SCHOOL CATERERS NEED TO UPDATE LEGAL KNOWLEDGE

Added: (Fri Nov 04 2005)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Changes in employment-related legislation are set to leave school caterers needing to update their knowledge on a series of potentially difficult issues such as maternity rights, discrimination and fixed-term contracts.

Sue Holland, an employment consultant with health and wellbeing provider FirstAssist, warned delegates at the ‘Challenges for School Caterers’ conference that legal problems could lay ahead for anyone who failed to understand changes in employment law.

She highlighted a range of issues that were often overlooked by employers, in such diverse areas as adoption leave, age discrimination, flexible working and correct grievance procedures.

“It’s extremely important to keep abreast of the latest legislation, to avoid ever-increasing employment tribunal awards,” Sue explained.

And addressing the particular issues faced by school and college caterers, she said: “I think awareness and training are problems within this kind of business.”

According to Sue, there are a number of specific matters that need to be addressed. “Within the catering industry absence is a growing concern. Obviously transfer of undertakings is a constant problem – an inherent problem – and sickness and discipline are other issues.”

Many of the potential difficulties faced within school kitchens result from the size and type of organisation within the sector, she argued. “There can be specific problems for schools because there is no head office and no-one trained in employment law. What schools often need is a source of advice,” she explained.

“We deal with many of the independent schools across the country – and some state schools – whereby the bursar will ring us for advice and will pass it on to the caterers.”

She added: “There are some organisations that have satellite offices that don’t have trained people within them. They are operating on an ad-hoc basis. Companies that have a central human resources office that managers report into tend to have fewer problems.”


During the conference – organised by Pelican Buying Company – Sue tackled questions on a range of issues being faced by school caterers. Delegates asked for guidance on the national minimum wage, changes to maternity and paternity rights, treatment of sick workers and dealing with potential staff dismissals.

On the topic of flexible working, Sue warned the audience: “Every woman who has a child and is on maternity leave has the right to request flexible working. If you refuse it you might be liable to a sexual discrimination case.”

And she also offered advice to employers using staff on a succession of fixed-term contracts. “There is absolutely no benefit to anyone to employ a fixed-term worker for more than a year,” she said. “You might as well take them on as full-time staff.”


ENDS

About Pelican Buying Company:

Pelican Buying Company, which began trading in 1990, provides cost-reducing purchasing solutions for schools and colleges in the independent and state sectors; leisure and hospitality outlets such as restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs; and for local authority clients.

By harnessing the buying power of many individual businesses, Pelican is able to negotiate trading terms and discounts that individual operators would not normally be able to achieve on their own. Its customer base exceeds 4,000 clients.



For further information please contact Alison Jee on 020 8744 0744 or email alison@alisonjee.co.uk