Peninsula gives me peace of mind

Nicola Crawford is the Assistant Manager at Assisted Services – a care-at-home facility that deploys community carers to support people in their own homes.

When Nicola realised some of her employees were having trouble with timekeeping, she turned to Peninsula for support…

Nicola's HR challenge started with a troubling discovery.

Because her staff visit patients out in the community, no one can monitor them on the job. But due to a new rota system, she discovered that a number of workers weren’t showing up for work on time. Some were starting 30-45 minutes late – and getting paid for the time they weren’t working.

Nicola knew that if her carers weren’t arriving on time to deliver essential support, they were putting the welfare of their clients – and the reputation of the business – at serious risk.

Nicola knew she had to act fast. So, she reached out to her Peninsula employment law adviser, Tammy.

Nicola asked Tammy what her next steps should be to address the issue in line with HR rules.

So, Tammy gave her a list of important questions to ask her workers, and invitation letters inviting them to a disciplinary meeting.

And while Tammy said the offence was serious enough for dismissal, Nicola didn’t want to go down that road. So, they worked together to explore alternative options.

They settled on issuing the workers with written warnings. Tammy guided Nicola through this process and provided her with the necessary wording and paperwork.

With Peninsula support, Nicola had full confidence that she was doing everything correctly.

By following the right disciplinary steps, Nicola was able to manage the situation without the risk of legal backlash.

And she’s since seen a huge difference in how her staff behave. Now, Nicola's workers arrive promptly on time for work. If they have to finish early for whatever reason, they give her a call first.

Having Peninsula’s support helps Nicola remain strong in her conviction. It means that, if any worker tries to raise a dispute with her, she knows she can hold her ground – because she knows she has followed the correct HR principles.

We have years of experience supporting businesses in the care sector with their HR and legal compliance, contact us today for more information.