Whilst it's been peaceful in South Yorkshire, the home of The HR Experts, our thoughts are with those who have not been so fortunate during the riots of the last few days. A lot of employers will be wondering how to respond in the face of this kind of destruction. So we thought a bit of free HR advice would be beneficial.
Clouds and silver linings...
Whilst you may just be getting your head around what rioters have done to your business, it may help to remember that such disruption can offer great opportunities for team building. The sense of camaraderie created by all pitching together should not be underestimated. Clean up operations, and even assisting others in the community, can all help to turn a negative into a positive.
Closed for business...
In the event that you're not in a position to provide employees with work on a temporary basis, then it's likely you will have to pay them. This can be likened to snow days; where an employer chooses to close due to disruption, employees should be paid. However, if an employee takes time off due to the riots, they have no entitlement to pay.
As an employer you can ask employees to take holiday, as long as you give notice. The notice must be at least twice as long as the holiday you want them to take. That said, employees may offer or willingly agree to take days as holiday or unpaid leave, if they understand the difficulties you are faced with. Where it is practice to do so, employers who are unable to provide work to their employees temporalily may be able to lay them off.
End of the road...
If your business has been affected by the riots to the extent that you can no longer trade, it is likely that redundancies will result. If you are able to, you should first consider ways you can avoid redundancy, such as redeployment. Shoosmith's solicitors offer some thoughts on whether notice pay is payable in such cases.
Dealing with employees...
Employees affected by the riots may need understanding and support at this time. You may find that your employees or their children have been involved in the riots, or their lives affected in some way. The effect on your business may leave employees feeling afraid about further trouble or worried for their jobs. Useful information which covers both individuals and organisation can be found from the Citizen's Advice Bureau website.
If an employee is convicted of involvement in the riots, you should check your disciplinary policy. This will guide you on what measures, if any, you should take.
If you would like any more help and advice on this subject, please contact us and we will be happy to offer you an initial free telephone consultation to discuss the matter.
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