HR tip: Pets at work

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:
"Our employees seem to be watching too much David Attenborough because some have started to bring pets to work. So far we have a tortoise, a jar of stick insects and a gerbil, and we have heard that another employee is lining up a cat. Are we being unreasonable in wanting to put a stop to this?"

HR tip:
Not at all. Quite apart from food chain issues, pets can carry diseases and are likely to be disruptive. You should therefore apply a complete ban on this practice.

Previous HR and Payroll tips:

May 2008
Calculating pay-in-lieu of notice
New recruit fails to arrive
Recovering training costs from departing employee
Employing husband and wife in same unit

April 2008
Employee relocation
Does raising standards require new contract?
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

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Jane Coope , 30 May 2008 @ 15:07 PM  Don't demonise all animals however! Jane Coope Please ensure in any communications with staff that assistance dogs are not tarred with the same brush. As HR Director for Guide Dogs I can assure you that the guide dogs I work alongside are neither disease ridden nor disruptive! They are not however 'pets' but working animals and that is perhaps the distinction to bear in mind (along with the DDA legislation) when drafting your policy. Good luck!

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