Some of the legal implications when hiring a new team within a company

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, hospitals and the number of people sick with the Coronavirus were significantly increasing. There was nothing much that they could do since the virus was spreading fast as it was, and we did not have a cure or know of any way that we could stop it. The Government implemented various rules to protect people from catching it though national lockdowns and multiple restrictions such as wearing masks, maintaining social distance and staying indoors for as much time as possible.

With the massive changes taking place around, companies and businesses were unsure how they were going through the process. Most of them were not allowed to meet in person anymore. Social distancing rules meant employees could not meet at offices depending on the size of their space. People had to distance themselves in other office rooms like the meeting, and conference rooms now had desks at the office, while the smaller offices had to leave their staff at home.

Adjusting to the new normal

Remote working was the only way companies could get their staff to get work done since it was also the only way to get through a pandemic with so many restrictions. One of the reports stated that employers and businesses found that remote working through the pandemic significantly reduced productivity. However, it was the only approach to getting things done when people were not allowed to leave their homes, so companies had to adjust to it. With reduced productivity, companies were unsure of how they would meet deadlines or targets. Companies were going through layoffs, and they were significantly downsizing. Some companies even had their entire divisions shut during the pandemic. The worst struggling were companies who could not move online since they had to work in person. Industries like mechanical work, hospitality and construction could only wait for the loosening of restrictions.

At the start of the pandemic, the UK Government launched a scheme called the furlough scheme. The scheme assisted companies by paying a percentage of their staff's salaries, while the companies only had to pay the difference. Similar plans and schemes were running in the US,

and everyone was trying their best to get through the process, so companies did not have shut down.

Making changes and downsizing while considering legal implications

There were other challenges when times were tough, and according to a report, many people felt they were unfairly treated or singled out at the time that people were let go of because of the pandemic. According to the general law, missing out on work or the inability to complete work is the main reason why companies should be firing people from their workspace. With the pandemic, companies had to make changes and were pushing all people out, with certain divisions shut down. Some companies moved to automation, and all the people working within those specific divisions were soon out of work. Other companies shut down completely. The pandemic was difficult and challenging for most.

Although some employees felt they were unfairly fired, the situation was a bit complex to prove since companies were pushing out large numbers of people and not just individual ones. If they could prove or felt without a doubt that they were unfairly let go of, they could talk to a lawyer and take the matter forward.

Additionally, to make sure they were meeting their timelines, some companies were calling their employees to get the work done, while they could not meet the Coronavirus restrictions. Some felt that they were at risk of getting sick from the Coronavirus pandemic, but they were still working on coming into the office since those were the rules put down. If the employer was not following the rules and restrictions laid down because of the Coronavirus pandemic, people had the right to complain about the same. Furthermore, if others were getting sick because of their negligence, they could make a bigger deal as well. However, they have to make a case about their situation and a strong one at that.

There are a few rules that companies have to make sure they follow when they are letting go of their staff. If they do not handle these properly, the people who they are letting go of could sue them and they could have actual legal issues with the process. All managers should be informed and learn the process of letting people go, if they are handling that part of the process.

Making sure you pick the right team

Since the times were tough, companies were making sure they were hiring the right people, who would be a good fit while also working well with the team that they were assigned. Several other changes were getting through the process, and they were unsure how to tackle those. In the UK, one of the most significant changes taking place was getting a background check from the people they were working with. All applicants had to provide a background check to make sure they did not have a criminal record since some of the positions they were applying for demanded it. There were various types of background checks that people could apply for, depending on the information they needed.

People could apply for a background check through various third party agencies and coordinate the process depending on their requirements. Some of the companies needed a police check, done with the respective police departments. Some people could not get through the process since they might have had an experience where they mistreated someone young or someone old, which would mean that they could not work with people similar to those ages again.