Human Resource Management

With ever increasing number of applicants applying for positions in the Civil and Public Service, to stay as employer of choice we have to demonstrate that our Recruitment and Selection process including Desk Shortlisting is Transparent, Consistent, Fair and based on both best practice and merit. This half day online workshop was built to deliver a fair and consistent mechanism for assessing applicants written examples. 

HRM professionals and line managers with people management responsibilities need to be familiar with the principles of employment law and the key obligations and constraints placed on them in managing the employment relationship. 

The maintenance of a good employee / industrial relations atmosphere in an organisation depends on the promotion and maintenance of discipline on the one hand while at the same time it is important that grievances are handled effectively in accordance with the principles of natural justice and fairness.  Equally it is important that HRM practitioners and line managers are aware of how to ensure the conduct of a robust investigation in relation to disciplinary or grievance matters.

The aim of the Employment Law - Discipline, Grievance and Workplace Investigations workshop is to provide HRM practitioners and line managers with an awareness of the law and best practice in dealing with discipline and grievance matters and an appreciation of the responsibilities that they have in relation to adhering to discipline and grievance procedures. The workshop also aims to provide guidance relating to the organisation and conduct of investigations.

A new Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work has been in place since latter 2020. The aim of the Employment Law - Preventing Bullying and Harassment and Protecting Dignity in the Workplace workshop is to inform HRM and line managers as to how harassment and bullying at work are defined and to set out the procedures by which bullying at work should be managed and the preventative measures and actions that should be taken. The formal process which should be implemented will also be outlined and the role of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) will be clearly explained.

The law on whistle-blowing has had a significant overhaul since the introduction of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.  In order to give effect to Directive (EU) 2019/1937 the law has been revised and extended and the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 was signed into law in July 2022.

Employment Law - Whistle-Blowing and Protected Disclosures aims to familiarise attendees with the core definitions and considerations in the area of protected disclosures and to get ahead of the changes required by the new Act.  It is an invaluable insight into this fast moving area of law ahead of the imminent commencement of the 2022 Act and will have particular value for managers, human resource practitioners and those working in the overlapping areas of complaints and grievance resolution. 

Freedom of Information for Decision Makers is an intensive one day course for people charged with making decisions in relation to applications for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, which was enacted on 14 October 2014.  Reference will also be made where appropriate to the repealed FOI legislation (1997 and 2003) and to Data Protection legislation and obligations under it regarding Personal Data.  

The purpose of this course is to bring participants through the different Parts (1-7) of the new Freedom of Information legislation and to explore with them the implications for their organisations. Emphasis will be placed throughout the course on the sections that are most relevant to attendees. By the end of the course, participants should feel more confident when dealing with an application for information under FOI Act 2014.

Physical violence and verbal abuse are acknowledged workplace problems which can have significant negative consequences for employers and employee health. Although instances of verbal abuse and threats to personal safety are common in many workplaces, incidents of physical attacks are quite rare.

The aim of the Managing your Personal Safety at Work workshop, is to provide line managers and staff with an awareness of the legal and organisational requirements involved in maintaining the personal safety of employees at work. Equally we aim to provide participants with practical guidance on how to minimise the risk to their personal safety and; to outline the organisational supports available to employees in the event of an accident or injury being sustained.

Performance management is a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. As such, it establishes a shared understanding about what is to be achieved and an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure that it is achieved.   Remote working (or a blended approach of time in the office and time working remotely) presents managers with particular challenges in terms of managing performance and collaborative engagement.

Maintaining healthy employee relations in an organisation is a pre-requisite for organisational success.  Employee relations generally deal with avoiding and resolving issues concerning individuals which might arise out of or influence the work situation.  Employees may feel so ‘aggrieved’ about an issue or incident that it impacts their work to the point where the organisation has no choice but to initiate disciplinary action so they can be linked as issues or be completely separate with no links.

This half day online Managing Grievance and Discipline Issues in the Workplace workshop is designed for Line Managers and/or Team Leaders with devolved HR responsibility to equip them with the knowledge, skills and techniques required to effectively manage grievance and/or disciplinary issues and conduct all related conversations and enquiries.  It is also suited to HR staff working in employee relations.

A new Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work written by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has been in place since December 2020 (S.I. 674 of 2020, Industrial Relations Act 1990). 

The role of the Contact Person, Support Contact Person or the Designated Contact Person is an integral part of the Dignity at Work process.   The function of the Contact Person is to listen, be supportive and outline the options open to an employee who believes they may be experiencing bullying behaviour by somebody they are coming in contact with in their workplace or through their work. The Contact Person acts as a first point of contact, somebody to speak with in confidence about what might be happening with a view to considering what the next actions might be.  The Contact Person will explain the definitions of bullying behaviour and the various elements of the procedure and will assist the employee in making an informed choice about what action, if any the employee may wish to take.  

The aim of this workshop is to consider this specific role and help build the confidence of those who have volunteered to undertake it on behalf of their organisation.