Employment Law Update (August 2010)
Employee motivation 'key' to avoiding legal cases, finds new
research
Increasing numbers of workers are taking their employers to
court due to tougher working conditions, such as longer hours or
pay freezes.
Recent research has revealed that there were 15 per cent more
people seeking legal advice regarding their employment in July of
this year, compared to June.
Following the findings, employers have been encouraged to
improve workers' motivation and retention in order to avoid facing
legal charges.
Bosses have been advised to avoid putting 'unlawful pressure' on
their staff and trying where possible to avoid resorting to harsh
tactics such as firing workers quickly.
Keeping the lines of communication open between employer and
employee is crucial, found the research.
Meanwhile, several top FTSE 100 firms are beginning to invest in
employee engagement in order to improve morale amongst their
teams.
Plans to boost staff satisfaction include collecting employee
feedback and working alongside each staff member to improve their
working environment. So far, companies that are trialling the
improved employee engagement idea have found that better staff
training and more flexible working hours or home-working are among
the top requests.
Collecting their feedback ensures that staff feel their
suggestions are valued, thus boosting loyalty and helping to keep
the number of legal cases brought by staff down.