Acas North-East is encouraging businesses across the region to spring clean their employment policies and practises by taking part in one of the many training programmes included in its new spring training programme. Because Acas writes the Codes of Practice which are approved by Parliament and are referred to by employment tribunals, then it stands to reason that Acas is well placed to offer businesses the best kind of advice and support to hopefully prevent problems occurring in the first place. Wendy Parker, area director for Acas North-East explained what was on offer this year from Acas' training services team. She said: "It's a sad fact of life that dealing with harassment and bullying at work or managing discipline and grievances are very real. Having the right kind of policies and practises in place can help you manage those difficult situations or deal with the implications of new employment legislation such as the new Work and Families Act. "Last year, nearly 2,000 managers attended one of the many courses offered by Acas. Ranging from the basic Getting it right course or Employing People courses, which help employers lay the foundations for their employment policies and practice, to the more specialised courses, we can offer businesses large and small the right kind of training course to meet their needs." One company that took advantage of the training opportunities provided by Acas was CA Pumps, a specialist supplier and installer of pumping equipment to various industries, based in Bowburn, Durham. The company, which employs 64 people, started off as a family firm, but as it grew, along with the need to employ more people, employment issues became more and more important. Managing director David Crisp of CA Pumps said: "Having attended a range of courses including employing people, managing absence at work, managing discipline and grievance at work, dealing with bullying and harassment and the new age discrimination legislation, I feel much more confident that as a company we have the knowledge to be able to handle a wide range of employment issues. "One of the real advantages of taking part in the courses is sharing best practice and looking at case studies." A new programme of training courses has been compiled for January through to April 2007. Subjects to be covered include age discrimination, managing absence at work, managing discipline and grievance at work, contracts of employment, employing people - an overview for employers and the new Work and Families Act. Wendy Parker continued: "Our 30-plus years of experience helping resolve disputes in the workplace means that we are ideally placed to know the issues that affect both employers and employees. "We've built on that experience to develop and deliver a comprehensive package of training and support, delivered by a team of experienced trainers who understand the issues that small and medium-size employers face. People who take part in the training courses gain an understanding of what the law says, how to implement it and what it means for them as an employer and their employees. "The support and advice from Acas doesn't stop once the course ends though. We are happy to provide follow up advice and support once participants get back to work and want to begin implementing what they have learnt on the course." The winter/spring programme of events are scheduled to take place at Acas North-East regional office, Cross House, Westgate Road. Course fees range from £50 to £91, depending on the duration of the course which are on average two to three hours long. Customised courses can also be developed and can be held on business premises if that is more convenient.
Copies of the Acas winter/spring training brochure is available from the Acas North- East events team on (0191) 269-6000.
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