“A lot of managers lack a good framework for HR in their company,” says Jan Helge. So when, for example, a demanding personnel issue arises in the workplace, it becomes both more difficult and more expensive to resolve without this framework.
An illustrative example is when business leaders contact BUHR for help in terminating an employee who is not doing their job.
– This is a demanding process anyway, and it becomes even more difficult if you have not described the employer's expectations for behavior and delivery in advance. If you do not have an updated job description and a good employment agreement in place, then important parts of the framework are missing. Another example concerns the use of probationary periods.
“Most managers know that new hires have a probationary period,” says Bjørg Ueland.
Bjørg Ueland is the CEO of BUHR. She has extensive and broad experience with HR Management in the oil and gas, energy and IT software industries.
– But fewer managers have an overview of the regulations if the employee becomes ill during the probationary period, she points out.
Bjørg says that managers would then like to postpone the probationary period.
– You are not allowed to do that unless it is specifically written in the employment contract. Ensuring that such details are included in the employment agreement gives the company the framework it needs to handle such a situation.
Jan Helge continues.
– Maybe you have an employee who has chosen not to take vacation for several years? Did you know that it is not legal?
Jan Helge emphasizes that it is you, as the manager of the company, who is responsible for ensuring that the regulations for vacation are complied with.
– If neither the manager nor the employee adheres to a good framework for HR, it can cost the company dearly, warns Jan Helge.
There are also pitfalls when it comes to timekeeping.
“Some positions allow you to control your own working hours,” says Jan Helge. But if it has not been agreed in writing that it is defined as a managerial or particularly independent position, the employee is entitled to overtime pay.
If you have not done the groundwork here, the risk of ending up with expensive and unnecessary solutions increases.
– I have seen examples where an employee submits an Excel sheet with 100 overtime hours that the employer has not approved. It can be costly for the employer not to have a good HR framework in place here.
– If the employee has not taken all of the statutory vacation for several years, in combination with a lot of unresolved overtime, the employee may be entitled to compensation for both vacation and overtime.
In industrial activities and in commercial and office activities that employ more than 10 employees, there must be work regulations for employees who do not have a managerial or controlling position.
– Do you have well-described work regulations in your company?
A work regulation describes both expectations and requirements. Jan Helge says that this is something BUHR often assists managers with.
– This is how we help managers reduce the risk of labor conflicts, lost income and lost reputation.
Leaders ask for help too late
Far too many leaders ask for help too late.
“Many managers only realize that they lack a good framework for HR when problems have arisen. In some cases, they then have to contact an employment law lawyer, which can be expensive,” says Jan Helge. There is a cost to underestimating HR.
He continues:
– I usually say that if an offended employee wants to hit their employer, they should demand access to what personal data they process about them. Many managers do not understand the importance of GDPR in the HR framework and will have difficulty responding to such a demand.
The important mapping
Jan Helge says that BUHR often acts as the company's HR department.
– Then we are responsible for ensuring that the company has a good framework in place for HR, in addition to assisting with the daily and operational work.
Other times, the company already has an HR department, but it often needs a supplement within certain HR disciplines or increased capacity for a period of time.
– Then BUHR becomes part of the company's HR department.
Jan Helge says that BUHR usually starts by mapping out what routines the company has and what is missing.
– We look at employment contracts, personnel manuals and internal procedures, among other things.
Bjørg emphasizes that BUHR is not just advisors.
Read about how we work.
– In parallel with the mapping, we ensure that these documents are improved, and that incidents often occur in the company that also need to be handled. Then it is important to have the groundwork in place. It is too late once the fire has started.
BUHR is industry-independent, and assists small and large players in many industries, both companies that need to build structure, and companies that need support in the operational daily HR work, or a combination of these. The professional scope includes, among other things, recruitment, rewards and conditions, organization and HR strategy, competence, administration, IT/digitalization and not least situational HR support.
Increasing size of companies requires increased professionalization and standardization. Some clients want to have the basic framework established, such as employment contracts, work regulations and whistleblowing procedures, as well as support for managers and employees.
“At some of our larger customers, where we supplement the company's own HR department, we work a lot with recruitment and onboarding,” says Jan Helge. And often with other more specific parts of the HR profession.
Bjørg says that it is also natural to do recruitment as part of an HR delivery.
– We provide assistance on a permanent basis, instead of someone coming in and out all the time, she explains.
Read more about our services here.
Join the lunch meeting
How can you, as a responsible manager, ensure a good framework that complies with laws and regulations, and prevents difficult situations? Can you ensure professional competence in, for example, downsizing, recruitment, disciplinary matters, whistleblowing procedures, etc., without having professional HR expertise in-house?
Join us for a lunch meeting with BUHR and Europower – here you will get good tips and important input!
• Date: May 3, 11:00 a.m.
• Location: Tordenskiolds gate 12, Oslo (Law firm Schjødt)
