For many HR payroll professionals involved with the internal people sides of their businesses, matters of workplace welfare are approached with common sense empathy. It might find it difficult for them to comprehend that some businesses find themselves on the wrong side of health and safety law due to a neglectful provision of basic necessities. However, the nature of various different working environments is as diverse as the natures of different business types themselves. In response to this, the Health & Safety Executive issued a clear set of guidelines in August 2011, giving detailed descriptions of what is expected from any and every workplace.
Drinking water, for example, should be readily available to staff. If mains supplies or water machines are unfeasible in the cases of certain workplaces, water should be supplied to staff in refillable containers. Businesses with water machines need to ensure that they are regularly replenished.
If staff are required to change in to uniforms for work, they should have access to designated and private changing areas that have toilets, washing areas and places to take refreshment breaks close at hand. Furthermore, they must have secure places in which to store their own clothes and personal belongings whilst they are on duty.
Even toilet facilities, which a large percentage of HR payroll teams might automatically take as read, fall under the watchful eye of the Health & Safety Executive. Whilst this might seem odd, it is to be borne in mind that not all businesses operate from modern or static premises. Separate toilets and washing facilities for male and female employees should be provided, including hot and cold running water, soap, hand driers or towels. Dependent on the specific nature of individual businesses, showers should also be available to staff with particularly dirty or physically demanding roles.
We, at Moorepay, have offered specific human resources services to many businesses for many years, in addition to payroll services. Both internal functions are often inextricably interlinked. Resultantly, we provide companies with bespoke individual or combined HR payroll solutions. Workplace welfare is a HR payroll issue that we help enormous amounts of businesses to satisfactorily address.