Software gives employers the green light on maternity rights

ìOne of my staff gave birth last night and claims she didnít even know she was pregnant. Can I sack her for being dishonest?î

Shocking as it may sound, this was a real enquiry received by a team of employment lawyers from one of their small business clients.

Another employee called Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS) for advice after being fired by her boss.

She had just announced that, having tragically lost one baby, she and her partner were finally ready to begin trying to conceive once more.

While horrific, these examples show how thousands of women suffer appalling discrimination when they become pregnant due to their employersí ignorance of the law.

Now experts at ELAS claim they have come up with the solution ñ by creating a piece of personnel software which ensures employers always comply with the myriad of complex legislation.

The software, called Employersafe, works by using a simple traffic lights system to alert employers to any legal problems they may have, then shows them how to solve them.

ìMaternity regulations have changed every year recently and it is anticipated they will change again as we fall into line with Europe,î explained ELAS head of personnel, Pam Rogerson.

ìWhile there is a wealth of information available for employers, what they find is that they struggle to find that information when they need it most.

ìEmployersafe means the advice is there when they need it, but doesnít bother them when they donít.î

For employees - a million of whom will suffer discrimination in the workplace in the next five years as a result of becoming pregnant ñ it means they are guaranteed to get the support they need.

And for employers, having an initial point by point checklist of what they should be doing ensures that they avoid any costly tribunals.

ìThe first thing employers should do whenever one of their team announces that they are pregnant is to sit down with their staff and explain their maternity rights,î said Mrs Rogerson.

Employersafe not only tells them to do this, but supplies a briefing document to help them.

Their next step should be to arrange a risk assessment ñ which Employersafe reminds them to do ñ followed by regular update meetings, which staff are again prompted to arrange.

But that is not all. Because unlike other personnel software, Employersafe has been designed as a comprehensive legal package, dealing equally well with problems such as absenteeism, contracts or complex disciplinary procedures.

Using simple on screen traffic lights, green lights tell employers they are in the clear, amber means they have a problem and red tells them they need to act right away to put something right.

ìThis software is like an extra legal brain working in the office all the time,î added Mrs Rogerson.

ìIt does not wait until you have a problem. It will spot the issue for you and guide you through what you need to do to put it right.î

Because Employersafe is part of an all-round employment law service, employers know they have got expert advice from ELAS 24 hours-a-day at the end of a phone, should they ever need it.

ìFor simple problems, that is all the guidance you need,î added Mrs Rogerson.

ìWith more complicated issues, the software knows what it can deal with and what it canít and so prompts you to seek the expert advice you need by speaking to one of our consultants.

ìWith both elements in place, companies can then relax knowing they are complying with the law at all times and get on with what they do best ñ which is running their business.î

For more information about this weekís launch of Employersafe, call ELAS on 0161 785 2000.