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You can view a full list of the new model documents published in 2007 and get a flavour of what documents we are planning to add in 2008 in the coming soon area of XpertHR.

- Bird flu pandemic contingency plan Bird flu was in the news back in February and again in November. Our model plan sets out what employers can do to prepare for a pandemic.

- Smoking policy The smoking ban came into force in England on 1 July 2007, but even employers that already had a ban in place on their premises were concerned by some of the issues that arose, particularly in relation to company cars, homeworking, smoking shelters, and employees loitering at the entrances to buildings.

- Letter setting out the reasons for an employee's dismissal and his or her right of appeal (modified statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedure) The statutory dispute resolution procedures will continue to cause headaches for employers until they are repealed. It looks like employers do sometimes use the modified dismissal and disciplinary procedure, which is for those rare cases when an employer is arguably justified in summarily dismissing an employee, for example if the employee engages in serious misconduct in the presence of witnesses, with no likely explanation or mitigating circumstances.

- Policy on enhanced redundancy payments From 1 October 2006, enhanced redundancy payments that are not based on the statutory redundancy payment scheme amount to age discrimination unless they can be objectively justified by the employer. This is an example of an age-compliant policy.

- Procedure in the event of an employee going off sick during a disciplinary process If you have ever been faced with this tricky situation, you can at least take comfort in the knowledge that so, it seems, have most of your HR colleagues. This proved to be our most popular new template in 2007.

- Letter informing an employee of an increase in his or her holiday entitlement on 1 October 2007 The biggest challenge for many HR departments in 2007 will have been the increase the statutory holiday entitlement. The new legislation was far from straightforward, with individual employers having different start dates for leave years and complicated rules on pay in lieu and the carrying over of the additional entitlement.

- Voluntary redundancy policy It is an unfortunate fact that XpertHR’s resources on redundancy are among our most-viewed. It is good practice for HR departments to ask for volunteers for redundancy, as it provides a way of avoiding or reducing the need for compulsory redundancies.

- Policy on finding suitable alternative employment for redundant employees What constitutes suitable alternative employment on a redundancy? What are the consequences of an employee refusing to take up an offer of alternative employment? What is the status of the four-week trial period of alternative employment to which the employee is entitled? Our model policy provides clear answers to these areas of uncertainty.

- Statement to employees in advance of a Christmas party Our model reminder to employees to behave during the Christmas festivities has of course been popular in December. It covers issues such as alcohol consumption, travelling safely to and from the venue, acceptable standards of behaviour, harassment, and coming in to work the next day.

- Policy on social networking websites Another subject that has rarely been out of the headlines this year is the impact of social networking websites on the workplace. Our model policy gives various options, including a total ban on their use on the employer’s premises. But there are other issues to consider, in relation to recruitment, harassment, damage to the employer’s reputation and the release of too much personal information.