HR tip: Employing husband and wife in same unit
HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HRZone.co.uk members a range of HR and payroll tips in 2007. A market leader in the provision of HR and Payroll training and nationally recognised professional qualifications, HRD & Payroll Solutions are highly experienced in teaching about common HR and payroll problems. A wide selection of tips, tricks and guidance can be seen below. HRZone.co.uk highly recommends that any tips are taken as a starting point for guidance only.
Question:
"A woman has applied for a job in the same small section as her husband. We are not comfortable with this. Can we do anything?"
HR tip:
No, it would be a breach of sex discrimination legislation. Actually some married couples do get on quite well together! Should their relationship difficulties impact on their work you should use your disciplinary process, starting with a word in their ears.
Previous HR and Payroll tips:
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Employee relocation
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Return after redundancy
Mobile phone use
March 2008
Proof of drunkenness
Satisfactory references
Time off for funerals
Redundancy – bumping
February 2008
Companion at informal warning
Advising retirement age employees of their rights
Alcohol on site
Lawful discrimination
January 2008
Reducing company car standard
The disappearing employee
Pre-employment medicals
Monitoring bullying
Controlling absence
2007 tips
2006 tips
HR Zone, 1-May-2008
Categories: Employment Law
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Number of comments: 2
Robin Henry , 01 May 2008 @ 17:53 PM
Good and Bad Employing Spouses
I can't imagine why anyone would want to work with a spouse when he/she can work with someone else's spouse and have a break from the home front. My expereince is that if the people are mature adults and keep their work focus on work and leave their marital focus for home, everything should be okay. The sole experience I had of having a woman thrust on my department whose husband was my superior, was a disaster. She had privileges which weren't afforded to other staff, despite my boss's assurance that that wouldn't happen. I think people should be encouraged to work in a different work unit, but if they can't, or don't want to, then it has to be a case of try it and see how it goes. If problems occur, deal with them in an appropriate way. Robin
http://www.dwave.com.au
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Quentin Colborn , 01 May 2008 @ 12:19 PM
The issue is not husband/wife but the fact of the relationship
Quentin ColbornSurely the issue here is that the employer may need a policy on employing people in a close relationship. If some of the job-holders are in a position of trust it may be reasonable to have a policy of not working together. However this does not have to be gender based; two siblings working together may not be appropriate. In my experience it is often quite though on the two parties if one manages the other - it may well be the senior is harsher on the 'junior' that would happen for two 'normal' employees.
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