Coronavirus: Making Workforce Changes
Employers are having to make difficult workforce decisions in response to the coronavirus outbreak. [toc] While the Government introduces emergency schemes to avert widescale layoffs and redundancies, employers need to be aware of the employment law implications of making changes to a worker’s contract terms. We look at some frequently asked questions from employers relating […]
Family Court Issues Coronavirus Child Arrangements Advice
The Family Court has provided guidance for parents concerned about complying with child arrangement orders (CAOs) during the coronavirus crisis. Alongside the Stay at Home Rules issued on 23 March 2020, the Government provided specific guidance relating to child arrangement orders, stating that “where parents do not live in the same household, children under 18 […]
Coronavirus: Caring For Dependants (Employer Guide)
Update to article following Government guidance on 4th April: Furloughing workers to care for dependants On 4 April, the Government issued specific guidance expanding the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to allow employees to be furloughed to carry out caring responsibilities. The guidance states that workers unable to do their jobs because of caring responsibilities resulting from […]
Coronavirus: Working from Home (Employer Advice)
The UK Government has placed the country on official lockdown from 23 March 2020. Under the new rules, members of the public must not leave their house except to: Travel to and from work if impossible to work from home Shop for essentials, as infrequently as possible Exercise outdoors once per day, alone or with […]
Unpaid leave: HR guide to employees’ rights
Unpaid leave is where an employee takes time off from their job without pay. In some situations, as in the case of time off to care for a dependent in an emergency, you must grant the time off, although you can decide whether it is paid or unpaid. In other situations, such as a request […]
Coronavirus: Government Help For Employers
The UK Government has set out a range of schemes to help employers deal with the coronavirus crisis. This includes a package of measures to support businesses including: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme The coronavirus job retention scheme aims to help employers who would otherwise have to lay off workers due to the Covid-19 outbreak. HMRC […]
Contracted Hours Not Being Met? (Help!)
The problem of contracted hours not being met is affecting employees across the economy as employers are forced to respond to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The following guide provides an overview of the law relating to contracted hours, and what you can do if your employer has failed to pay you for all […]
Restructuring and redundancy: employer guide
How should an employer proceed if a restructuring process could potentially involve redundancies? A business restructure does not necessarily mean that redundancies are inevitable, for example, where changes are made for operational rather than for financial reasons. But in some cases, the loss of jobs may be unavoidable. In this guide, we look at the […]
Redundancy process: making staff redundant
When making staff redundant, employers should follow a fair legal process that upholds employees’ rights while protecting the organisation from risks such as unfair dismissal claims. Throughout the process, the employer has to show compliance with the law and that they have exhausted all other options before terminating an employee’s contract through redundancy. In outline […]
What are fair reasons for redundancy?
Redundancy is classified as a potentially fair reason for dismissal, provided that it is carried out properly and the employer follows a lawful process. If the redundancy is not genuine, the correct process is not implemented or the reasons for an employee’s redundancy are unfair, the dismissed employee may be able to bring a claim alleging […]
Breach of employment contract: essential guide
If an employer or employee breaks or fails to meet terms under the employment contract, they may be in breach of the employment contract. Breach of an employment contract can include anything from relatively minor breaches, such as an employer’s failure to pay an employee’s expenses on the correct date, to fundamental breaches of contract […]
Working under protest: HR guide
A ‘working under protest’ scenario will often arise where an employee has lodged a formal grievance within the workplace following a contractual change to their pay or other terms, whilst preserving their right to take legal action against you. When an employee is working under protest, it is imperative as an employer that you seek […]
Compassionate Leave (Your Entitlement!)
Time off work following the death of a loved one is known as compassionate leave or bereavement leave. How much are you entitled to and what are the conditions of that leave? Am I entitled to time off work for compassionate leave? Under section 57(A) of the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees have the right […]
What are the Different Types of Lawyers?
Legal services in England and Wales are offered by various types of lawyers. There are important differences between these roles, from the type of services they can and cannot offer, to the costs you can expect to pay and the level of protection you would get if something goes wrong. Before choosing a lawyer, it […]
Barristers
Barristers have three main roles in the legal system. They represent others in court on contentious matters, and they give specialist legal advice and draft court documents. There are over 16,000 barristers in England and Wales. They are regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB), which sets the standards of behaviour expected from barristers. Barristers […]
Hiring happy employees: boost morale & productivity!
Boosting employee happiness is one of the most effective ways for an employer to maximise productivity, reduce absenteeism, attract talent and create a compelling employer brand for their business. Traditionally, organisations have sought to improve output among their workforce by focusing on material rewards such as pay rises, bonuses or other employee benefits to incentivise […]
Wide-Ranging Employment Law Changes From 6th April 2020
The following changes in UK employment law will be taking effect on 6th April 2020. These are in addition to annual increases to minimum wage, statutory sick pay and statutory family pay. Employment contracts Employers will be required to provide all employees and workers with a statement of employment particulars, including their main terms and […]
IR35 Off-Payroll Tax Rules: Changes Affecting Private Sector
This article was published before the Government announced it would postpone the reforms from 6 April 2020 in light of the Coronavirus crisis. A new implementation date is yet to be confirmed. New IR35 rules are coming into force that apply to private sector companies in the UK. Under the new regime, private sector organisations, […]
New Consumer Guidelines For UK Fertility Clinics
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to issue consumer law guidelines for the IVF sector to ensure that fertility clinics practice in accordance with consumer law. The CMA is working closely with the sector regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to review current practices in the […]
Case law: covert CCTV recordings in the workplace
What do employers need to be aware of when considering covert recordings in the workplace? In López Ribalda and Others v. Spain, the European Court of Human Rights has overturned a previous judgment it made in the case of López Ribalda and others v Spain, the case where a supermarket manager covertly filmed shop workers […]