Morning all- I hope this blog finds you well and your Mondays went ok.
Although the weekend may now already seem a distant memory! I had the joy of being dragged to the cold and windy Stoke City football ground by my husband on Saturday, but they did win which was a bonus and ensured that he was happy for the rest of the day. And we did go and get a curry afterwards to warm up and caught up with friends who travelled up from London to see the game which was lovely.
Then Sunday was the day we lost an hour wasn’t it?! And typically, our youngest also had a 9am kick off with his football team, so that was a rude and early awakening and there were some very tired and cold faces that morning down at the football fields – the things we do for our kids! I did get myself a bacon and cheese oatcake though to help get me through, I’m not sure how many of you will be aware of this Stoke-on-Trent delicacy. Basically it is a savoury pancake-like flatbread which is typically had with cheese, bacon or sausage (although some friends have been known to have these cold with ketchup!) I would highly recommend them to anyone who has not yet tried them. I’m unsure how they haven’t made it further than Stoke, although saying that I did once see a Derbyshire oatcake when I went to the Morrisons local to the office so maybe they are starting to make it across the border!
We also had my side of the family round for a Mother’s Day Sunday lunch which, with a dog and a toddler was slightly chaotic and I think that, combined with the early start, meant that we were both ready for bed at about 8pm on Sunday evening- rock and roll.
Anyway- onto what you are here for, and this one is hot off the press-
Forget the Employment Rights bill, the government have introduced new legislation which will allow an employee’s line manager to fine them for making a rubbish cup of tea, or if they miss their tea making time slot on the rota. So, any line manager who thinks a brew is too strong, too weak or milky, will be able to make a deduction directly from an employee’s wage. And if an employee forgets or misses their time slot on the rota, that fine can then be doubled.
Alright, I’ll drop the joke, this is of course, an April fools!
I hope I didn’t worry you too much- although I’m sure you saw straight through us!
There is, of course, no legislation coming that would mean that an employee can be fined for a bad brew.
And deducting money from an employee’s wages without their consent is likely to be unlawful, unless it falls under specific pre-agreed arrangements (such as pensions, contractual rights to deduct or tax)- not that we’re suggesting that you would be considering fining employees for their bad brew making skills or not putting their shift in making them!
I’m sure you’ve all had grumbles in the past though about employees who don’t put their shift in on tea rounds in the office, and if this arises in your workplace we would recommend that it is first dealt with informally, and a chat is had with employees, as we all know how these seemingly small grumbles can turn into something bigger if they are left unchecked.
And whilst a light-hearted grumble could be nothing, keep an eye on anything which could be seen as persistent unfair treatment (such as always making the junior staff member make the brews), as it could then stray into workplace bullying if it creates a hostile working environment for the employee. It’s important to make employees aware that this type of treatment could be seen as unlawful, as much as they think that they are only joking around.
You also need to consider that some employees might not drink tea or coffee and that might be because of cultural or religious reasons (for example, Mormons are encouraged not to drink tea and there are of course those who fast during Ramadan – on which note, I hope those who celebrated had a great Eid) and so any tea related banter could then be seen as harassment on the grounds of a protected characteristic. You don’t want to land yourself in hot water over this (no pun intended!)
That being said, tea breaks can be a vital team building and morale boosting time for employees, and a much needed time in the day to take a break or even discuss with colleagues work issues or problems, in a more informal setting which can help productivity. And of course, that doesn’t always have to be for a brew, you can make sure there are other options for people so that no one is left out, and I’m sure a biscuit or two wouldn’t go amiss either.
So, hopefully no one just read the first paragraph of this update and is now implementing a Tea Competency Framework! But I hope this did offer some food (tea) for thought anyway.
I hope you all have a good week- and as always, if this has raised some concerns for you that you would like to chat through, your friendly team of experts here at Precept would be happy to help.
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