Skip to main content

Managing Under Performance

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable for HR and personnel professionals, directors and senior managers, business owner, line managers, supervisors, anyone involved in managing staff in the workplace.

    Employees have a contractual responsibility to achieve a satisfactory level of performance and should be given help and encouragement to reach it. Employers are responsible for setting realistic and achievable standards, treating employees fairly, and making sure employees understand what is required.

    Performance situations can be more complex and more difficult to deal with than cases of straightforward misconduct.

    We will be focusing on poor performance including absenteeism and taking you through ways of approaching these difficult issues.

  • Course Content:

    This course is designed to provide the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to improve the performance of staff by conducting meaningful performance reviews, including role-play and case studies.

  • Course Outline:
    • The purpose of reviewing performance
    1. Be able to conduct informal performance/conduct meetings in the workplace
    • Identifying the benefits and pitfalls of performance management
    • Establishing clear standards of performance
    1. Know how to investigate root cause and differentiate between skill and issues
    2. Managing individual performances though one to ones
    • Aligning organisational/ team objectives with individual objectives/ targets
    • Preparing for the interview: considering past, current and future performance
    • Identifying developmental training/support needs
    • The skills of appraisal interviewing
    • Legal implication and unfair dismissal

Performance issues in the workplace, whether capability or conduct, will have an impact in the workplace in terms of: the team morale, productivity, disruption, poor customer service, which in turn is a cost to the business. This one-day course is aimed at equipping managers and supervisors to influence and affect sustained performance improvement. It will provide guidance on how to diagnose problems, make timely interventions and provide a supportive environment to underpin good performance.

Handling Difficult Conversation

  • Who the course is for:

    This day’s programme is for all levels of managers, supervisors and HR professionals who have to conduct challenging conversations with staff, perhaps about their behaviour, results, or actions. This course will equip managers with the necessary confidence, knowledge and skills to engage with people from a productive and focused position.

  • Course Content:

    The course is set out with a safe to enable to role-play and environment where delegates will get hands on experience of how to manage discussion around a range of awkward subjects including personality clashes, discipline and conveying dismissal.

    The course aim is to give the delegates the skills to handle difficult conversations without damaging the employment relationship, thus increasing management competency and effectiveness.

  • Course Outline:
    • Face the problem
      · The elephant in the room
    • What is a difficult conversation?
      · When should I speak to the employee?
    • Feedback to the staff
    • Prepare and plan in advance:
      · Gather information
      · Check your policies
      · Think about your approach and the outcome
    • Communication skills you will need:
      · Keeping in control
      · Questioning and listening skills
    • Techniques you can use:
      · Body language and rapport
    • Structure the conversation:
      · Prepare your template
      · Hold the conversation
      · Solutions, follow up action, support and feedback

One of the most challenging parts of managing staff especially performance is initiating conversations around sensitive topics. Being able to tackle contentious issues in a balanced, calm and consistent way is a valued skill in all areas of working life.

In a workplace context these skills can help promote productive and engaged teams and a better-managed workforce. Managers who avoid difficult conversations risk undermining their own position and potentially losing credibility with staff.

This course provides you with practical and effective techniques to conduct and manage difficult conversations with staff. It covers techniques for addressing sensitive subject matters like bullying, emotional issues, resistance to criticism and poor performance.

Discrimination in the Workplace

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable HR and personnel professionals, business owners, managers at all levels and anyone interested in understanding the Equality Act and how it affects the organisation.

    This one-day practical workshop focuses on the protected characteristics and how discrimination can occur in the workplace. It will provide delegates with the knowledge to recognise, avoid and manage complaints of discrimination in recruitment and working conditions.

  • Course Content:

    By the end of the session, the delegates will have the confidence and knowledge to handle complaints of discrimination, bullying and harassment.

  • Course Outline:
    • Understand the legal framework of discrimination law in the UK
    • Protected characteristics – what are the protected characteristics?
    • Discrimination – the different types of discrimination and how discrimination can occur
    • Avoiding discrimination – how to avoid complaints of discrimination in recruitment and working conditions
    • Focus on bullying and harassment – how to manage informal and formal complaints of bullying and harassment, including investigation techniques, formal grievance hearings, communicating the outcome and taking appropriate action following the grievance
    • Employment tribunal and the business liability and potential awards

The 2010 Equality Act is the most significant piece of equality legislation for many years. It makes it easier for employers to understand their responsibilities by simplifying and streamlining the law. It also sets a new standard for those who provide public services to treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Understanding discrimination within the workplace is an essential element for any employer, along with effective policies and procedures.

Equality Act / Equal Opportunities and Fairness at Work

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable HR and personnel professionals, business owners, managers at all levels and anyone interested in understanding equality and diversity and how it is dealt with.

    Research shows that training in diversity is most effective when it is based on real life scenarios. Our equality and diversity training courses are highly participative and interactive focusing on practical issues, using case studies and role-play scenarios, making sure you’re getting it right and not making costly mistakes.

  • Course Content:

    The course will be covering the different types of discrimination – including the nine protected characteristics - and sharing good practice that you can adopt and promote within your organisation.

  • Course Outline:
    •  Discrimination Law and the awareness that diversity can bring to and organisation
    • Types of Discrimination
    • Protected Characteristics and awareness of individual prejudices
    • Where the Equality Act does not apply
    • When Positive Discrimination can be applied
    • What an Equality Policy should include
    • Good practice in recruitment processes
    • Equality issues and the law
    • The implications of getting it wrong
    • How to deal with issues should they arise and building confidence in handling diversity issues
    • Best practice in equality and diversity in the workplace

The 2010 Equality Act is the most significant piece of equality legislation for many years. It makes it easier for employers to understand their responsibilities by simplifying and streamlining the law. It also sets a new standard for those who provide public services to treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Organisations face the challenge of implementing an Equality and Diversity programme to ensure that they are not only complying with legislation, but also valuing diversity within the workforce. Creating a culture in which diversity is valued and employees feel comfortable in expressing their differences, will undoubtedly improve productivity and performance.

This day training session covers the essentials of Equality and Diversity that all organisations and employers need to be aware of.

Harassment and Bullying

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable for HR and personnel professionals, business owners, managers at all levels and anyone with an interest in dignity at work issues and improving the workplace environment.

    This training session is designed to help you to identify a problem early on and tackle the issue more effectively once it has been raised. We will discuss practical issues such as the distinction between strong management and bullying; preventing harassment within the workplace and how to develop an effective policy.

  • Course Content:

    There is increasing awareness of the effect bullying and harassment can have on individual, team and organisational as a whole. The CIPD has estimated that over 50% of stress cases at work involve bullying, and the increasing costs of compensation can be staggering.

  • Course Outline:
    • Legislation and legal obligations
    • Defining bullying and harassment and understanding the differences
    • Recognizing overt and covert bulling
    • Tackling incidents of unacceptable behaviour
    • The effects on the individual and organisation
    • The managers and individual responsibilities
    • Performance management distinguished from bullying
    • Handling complaints
    • Disciplinary, grievances and investigations
    • Policy Development

Bullying and harassment within the workplace can lead to increased levels of absence and high staff turnover as well as reduced productivity and staff morale. The effects are harmful to all concerned, expensive for your organisations and can also lead to possible discrimination claims at an employment tribunal.

This course will provide the knowledge and skills to tackle bullying and harassment in the workplace and raise employee motivation, attendance and productivity.

Managing Conflict Within the Workplace

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable HR and personnel professionals, business owners, managers at all levels and anyone interested in managing workplace conflict more effectively. It is designed to help managers identify the optimum time to intervene where relationships between colleagues are beginning to deteriorate, impacting on productivity, customer service, quality of product and, ultimately, the bottom line.

     

  • Course Content:

    This practical course will give participants the confidence to approach these difficult issues in a non-confrontational way and minimise the need for formal processes with their inherent, resultant relationship difficulties.

  • Course Outline:
    • To consider how you currently deal with conflict
    • How to identify the signs and issues early on
    • To identify ways to reduce the effects of disputes in your team
    • To identify techniques that you can use with your team
    • To practice using different techniques to minimise the likelihood of conflict turning into formal procedures

This is a practical course to enhance the ability of those managers with responsibility of any line management to deal effectively with conflict situations within the workplace. Managers, supervisors and line managers can often spend a disproportionate amount of their time dealing with situations in a formal process, when they could have dealt with them in a less formal way, “nipping the issue in the bud”. There are often signals of a conflict, which has not been recognised, missed or just ignored.

Redundancy and Restructuring

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable for HR and personnel professionals, employee relations managers, directors and senior managers, business owner, managers who will be undertaking the implantation of a redundancy programme to manage it in the best way and prepare those left in the organisation for the next stage of the organisation’s development. During the day we look and demonstrate effective ways of weighing all the options in hand and performing critical assessments of organisational and personnel needs.

  • Course Content:

    This course will help you to find out all you need to know, about how to carry out redundancies in the most fair and efficient way possible.

  • Course Outline:
    • Legal and practical options when considering redundancies
    • Redundancy: its purpose and implications
    • Redundancy selection criteria and types of redundancy
    • Investigating possible alternatives to redundancy
    • Informing and consulting your workforce: the legal requirements Selection criteria and fairness
    • The role of Redundancy Representatives
    • Statutory Notice Periods and Redundancy Payments
    • Restructuring your workforce: communicating and consulting
    • Managing change and the aftermath of a restructure

Handling and dealing with redundancies can be difficult and stressful for all concerned, especially breaking the news to the staff of the possible redundancy. This will need firmness, empathy and compassion because those at risk can react in a whole raft of different ways and you must prepare for as many eventualities as possible

The course looks at the law and some of the changes including: the reduced collective consultation process, fixed term contracts, individual consultation and the employee representation.

This course also looks at the options available to any business facing a downturn in activity and these options are not just limited to redundancy, and the emphasis here is on early consultation with your employees so that you can find the best way forward for both them and you.

Absence and Performance Management

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable for any line manager and supervisor who are involved in the management of, sickness absence in their teams. This course shows how both short and long-term absences can be managed proactively to promote employee health and wellbeing, boost business performance and reduce financial strain.

  • Course Content:

    By the end of this session you will understand the need for balancing the health and welfare needs of staff with robust and fair procedures which ensure employees don’t take advantage of unclear policy is essential for the overall productivity of a workplace.

    Strategies for reducing sickness absence assist the organisation as a whole and lead to improved motivation, reduced stress and healthier working teams.

  • Course Outline:
    • What is absenteeism and what causes it and the impact of the business
    • Identifying patterns of short-term absence and differences in approach to long term absence
    • Benefits of an absence policy and trigger points
    • Line manager skills, consistency, communication and fairness
    • Statement of Fitness for Work (the fitnote) and medical evidence
    • Absence management and the legal landscape: maternity issues; fit notes; unauthorised absence;
    • Return to work interviews and keeping in touch days
    • Dealing with short and long term sickness absence and setting triggers
    • How to manage long-term absence. Keeping in-touch and access to medical records
    • Identifying potential stress & mental health issues
    • disability discrimination; reasonable adjustments; discipline and dismissal,– what you can and can’t do and what resources are available.
    • Support and promoting employee health and wellbeing

Sickness absenteeism, whether short or long term, can have as significant impact on any business, in terms of costs, productivity and additional burden on other employees and colleagues. This one-day course is designed to provide managers and supervisors with the skills and confidence required to deal effectively with employee absence, while maintaining a positive and productive working environment.

Undertaking Disciplinary and Grievance Investigations

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable HR and personnel professionals, employee relations managers, directors and senior managers, business owner, line managers, supervisors, anyone involved in managing staff and need to understand how to conduct investigations, understand and evaluating evidence needed for disciplinary hearing and appeals.

    This course is either a one or two day course and covers key techniques, procedures and checklists to help ensure that you are considering all the critical factors and that you undertake the process in a fair and un-biased manner. Delegates will develop valuable understanding of what the law requires and will learn key skills in the investigation processes, such as analysis and report writing.

  • Course Content:

    By the end of this session you will have an understanding how to conduct an investigation, evaluate and presenting the evidence at hearing and appeals. They would understand and see the benefits of good practice and how the ACAS Code of Practice and the law which underpins the whole process. This session includes practical exercises and case studies, which encourage delegates to share ideas and experiences, in a confidential environment.

  • Course Outline:

    Investigation day one

    • Basic understanding of employment law
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Allegations-   Inside and outside work
    • Misconduct or gross misconduct
    • How to conduct an investigation and implications
    • Legal background and the burden of proof
    • Interviewing including witnesses
    • Role play: conduct an investigatory meeting

    Investigation report day two

    • Informal or formal process
    • Suspension or alternative solutions
    • Policy and procedure
    • Decision making and evidence
    • Hearings and appeals
    • The role of HR
    • Role play: disciplinary hearing, presenting the investigation report

There are many reasons for holding an internal investigation in the workplace and the weakest link in most organisations’ discipline or grievance procedure is the investigation.

The fundamental purpose of an investigation is to collect the facts as stated in the ACAS code and it’s no more than that. But while a really rigorous investigation is essential to a well conducted process, many managers simply skate over the surface and either do not collect the relevant data, it tends to be one sided or fail to take a sufficiently robust approach to data collection. Employers could be held liable if a poor investigation leads to an unfair dismissal.

Managing Disciplinary and Grievances

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable HR and personnel professionals, employee relations managers, directors and senior managers, business owner, line managers, supervisors, anyone involved in managing staff and need to have a grasp of discipline, grievance, investigations, hearings and appeals. They are fundamental in helping to promote orderly employment relations at work as well as fairness and consistency in the treatment of individuals.

    We have a range of one to three day courses, which will depend on the need of the organisation and the level on management taking the course.

  • Course Content:

    By the end of this session you will have an understanding of what discipline and grievance means and see the benefits of good practice, especially when it comes to dismissing someone and how the ACAS Code of Practice and the law underpins the whole process. This session includes practical exercises with role-play and case studies, which encourage delegates to share ideas and experiences, in a confidential environment.

  • Course Outline:

    Introduction and background to grievances & discipline

    • The employment law environment
    • Contractual and statutory contexts
    • The ACAS Code of Practice and guidance

    A focus on grievance procedures

    • What is a grievance?
    • Handling grievances quickly and fairly
    • Conducting grievance interviews and the right to be accompanied

    A focus on disciplinary procedures

    • When does a disciplinary situation arise?
    • Examining the disciplinary process and procedures: a best practice overview
    • The investigation: a comprehensive, structured approach
    • Formal disciplinary hearings: an overview
    • Using documentation: effective warning letters
    • Role play: conduct an investigatory meeting when represented by a trade union rep

    Key aspects of dismissal law

    • The basics of dismissal: 'wrongful', 'unfair' and 'constructive'
    • Statutory reasons for dismissal
    • Considering essential elements of unfair dismissals
    • What are fair reasons for dismissal?
    • Fairness: the essence of 'reasonableness'
    • Examining automatically unfair dismissals and group dismissals
    • Role play: disciplinary appeal hearing, presenting the investigation report

    Alternative processes

    • Formal or informal
    • Mediation
    • Settlement agreements

    Employment tribunal claims

    • What are the current tribunal rules?
    • An overview of terminology and forms
    • The cost regime

Every business needs to have managers who are able to deal with disciplinary issues and grievance issues in the workplace effectively. Poor management of discipline, grievances and dismissal can be very costly in time, money and damage to employee relations. A thorough understanding of the legal environment, including how to apply the law correctly, is essential for good management.

Ensuring your people know what is expected of them and the rules within which they operate is key to getting the best results from your employees. Achieving this focus and helping others in the workplace understand this perspective is very important.

Appraisals and Performance Management Skills

  • Who the course is for:

    This course is suitable HR and personnel professionals, employee relations managers, line managers, supervisors, anyone involved in managing staff and need to have a grasp managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, objectives and standards.

    Performance management systems are fundamental in helping staff to understand the standards required and expected from them. This helps the staff to be able to prioritise their work and know how it fits into the overall aims of the organisation. Good performance management includes the identification of staff development needs, and ensuring that individuals have the knowledge and skills needed to make the organisation successful.

  • Course Content:

    By the end of this session you will have an understanding of how to manage performance by engaging staff in agreeing objectives, setting standards and giving feedback. Learning is contextualised through the use of case studies and the opportunity to practice the skills learned through role-play in a safe environment.

  • Course Outline:
    • What is performance management and how to make it an accepted and normal part of the life of an organisation?
    • Role and responsibilities of managers.
    • The purpose of appraisal and the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of the appraisal meeting.
    • Setting performance objectives and monitoring individual performance.
    • Giving effective feedback, dealing with and improving poor performance.
    • Understanding the legal implications of not following best practice through an examination of case studies.

In any economic environment it is important that businesses get the best from their staff. This one-day course will enable delegates to understand performance management at work and how to operate a policy successfully, using best practice when preparing for and conducting appraisal with their staff.

Get a free consultation

We offer support on a wide range of employment law and HR issues. Our dedicated advisors are here to answer your questions and help you with your concerns. Your call is free and with no obligation. Calls may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes.