Age Discrimination in Recruitment - DOHR: HR and Recruitment

Costa Del Home

Posted on July 26, 2020 (June 23, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

As an employer, in the next couple of weeks there is going to be a significant shift of responsibility from the Government to you! As I said last week, you need to take the decisions which are right for your business, but you also need to act legally, fairly and in compliance with your policies…

A different kind of workplace

Posted on July 20, 2020 (June 23, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

On the 14th July the government announced new legislation that would come into effect on the 24th July making it mandatory to wear face covering in shops across the country with hefty fines to ensure compliance. Whilst there is still inconclusive evidence as to the general effectiveness of face coverings in preventing the spread of…

What is the biggest RISK to all employers?

Posted on July 1, 2020 (June 24, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

The biggest risk to all employers is often the desire to 'DO THE RIGHT THING' Now, that may sound like a very strange statement because it is generally taken that all employers want to do the right thing. However, as an HR practice we are often left picking up the pieces when having done ‘the…

Perception vs Intent

Posted on June 22, 2020 (June 24, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

“I didn’t mean it, it was just a bit of fun” These words are so often offered by way of an explanation when someone is interviewed as part of an investigation or disciplinary process. Whether you are dealing with allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination, it is vital you remember that the intent of the…

Black Lives Matter

Posted on June 15, 2020 (August 1, 2022) by Donna Obstfeld

Photo credit / explantion: (Great Uncle) Michael Leigh wearing a T-shirt designed by (Uncle) Neil Mandel in 1990/91 as part of his Young Enterprise business project. It appears that we still have not learnt the lessons.Over the past few weeks many of us will have seen the horrifying video of George Floyd, an African American…

To return or not to return?

Posted on June 10, 2020 (June 24, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

This is the question at the forefront of each and every business mind at the moment. Many employers are asking the following questions: How can we bring back employees in the safest way possible? What can we do to mitigate risks all around? Do we bring back employees or leave them on furlough? Do we…

Is It Safe Yet?

Posted on May 26, 2020 (June 24, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

In the past week, I've been speaking to a lot of employers who are pulling out all the stops to get their staff back to work and back into the workplace, wherever reasonably practical and safe to do so. While they're leaving some staff furloughed and some staff working from home, many employers are trying…

What do you need?

Posted on May 20, 2020 (June 24, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

Years ago, when I was a Psychology student at University, the first concept we studied was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. For those of you not familiar with this model, the concept is that there is a basic level of needs which everyone has and once this foundation is in place, you can progress up the…

Please Sir, Can I work from home?

Posted on May 4, 2020 (June 24, 2021) by Donna Obstfeld

I have been in HR in one form or another for the past 25 years and over that time I have seen a significant increase in the number of requests to work from home. In part, this is being driven by significant improvements in technology, but there is a whole range of reasons given when…