Real Life Training

Successful management of the employment relationship is not simply about knowing the law. We can help you to become a dynamic, self-aware organisation, by empowering the people who operate at the core of your business. Invest in your staff and they will invest in you.

We have 28 training modules to choose from, divided across five key areas:

1. Workplace communication
2. Personal development
3. Procedure
4. Contracts
5. Management training 

Our bespoke training is carefully tailored to meet our clients' needs. We focus upon what you are trying to achieve, through an understanding of your priorities and ethos as an organisation.

1. Workplace communication
Employment tribunal claims can be avoided if an employer adopts strategies to ensure effective communication between management and staff. Our training helps delegates develop both their communication skills and their legal knowledge.

Preventing tribunal claims and grievances
Receiving or delivering bad news, discussing bonuses, promotion, disciplinary, grievance and performance issues are all potential flash points in the employer/employee relationship. So how does a manager learn to recognise these flash points and how should he/she deal with them if and when they arise?

Understanding trust and confidence
Every employment relationship contains an implied duty of trust and confidence. Managers must never act so as to destroy or damage this relationship. Behaviour that the employee perceives to be hostile may give rise to a claim for breach of contract. What implications are there for managers in terms of their written and oral interactions with staff?

Communication and listening skills
More than 50 percent of communication is non-verbal. Develop your ability to transmit the intended message through speech, tone, body language and observation.

Managing change - legal and practical issues
Successful change management in the workplace is about effective communication. It is important for those who are involved in strategy implementation to understand and comply with relevant employment law obligations.

2. Personal development
Business ethics
Many organisations are starting to consider the benefits of adopting a Code of Ethics in order to articulate corporate values, responsibilities and obligations. Such a code will require to be tailored to your organisation, and ethical issues will always be set against a backdrop of legal implications. Issues such as confidentiality and whistleblowing, and your organisation's approach to families, work-life balance and health and safety are all key.

Respect in the workplace
Delegates explore key concepts, such as goal setting, time management, deadlines, facilitation skills and relationships with others.

Explore your potential
Often people who are in a job for some time become happy living in their comfort zone. This workshop challenges boundaries, asking what is possible as opposed to what is expected.

Personality
An understanding of the traits of the individuals in our teams, and how these people are likely to interact, makes the role of management significantly easier.

Personality questionnaires
After completing our personality questionnaire, you will attend a feedback meeting where your various personality traits will be explored, to give you a better understanding about how you react in different situations. You will also receive a written report documenting the main findings from the responses you have given.

Coaching skills for managers
Many organisations now recognise the benefits of adopting a management style that is based upon coaching. Such a style is about learning to get the best out of people.

Time management and personal motivation
We bring you time management tips from those in the know, to help you to increase personal satisfaction amongst workers and to promote work/life balance.

3. Procedure
Appraisals and performance management
A good appraisal can assist with the development of staff but may also be used as an evidential tool in the context of performance-based dismissals. This module examines practical steps to encourage improved performance.

Disciplinary and grievance procedures
We look at why these procedures have to be adopted and how best to apply them in practice. We utilise a real life case study where delegates actively participate in running a disciplinary and grievance procedure.

Absence management
We focus on strategies to deal with long-term and short-term ill health, including consideration of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Mock tribunal
Involvement in a tribunal claim can be daunting. It becomes less so with a full understanding of the tribunal process from start to finish.

Stress management
This module looks at key measures for identifying and minimising stress at work.

Understanding mediation
Our trained mediator explains the differences between mediation, conciliation and the court/tribunal process. A fascinating insight into various methods of dispute resolution including an analysis of the roles of the different parties involved.

Recruitment issues - understanding law and best practice (including age discrimination)
We explore current best practice and the legal rules surrounding recruitment. We examine how to run a recruitment process from start to finish.

Understanding TUPE
A practical look at the key concepts surrounding the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. This is a particularly important module for anyone involved in the management of in-sourcing or out-sourcing.

Employment legislation update
We look at the most recent developments and provide an insight into forthcoming changes, helping you to forward plan more effectively.

4. Contracts
Equality training
Minimise the risks of discrimination, bullying and harassment in the workplace and ensure that you deal effectively with complaints if they do arise. We also look at the most recent case law under the Protection from Harassment Act.

Focus on Disability Discrimination
An in-depth analysis of an employer's obligations in respect of disabled employees, workers and job applicants. We can also include information on provision of goods and services and use of premises.

Atypical Contracts
We explain the legal provisions surrounding:

• Fixed term contracts
• Part-time and flexible workers 
• Young workers
• Temporary and casual workers 
• "Workers" and "employees" 
• Probationary periods

Understanding executive and non-executive appointments
There is a huge difference between an executive director who is an employee of the company and a non-executive who has been appointed to take office. Failure to understand and observe the key differences in treatment is likely to give rise to claims.

Data protection and information management
We focus on the provisions of the Data Protection Act and on how to ensure compliance.

Family-friendly rights
Develop a thorough understanding of current family-friendly provisions including paternity, maternity, flexible working and taking time off in emergencies.

Health and safety in the workplace
We look at the legal framework in an area that employers cannot afford to ignore.

Equal Pay
Understand the law and how to manage an equal pay audit.

5. Management Training
We offer various options:

• Half-day module – We offer a half-day training module which covers all the basics of employment law for managers. 
• One-day module – We offer a comprehensive one-day module which covers all the basics of employment law and allows for interactive discussions and plenty of time for questions. 
• Two-day module – We also run a module over two days that involves role-play with professional actors. This affords delegates the opportunity to manage the dispute resolution process from start to finish.

For more information or to discuss your organisation's particular training needs, please do not hesitate to contact Kim Pattullo or Blair Adams.