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PA Enterprise
obliged to consider them and deal with them in a Another issue to think about is the obligations
reasonable manner. between employer and employee. How do you
It may be that you receive more than one flexible manage workload and performance? How do
working request and, for business or economic you ensure that employees stay motivated? The
reasons, you are not able to accommodate company sickness policy should be updated to
them. For example, if you had five employees include provisions for employees self-isolating.
requesting to work from home full time when It’s also important to consider whether grievance
you need at least one person working in the and disciplinary policies should also be amended
office on reception. In this situation, you should to allow investigations and discussions to take
consult with the employees involved and make place remotely. On this point, employers may
what you feel is the correct decision, ensuring wish to think about the practicalities of this: do all
you follow the Acas guidance and ensure that any the relevant parties have access to technology?
decisions made are not discriminatory. As with Are there records and documents in the office
every aspect of employment relations, ensuring that need to be obtained? And does the remote
that you communicate with your employees is process still allow meetings to be carried out in a
essential. fair and reasonable manner?
Businesses should also ensure that the relevant There are of course many ways that employment
policies and procedures for remote working are contracts can be changed, but the advice remains
in place. For example, it’s important to consider the same. Communicate, act fairly and ensure
policies that deal with health and safety at home, that the decisions you make as an employer are
ensuring GDPR and data protection are complied reasonable and do not discriminate.
with and that employees have the correct
equipment.
By Molly Dilling, peoplemanagement
PA Enterprise is published by
February/March 2021 11
