Nearly half of HR professionals don’t feel up-to-speed on changing legislation
New research has found that 41% of HR professionals are struggling to keep up with changes to employment law. Despite this, 62% believe that being prepared to handle legislation changes is their primary responsibility.
The study by identity data intelligence specialists GBG has revealed that changes to UK law, such as those made to the Right to Work in the Immigration Act and Modern Day Slavery Act, have been met with anxiety by 34% of respondents. Only 26% said they felt prepared and just 4% optimistic that the changes will be advantageous for their organisation.
Mark Sugden, sales & business development director at GBG, said: “With Christmas on the horizon, the situation becomes increasingly complex for HR professionals in the retail space. The Home Office is now targeting larger retail organisations with adherence audits, issuing civil penalties for employing someone without the right to work in the UK. As retailers look to hire additional temporary staff to handle the Christmas rush, candidate checking needs to be front and centre of the process. The need for organisations to know their people is critical more so now, than ever before.”
Some 41% of respondents cited employment screening as their number one priority. However, when asked how often they ran employee checks, less than one in five ran multiple checks throughout the year. A fifth of respondents said they did not undertake any checking throughout the year, with 11% only running checks when an incident triggered the process.
Sugden added: “With temporary staff supporting at high demand times of the year, ensuring their appropriateness to work is essential. Students, casual workers and non-UK nationals are all governed by layers of legislation that need to be adhered to, not just to comply with important legislation requirements, but to also determine their honesty, integrity and financial soundness. This will not only protect a business from the outset, but also ensure the safety of employees and customers throughout the busy festive period.”
Are you an HR professional or a have an interest in HR issues? Then book your place at The Retail Bulletin Employment Tribunal workshop on 7 December. Further details here.
