Barlow Robbins Employment Team

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Barlow Robbins Employment Team
Managing Poor Performance and Absence
David Ludlow Partner
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Introduction

• Culling
• Retention and investment
• Human Resource Management issues
• Role of employment law(yer)
• implementation

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Poor Performance

• Managing Poor Performance
• The Contract of Employment
• Contractual obligations
• Duties
• Targets
• Incentive payments (Commissions, bonuses, LTIPs)
• Rules, Procedures and policies

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The Contract of Employment

• Contractual powers
• Probationary period
• Sensible Termination provisions
• sensible break clauses where Fixed Term
• sensible break clause where long notice period
• Pay review provisions
• Duties flexibility

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Fairness Generally

• Fair dismissal
• Fair constructive dismissal
• Poor Performance incapability
• i.e lack of skill, aptitude, health or any other
  physical or mental quality
• e.g lack of flexibility and adaptability
• Poor Performance lack of qualifications
• Poor Performance bad conduct

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Correct Approach to Fairness in Performance
Management

• Normally Employer must warn
• about shortcomings
• possibility of dismissal
• Normally Employer must give opportunity to
  improve
• Performance improvement programme
• Statutory Disciplinary Procedures?
• Statutory Dismissal Procedures
• Statutory Grievance Procedures
• Discounting for chances of improving

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Correct Approach to Fairness in Performance
Management

• Comply with own Performance Improvement
• or Capability procedures/ policies
• Futile to comply with own procedure?
• Senior people failing
• Gross negligence or incompetence
• Tactical value of summary dismissal

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Managing Absence

• Short Term Intermittent Absences
• Unconnected ailments, recurrent conditions, child
  care problems
• Skiving, sickies

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Managing Absence

• Short Term Intermittent Absences
• Management Tools
• Constant review
• Warnings
• Deductions of wages for unauthorised absences
• Dismissal

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Managing Absence

• Short Term Intermittent Absences
• Legal Justification
• Capability
• Conduct unauthorised absences
• SOSR unauthorised or excessive absences
• Which one?
• Disability issues

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Managing Absence

• Short Term Intermittent Absences
• On-going Management
• ACAS publication - Discipline and Grievances at
  Work
• Investigate promptly
• No explanation - Conduct issue
• Medical certificates?
• Reasonable adjustments
• Warn of need for expected improvement

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Managing Absence

• Short Term Intermittent Absences
• Pre-Dismissal Management
• The 3 keys to safety
• Review attendance records and reasons for absence
• Return to work interviews
• Reviewing medical evidence
• Code of practice on disability discrimination -
  true medical picture
• Malingering?
• Failing to communicate

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Managing Absence

• Short Term Intermittent Absences
• Appropriate warnings of dismissal
• Classic warnings
• Triggers automatic warnings
• Flexible triggers
• Adjustments to absence schemes disabled
  employees
• Consult
• Could reveal stress or other problem
• Adjustments
• Other considerations
• Sick pay
• Consider alternative employment.
• Pregnancy
• Emergency Dependent Care Leave
• Combat sickies e.g Tesco's initiative

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Managing Absence

• Long Term Absence
• Holiday pay?
• Contractual sick pay perpetuates?
• Discretionary sick pay?
• Continue to manage and monitor
• Do not be intimidated
• Consult
• Ascertain true medical picture

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Managing Absence

• Long Term Absence
• Data Protection Information Commissioners
  Employment Practices Code
• Managerial function or medical function?
• Information should not be passed on?
• Do not take paper decisions
• DDP standard procedure

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Managing Absence

• Long Term Absence
• Disability
• All of the above applies
• Adjustments "to terms, conditions or
  arrangements
• Employees who become permanently incapable?
• Adjustments Think proactively, imaginatively
  and energetically
• Tactics e.g doctrine of frustration?
• PHI avoid wrongful dismissal
• Implied Term - Cannot terminate
• Unless "good cause" not just gross misconduct
• Notice money only if statutory minimum notice

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Managing Poor Performance and Absence

• Tips - Absence and Poor Performance
• Redundancy
• Relevance of previous warnings for different
  misconduct
• Lapsed warnings?
• Contributory fault negotiate a settlement
• Consider summary dismissal as a tactic

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Any questions?

• David Ludlow
• Concord House
• 165 Church Street East
• Woking
• Surrey
• GU21 6HJ
• Tel. [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• davidludlow_at_barlowrobbins.com