work made it more interesting.’

‘Any questions were answered and debated by tutor and group.’

‘Very interesting and informative.’

‘Enjoyed the day!’

‘It’s an excellent opportunity to reflect on what we do well, what we could do better and the support the law gives us as employers and employees.’

‘A great course to understand some HR / employment law.’

‘A very good insight to managing people within the law.’

‘Good balance of information and participation.’

‘Very good general introduction to HR issues and complexities.’

‘Encouraged participation by all and kept the pace up, so no dead spots in the day.’

‘Very knowledgeable and relaxed manner that came across very well.’

‘Very competent!’

‘It’s an eye opener – go for it!’

‘Great course for building knowledge and gaining confidence.’

‘I found the course really informative – particularly making sure things are nipped in the bud.’

‘Good level of detail for what I need to know to manage my team.’

‘The Importance of understanding employment law and when to be applied.’

‘It is important to know what HR can and does for us all.’

‘Good cover on legal requirements and RCA policies.’

‘Groups discussions representation form HR on the day.’

‘Useful insights, explanations and connections to HR (and beyond).’

‘Informative, practical advice, and opportunity to learn from each other and discuss organisation policies.’

‘Interesting and informative.’

‘Interesting content, still unsure exactly of HR and their position within the institution.’

‘Great session – thanks!’

‘Very clear and helpful tools for managing HR scenarios.’

Workshop outline

Note: this is a purely indicative outline, subject to change in the light of (a) developments in employment law and (b) your organisation’s policies and procedures.

1 Introduction

  • Course objectives and benefits from attending this course
  • Participants’ experience and confidence in this area
  • Personal objectives

2 Setting the scene

  • HR responsibilities in your organisation
  • Responsibilities of a line manager
  • Working effectively with HR and other sources of support

3 The legal framework

  • An overview of the UK legal system
  • Employment status and employee rights
  • The contract of employment – express and implied terms
  • Varying contracts of employment
  • Employment Tribunals
  • Employment law quiz
  • The Equality Act 2010, unfair dismissal, etc
  • Practical implications

4 Recruitment and selection

  • Purpose and importance
  • Legal implications
  • An overview of your organisation’s process
  • Identifying risks and avoiding pitfalls

5 Discipline

  • Purpose of taking disciplinary action
  • Statutory requirements and the ACAS Code of Practice
  • Your organisation’s policy – key stages
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Legal implications and case law
  • Scenarios

6 Grievances

  • Understanding what constitutes a grievance
  • ACAS Code of Practice
  • Your organisation’s procedure – key stages
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Legal implications

7 Bullying and harassment

  • Understanding what constitutes harassment and bullying
  • Your organisation’s policy
  • Managing informally and taking formal action
  • Legal implications and case law
  • Scenarios

8 Managing attendance

  • Impact of sickness absence
  • Your organisation’s sickness absence policy and procedures
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Notification and certification
  • Effective strategies to manage short-term and long-term absence
  • Legal implications and case law

9 Legal update

  • Flexible working and ‘family friendly’ policies – an update on recent changes
  • Other legislative changes on the horizon

10 And finally…

  • Open forum – remaining challenges and ‘what if’ scenarios
  • Action planning – identifying how participants will transfer this learning into the workplace and what else they may need which will help them to do this effectively
  • Review and close

For a no-obligation discussion about running this programme for your organisation on an in-house basis, just give us a call on 01582 463462.