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Employment laws broken by church projects, says CUF
by Pat Ashworth
CHRISTIAN voluntary organisations are putting themselves and their staff at risk by not complying with key employment legislation, suggests research published on Wednesday by the Church Urban Fund (CUF). CUF surveyed 200 faith-based projects as part of a new initiative to support church-based community organisations. It found that more than 60 per cent had not changed their HR policies after the introduction of the Working Time (Annual Leave) Amendment; 54 per cent had ignored the Health Act 2006; 49 per cent had ignored the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations; and 46 per cent the Disability Discrimination Act. Almost 60 per cent had no access to any professional in-house HR, yet almost 30 per cent had had to deal with disputes brought by staff in the past five years, the researchers found. Projects in the North-East were least likely to have changed their HR policies, or to have an in-house resource. London projects were most likely to turn to the web for advice on HR issues (14.8 per cent). Projects in the east of England were just as likely to turn to family and friends as seek advice from an in-house department (25 per cent). The survey identified the East Midlands as the place where it was most difficult to recruit volunteers (41.7 per cent), followed by the North-West (36.4 per cent). It reports that current HR policies suggest that: 12.1 per cent of projects have no staff inductions; 12 per cent no expenses policy; 10.7 per cent no training and development policy; 10.2 per cent no complaints procedure; 8.5 per cent no performance and disciplinary procedures; and 5.6 per cent no procedure for holiday or leave.CUF is offering advice, Just Employment (www.cufx.org.uk), to help faith-based projects follow best practice. The guidance has been drawn up by an employment specialist and will be updated annually. “We know how difficult it is for busy faith-based organisations to keep abreast of current employment practice, and the Church Urban Fund is here with much more than just money,” said the deputy chief executive of CUF, Tim Bissett. Liz Geddes, human-resources adviser to the dioceses of Chester, Liverpool, and Manchester, said: “There are numerous risks that an employer must face, and it appears that voluntary groups are extremely vulnerable to HR issues. This sector can least afford to be sued: however, lack of funds, staff, and time prevent them from safeguarding themselves. “From accidentally employing a volunteer to incorrect interview questions, the danger to organisations is not just financial, but also to the reputation of the project within the community.” Just Employment includes example case studies, and links to a library of documents for downloading and customising. Suggested donations to cover CUF’s production costs are £100 for organisations with a staff of under five; £200 for those with up to 15 staff; and £300 for a staff of 15 and over. |
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