How can employers manage disruption during the 2023 teachers’ strikes?

Earlier this year, seven days of teacher strikes were announced. This may hit productivity more than the rail strikes for some businesses, as parents are stuck with a childcare conundrum.

Níamh Kelly from The HR Dept Wrexham & Chester suggests ways for employers to manage this tricky situation.

“The first action for employers is to speak to staff about potential problems. Once you know how your company will be impacted, it’s time to look at solutions.

Working from home might not be the best solution as of course, children will be in the background. It may be that someone else is available to look after them, but if that is not an option, there are other types of leave that can be explored.

Dependant’s leave allows, by law, for anyone to take unpaid time off work in unexpected circumstances to look after a dependant. There is no prescribed limit to how much time can be taken off, other than what is ‘reasonable’ (and strike days would be considered reasonable).

Employees who have a year of service with you might want to consider unpaid parental leave but it must be taken in blocks of one whole week…

Then there’s annual leave if the employee has enough allowance and wants to be paid for time off.

Or how about some kind of flexi-time where they can make up their hours elsewhere?

Our advice is to be sympathetic to your employees’ plight. The teachers’ strike may be a source of considerable stress to them and an understanding employer is likely to benefit from staff loyalty and goodwill.”

For enquiries on this topic, please contact Níamh Kelly from The HR Dept, at wrexches@hrdept.co.uk or on 07741 640504.