2019/20 saw a 23% increase in requests for advice received by our Employment Team compared to last year.
Unsurprisingly, with the COVID-19 crisis Q4 saw the biggest increase of nearly a 60% increase in demand compared to last year and Q3 of 2019/20.
With the redevelopment of the SEE website we have seen a reduction in the simple queries where our team are able to respond quickly. However, to counter that we have seen a significant increase in the number of complex queries where a greater depth answer is required or where research is needed to put together a complete response.
Continuous service and the Modification Order continue to be a constant theme throughout the year along side requests for guidance on managing complex case work for sickness absence, capability and disciplinary cases.
TUPE and redundancy consultation processes have been hot topics this year too.
As the year drew to a close, we faced the introduction of several new pieces of employment legislation and our team were on hand to guide our HR Colleagues towards compliance with the new requirements for the Statement of Particulars for all newly appointed workers and bereavement leave and pay in particular.
As we continue through 2020, we are beginning to see the requests for advice turn slowly away from COVID-19 and return to normal. Our team look forward to continuing to support you through your COVID-19 response and beyond.
During this time of uncertainty, change and challenge, we at SEE are working to ensure that we keep our people safe while continuing to deliver the high quality services you are used to. Following the latest government advice, we have put in place measures to ensure that our business can continue to operate efficiently.
We’re updating our website daily on our designated Covid-19 information page and will continue to update our Q&As based on the questions our Employment Team are receiving via our advice line.
You can also see how we are adapting our work to the current climate here.