Course

The Role and Skills of a Valuable HR Assistant

Course overview

What is this seminar about

An effective HR assistant plays a key role in the efficient running of an HR department. The daily pressures are demanding, employment law procedures are constantly evolving and you have to handle sensitive employee issues on a very regular basis. It is vital to ensure you are up-to-date on key employment law issues and best practice skills and can handle employee issues and problems effectively as they arise, and ensure you avoid costly errors.

What are the key objectives of this interactive programme

This well established and highly popular programme has been designed to provide the HR assistant with the legal and administrative knowledge they need for the wide range of tasks they undertake every day. The aim, is for those who attend, to increase their knowledge and skills to a point which will enable them to take on more responsibility in their work for the HR function.

Develop your knowledge and skills in employment law and HR best practice:

MASTER the steps in successful recruitment and making job offers
UNDERSTAND what must be included in a contract of employment by law and how employers can add to this to protect their particular interests or needs
LEARN how to vary contract terms
APPRECIATE employee entitlement and employers’ responsibilities in different types of leave including pregnancy, maternity, paternity and parental leave
EXAMINE the details of discrimination law to ensure that you are providing equality of opportunity and to avoid costly mistakes
GET-TO-GRIPS with discipline and grievance procedures to feel more confident when involved in employee disputes
ENSURE you know what ‘fair’ dismissals are and how employers are expected to be ‘reasonable’ in the manner of dismissal

Practical case study based learning

A unique case study has been developed specifically for this programme. Throughout the course participants will work in groups on exercises based around a pseudo organisation. They will examine and resolve specific HR issues that are present within the company and reflect real-life scenarios. This will give the group the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have learnt in a practical context during the programme and receive structured feedback and guidance from the expert trainer.

Who should attend?

New and existing HR staff looking for more training
Experienced HR staff looking for an update in employment law procedures
Staff assigned to HR duties and responsibilities

Programme - Day 1

Programme

During each session the trainer will define, examine and discuss the specific role and responsibilities of a HR Assistant connected with that topic.

1 INTRODUCTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF HR

The contribution of HR to the business
HR roles and responsibilities
The essential role of the HR Administrator
Arriving at employment policies and procedures
Responsibility for making HR policies effective
Internal relationships

2 THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYMENT LAW

The range of current legislation
Statutory v occupational rights
Frequency of changes

3 THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS

CASE STUDY – EXERCISE 1
Participants will work in groups to develop a recruitment process for a senior post

Seven stages of an effective recruitment process

The business case
Identifying the job
Defining the person
Attracting candidates
Assessing candidates
Making the selection decision
Follow up

HR Procedures

Issuing a conditional job offer
Checking the right to work in the UK
Checking essential qualifications
Checking criminal convictions
References
Medical examinations/questionnaires
Unconditional job offers

4 TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

CASE STUDY – EXERCISE 2
Participants will work in groups to suggest terms and conditions of employment for the post

Types of contract
Agency staff
The right of an employee to written terms and conditions
- What must be included by law
- Other possible terms and conditions
Statutory rights
Issuing the contract
Varying the terms of contract
Remedies for breach of contract
Clarifying the terms where there is no written statement
Best practice
The role of the HR Assistant

5 ‘FAMILY FRIENDLY’ RIGHTS

CASE STUDY – EXERCISE 3
Participants will work in groups to ‘advise’ the new post on key rights issues they are facing in the team

Maternity leave and pay
Paternity leave and pay
Leave and pay for adoptive parents
Parental leave
Flexible working rights
The role of the HR Assistant

6 DISCRIMINATION LAW

CASE STUDY – EXERCISE 1
Participants will work in groups to ‘advise’ the new post on potential discrimination issues they are facing in the team

Discrimination legislation
Definitions of discrimination
Sex and marital status
Race
Disability
Sexual orientation
Religion or belief
Age
Trade union membership
Remedies for unlawful discrimination
Institutions
The role of the HR Assistant

7 DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL

CASE STUDY – EXERCISE 5
Participants will work in groups to advise the new post on a disciplinary issue they are facing

The ACAS Code of Practice
The organisation’s own disciplinary procedure
The right to be accompanied
The right of appeal
Effective records
Carrying out disciplinary interviews
‘Fair’ reasons for dismissal
- Capability or qualifications
- Conduct
- Redundancy
- Some other statutory enactment
- Some other substantial reason
- Retirement
Constructive dismissal
Wrongful dismissal
Making a claim for unfair dismissal
The role of the HR Assistant

The expert presenter

Programme and workshop leader

Anne Knell, MA, FCIPD is a partner in Newways 90, an HR consultancy offering a broad range of personnel advice and support to clients in all sectors of business. She was previously with Arthur Andersen working with clients on HR and employment law related issues. She gained her personnel experience at Morphy-Richards and CheseboroughPonds and also headed up the courses department for the National Institute of Industrial Psychology. She is the executive editor of Gee’s Personnel Manager’s Factbook and the Reward and Recognition Handbook.

In-house training

Do you have a team of HR assistants who are helping with the unique challenges that busy HR departments have to deal with on a day-to-day basis?

Falconbury deliver our HR assistant programmes In-House for a number of organisations in the UK. The training is interactive, packed with case study based learning and tailored to your organisations needs and culture.