Dismissals are never easy but you need to get it right!

Sue Love of LoveHRSolutions reveals why it makes good business sense to handle dismissals properly.

There are times in an employment relationship when things go wrong, but how an employer deals with these situations is crucial. Not only for that particular instance, but for any similar occurrences that may follow. Consistency in dealing with disciplinary situations is very important and employment tribunals will consider how these things have been handled in the past.

The key to managing any disciplinary situation is to ensure that the documentation is complete and explanatory, and that a fair process is followed.

Dismissal isn’t always about poor conduct in the workplace. Redundancy, capability or ill-health are also situations where an employer may consider that the employment relationship is no longer productive.

The business case for doing it properly is the potential costs of an unfair dismissal claim. Basic awards can be up to £12,900 and a compensatory award up to £72,300. However, these sums do not take into account legal fees and loss to company reputation.  Nor do the figures include the vast amount of management time that will be required both in preparation and also at a tribunal. And don’t forget the stress! However confident of your situation, going to a tribunal to answer questions on your actions is nerve racking, even for the for the most experienced manager.

Ensuring that the process followed is correct, reasonable and fair, saves time, money and makes good business sense.

Sue Love is a highly skilled and experienced HR professional. She has extensive industry experience and runs her own HR consultancy service, providing support at a regional, national and international level. Sue is currently offering a series of one- and half-day HR workshops at Highbury College.

10 interesting facts about apprenticeships

We’ve drilled down in the latest figures from The Data Service and the Department for Education to give you 10 interesting apprenticeship facts.

1. Business, Administration and Law are the most popular sector subject area for people starting an apprenticeship. Over 130,000 people started apprenticeships in these sectors in 2011.
2. In total the Retail and Commercial Enterprise sector has seen most people start apprenticeships with 417,600 participants in total since 2002/3.
3. In 2002/03 Hospitality & Catering and Business Administration were the two most popular options. Customer Service and Health & Social Care now rank the highest, closely followed by Retail, Business Administration and Hospitality & Catering.
4. 175,000 people (almost 40%) who started an apprenticeship in 2011 were between 25 and 60 years old.
5. In 2010/11 180,000 people completed an apprenticeship, an increase of almost 40,000 on 2009.
6. Provisional data shows that nearly 444,000 people started an apprenticeship in 2010/11, up by 37% on the previous year.
7. Hampshire had the most people successfully complete an apprenticeship in 2011, with a figure of 5,730.
8. Apprenticeships are equally popular with males and females. The split on average in 2011 was 52% males and 48% females.
9. Those with a Level 2 Apprenticeship earn on average around £73,000 more over their lifetime than those with a Level 2 qualification or below; people with an Advanced Apprenticeship earn around £105,000 more.*
10. The Apprenticeship budget for the 2010-11 financial year was £1,337 million (£780 million for 16- to 18-year-olds).*

Sources: The Data Service except for *The Department for Education.

Highbury College Portsmouth is one of the largest providers of apprenticeship training in Hampshire and the South East. For more information about apprenticeships and grants at Highbury email employers@highbury.ac.uk or telephone (023) 9238 3131 (option 2).

Change your life with a Career Development Loan

Eighties pop star Kim Wilde famously swapped her microphone for a spade when she retrained as a gardener.

Of course, not all of us can cover the cost of a career change. But if you would like to take a vocational course to improve your career prospects and earning potential then a Professional Career and Development Loan (PCDL) could be the answer.

PCDLs are available through participating banks Barclays and the Co-operative, of between £300 and £10,000. They are available to learners aged 18-69 to help with the cost of taking any approved full-time, part-time or distance learning programme that will lead to employment, or boost your skills if you are working already.

The difference with PDCLs is that the Skills Funding Agency pays the interest on the loan while you’re studying – and for one month afterwards.

After this, you’ll pay interest at the rate fixed when you took out the loan. Interest rates on the loans are set so they’re competitive with other ‘unsecured’ personal loans that are commercially available.

The rate on offer from both banks is 9.9% per annum. But because the first year or two’s interest is paid for the Skills Funding Agency this works out as equivalent to a typical APR of 5%-6% over the lifetime of the loan. However, interest rates may vary from bank to bank. For further information, consult the participating banks.

What can I use the loan for?

You can use a PCDL to help with course fees (up to 80% of the total, or up to 100% if you’ve been unemployed for three months) and other course costs, such as travel, books and childcare, plus living expenses, including rent, food and clothing (if you are unemployed or working less than 30 hours per week).

Examples of courses covered by a PDCL are:

• a postgraduate course, like a masters
• technical or management training
• a professional qualification
• a course at your local college or learning provider
• an additional bachelors degree (if you’re already a graduate)

PCDLs are designed to help with costs that aren’t covered by other sources of public funding. For example, you couldn’t get one if you’re planning to study full-time for a first degree (because there’s a separate package of loans available for students). Other times you can’t use a PCDL are for help with starting or running your own business or a course from a training provider based in the European Union if an equivalent course is available in the UK.

Don’t forget that PDCLs aren’t for everyone and that there are other types of financial help available. If you are considering a PCDL it is highly advisable to seek professional advice. Contact Highbury College on (023) 9238 3131 or email info@highbury.ac.uk and ask to speak to an adviser about Professional Career and Development Loans.

Have your say…
If you were given £10,000 to retrain for another career, what new career path would you choose, and why?