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staffing issues - Please help!

I am in a bit of a dilemma,

One of my members of staff is a low skilled part timer working 3 days a week.

She will not work a full week and i could do with replacing her with a skilled gardener in a full time position. i feel that it is dead money at the momentas i dont make a lot of profit from her.

Also have any of you had experience in recruiting quality gardeners and if so what worked best for you?

Thanks in advance!

Tony

 

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Permalink Reply by John Cooke on February 23, 2012 at 7:38

Tony,

You can make the role redundant (it's always the role or function, never the person) on the grounds you are restructuring and need someone with appropriate skills who can work full time.  You must give the current person the opportunity to apply for the new post, but. if she/he doesn't fit the criteria, you don't have to appoint them.  In which case she/he is redundant and subject to a severance payment, which, I think, is one weeks pay for every year she has worked as long as she has been there two years.  Could be worth checking that last bit with CAB or similar.

I can't help with recruiting, especially in Devon, but you could start at your local Horticultural College?


PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Dan Frazer Gardening on February 23, 2012 at 8:18

NB If she has been with you under 1 year this does not apply and as long as you have fair reason you can dismiss her with the standard notice.

Permalink Reply by Colin Hunt on February 23, 2012 at 9:37

I am sure you have gone through this over and over in your mind.  In my view, you always need 'low skilled' workers and you pay them the wages to match.  A lot of our work is 'low skilled', so why have a 'skilled' person doing these roles and paying them 50% or so more?

If you think your business can stand the cost of a skilled worker full time (who would increase your work load by the way) then I would look to keep the part timer on for the summer and then make a decision. Unless of course you mean she is 'painfully slow', which is another matter of course.


PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on February 23, 2012 at 11:00

If the staff member has been with you for more than 2 years, the issue could become abit more complicated and it may be worth exploring a discussion with them about their performance - if this is an underlying issue. Also about the need for them to either go full time and gain skills or possibly no longer have a role - You may find when clearly given this choice she chooses to agree to say more flexible terms and some skill training.


PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Tony Goodridge on February 23, 2012 at 20:26

thanks guys!!!! that really does help!!! got it clearer in my mind now!

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