If I'd have handled it myself, I could have ended up in a tribunal

Elaine founded Solihull Vehicle Service Centre in 2006, alongside her husband. They run two garages, and offer car repairs, MOTs, and vehicle servicing.

Previously, Elaine only used Peninsula’s Health & Safety support to reduce risk and protect mechanics against hazards.

But over recent years, Elaine grew concerned about managing an increasing level of employment law changes. So, she added Peninsula’s unlimited HR support to her subscription too.

While Elaine now speaks to her HR advisers regularly, here’s how Peninsula supported her with a recent employee issue…

One of Elaine’s employees began taking fraudulent sick leave.

It soon became clear that the employee was unwilling to return at all, or even respond to Elaine’s invitations to discuss the absence.

Elaine also knew the employee had a track record of doing this in previous jobs.

The worker took away their toolkit to carry out jobs during their sickness absence, whilst claiming benefits. This continued for months, and Elaine knew she couldn’t keep paying for a sickness that wasn’t genuine.

So, not knowing how to handle the situation, Elaine called Peninsula for support.

As the absence related to sickness, Elaine was worried about saying something that breached the employee’s legal rights.

So, every time Elaine reached out to the employee, Peninsula’s employment law specialists drafted the communication for her. That included emails, texts, and formal letters.

This gave her confidence that she was handling the situation fairly – despite the employee claiming otherwise.

When the employee accused Elaine of being unfair or inappropriate, she knew that she was acting in line with UK employment law.

For example, the employee had a pre-booked two-week holiday during his long term sickness absence, and told Elaine he was entitled to full pay during this period.

Without Peninsula, Elaine would have also believed this to be the case. After searching online, Elaine saw guidance that supported the employee’s claim.

But after contacting her advisers for support, she found out that a sick note can actually override a pre-booked holiday. From a legal standpoint, Elaine had the option to pay statutory sick pay instead of full pay.

Instead of using unverified advice online, Elaine received more factual guidance from Peninsula’s qualified employment law consultants.

• Watertight paper trail

  With letters and wording provided by legal experts, Elaine can prove she’s followed employment law rules

• Unlimited advice from legal experts

  Elaine could call Peninsula as often as she liked for guidance and reassurance

With support from Peninsula, Elaine was able to dismiss the employee.

While this is an unpleasant experience for any employer, Elaine found that the process went as smoothly as it could.

That’s because she knew that, at every stage of the process, she had acted within guidelines and had given the employee a fair chance. For example, she reached out to offer adjustments and support.

The employee also understood that Elaine had acted fairly, and made no attempt to appeal or retaliate.

And now, Elaine continues to call Peninsula regularly – helping her to rule out risk and give her confidence during any HR procedure.