Following the recent general election, there has been significant focus on whether the formal probationary process will survive, considering the right to bring ordinary unfair dismissal may become a day-one right.
Regardless of the final decision on implementation, greater restrictions on an employer’s right to dismiss an employee seem inevitable. This highlights the importance of not only robust recruitment processes but also a thorough induction process.
The benefits of a good induction process
A successful induction process offers numerous benefits, from quicker integration to increased productivity. In this article, we’ll explore areas where an effective induction process is not just a ‘nice to have’ but a crucial aspect of employment law compliance.
1. Create a safer workplace
All employers, regardless of size or sector, have extensive legal duties concerning health and safety in the workplace. These include ensuring a safe place of work and a safe system of work. Given that a large number of accidents occur during the first year of employment (Travelers Injury Impact Report, 2022), clear induction training for new starters is essential.
Induction training ensures new employees are familiar with your health and safety policy, are aware of obvious hazards, and know how to handle day-to-day issues. This includes guidance on personal accident reporting, wider hazard reporting, and whistleblowing. Job-specific training can further protect colleagues and the business from harm.
2. Prevent harassment and discrimination
A safe workplace is not just about obvious physical hazards. Mental health issues, bullying, and harassment can also create a hazardous environment. An enhanced duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace is scheduled for October 2024, but these are not new obligations. Employers will be liable for the discriminatory acts of their employees in the course of employment unless they can prove they took all reasonable steps to prevent the wrongdoing.
A crucial part of this defence is to ensure that not only are appropriate policies in place but that they are clearly communicated and understood by employees. Induction is the first opportunity to convey these business-critical messages. Don't assume that previous employers have been diligent or that similar messages are well understood by new employees. While employers cannot change hearts and minds, they can enforce acceptable behaviour standards within the workplace.
Training in these areas should be ongoing; a single training event like induction is a starting point, laying the groundwork for more in-depth and refresher training in the future.
3. Better adherence to employer policies
Many disciplinary issues stem from breaches of employer policies and procedures. Induction is the first and sometimes the only opportunity to ensure new colleagues understand key policies and know where to find them. This is particularly important in the current hybrid work environment, where obtaining informal guidance from colleagues may be more challenging.
Final thoughts on the importance of induction in employment law
While induction cannot cover everything, key policies should be highlighted. These include data protection and privacy obligations, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, IT usage, and expenses, as well as diversity, harassment, and bullying policies.
Each induction programme will vary by employer, but it should always be more than a quick office tour, the location of the tea and coffee, and a barrage of IT procedures and processes.
Personality development classes in pune
The first step to developing your personality is to be aware of yourself. This involves gaining a better understanding of your thoughts as well as your emotions, strengths and areas to improve. In the absence of self-awareness it can be difficult to decide where to concentrate your efforts.