Employment Law in the UK: A Deep Dive
Employment law is the body of legislation, regulations, and case law that governs the relationship between employers and employees in the UK workplace. Its primary purpose is to create a structured framework that ensures fair treatment, safeguards rights, and outlines responsibilities for both parties. This essential guide provides a comprehensive overview of employment law in […]
Workplace Mediation & Conflict at Work
Addressing workplace conflict requires a proactive approach by employers, including clear communication, effective management practices, and, when necessary, interventions such as mediation or conflict resolution training. Conflict is a natural element of human interaction, and employment relationships are no different. In the UK, organisations are vibrant, diverse and comprise individuals from all walks of life […]
TUPE Transfer Guide 2024
The TUPE (‘Transfer of Undertakings’) regulations protect the rights of employees if the organisation they work for changes ownership through, for example, a merger or sale. TUPE also applies if an outsourced service, such as office cleaning, catering or security, is due to be taken over by a new contractor. Under the TUPE regulations, where […]
Associative Discrimination (Advice For Employers)
By law, you should not treat any member of staff or job applicant unfairly by reason of a protected characteristic, such as their age, gender, a disability, race or religion. This includes not treating them unfairly because of any association with another individual who possesses one of these, or any other, protected characteristic. The following […]
Rest Breaks at Work Rules
Rest breaks at work are important to support employee wellbeing, optimise workforce performance and, in many work environments, ensure safety. As such, employers have to give their workers appropriate breaks and opportunities for rest while at work. As an employer, if you fail to meet the minimum legal requirements, or to offer a suitable compensatory […]
How to Manage Employee Absence
Employee absence, whether due to illness or other reasons, is an inevitable part of being an employer. Most employees have a good work ethic and will want to return to work as quickly as possible. Equally, most employers will look to be sympathetic and supportive when employees have absences for justifiable reasons. However, absence from […]
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, the Bill marks the start of what could be the most significant programme of employment law reforms in the UK since the 1970s. Published on 22 September 2022, the 42-page document could be used to revoke over 2,400 pieces of EU legislation that were included on the UK […]
Redundancy Matrix & Selection Criteria
The redundancy process is fraught with legal risk. To avoid potential unfair dismissal claims, employers are required to follow a lawful process at each stage, including the redundancy selection procedure. Redundancy selection procedure Provided there is a genuine redundancy situation, the first stage will be to consult with affected employees. This will involve ascertaining if […]
Can I Dismiss An Employee Who Is Off Sick?
In very simple terms, you may dismiss an employee who is off sick, provided you follow the correct dismissal procedure. This means having fair grounds for dismissal, acting reasonably in all the circumstances and following a fair process. The following guide for employers on dismissal due to sickness absence looks at what amounts to potential […]
How to Deal With Flexible Working Requests
Flexible working practices can be beneficial not only to your workforce but also to your business. For employees, making a flexible working request, flexible working can offer a better work-life balance. Employers may benefit from improved performance and productivity, as well as a reduction in absenteeism and staff turnover. Flexible working may also facilitate the […]
Dealing with Sex Discrimination at Work
Sex discrimination refers to when someone is unfairly disadvantaged in the workplace because of their gender. Most sex discrimination is directed towards women, but it is equally unlawful to discriminate against a man because of his gender. Sex discrimination remains a common workplace issue, as can be seen by the number and type of employment […]
Statutory Notice Periods: Employers’ Guide
Dismissing employees is part and parcel of running and managing a business. It can also expose employers to considerable legal risk. Not only does the reason for dismissal have to be lawful – such as conduct, performance or due to redundancies – the employee continues to have certain rights and protections throughout the dismissal process […]
Care Workers’ Vaccine Rules
Care sector employers are now under a legal obligation to ensure all care home workers in England are fully vaccinated by the cut-off date in 16 weeks. From 11 November 2021, Care Quality Commission-regulated service providers of nursing and personal care services in England must not allow entry into care homes for anyone who has […]
How to Introduce Hybrid Working
As employers adapt to the post-pandemic normal, traditional working arrangements are being set aside in favour of greater flexibility in working hours and locations. Hybrid working in particular is becoming increasingly common in UK workplaces. Introducing hybrid working within an organisation, as with any change or variation in working terms or conditions, brings legal considerations […]
Statutory Guarantee Pay For Lay-Offs
If your business is experiencing reduced demand, you might need to temporarily ask staff to stay at home. Although temporary layoffs are typically only used by employers as a last resort, they offer a temporary reprieve and more preferable alternative to making workers redundant. There are, however, risks associated with laying off staff. There is […]
Can You Delay or Refuse Parental Leave?
As an employer, you will want to encourage a healthy work/life balance for your workforce while also meeting your legal obligations and ensuring time off work for employees does not significantly interfere with the running of your business. The following guide for employers looks at the rules relating to parental leave in the workplace. What […]
Employment Non-Solicitation Clauses FAQs
Non-solicitation clauses are used to prevent employees from taking clients, customers or members of staff with them when they leave an organisation and engaging in direct competition with their old employer. These clauses are a type of restrictive covenant and can appear in an employment contract or a settlement agreement. A non-compete clause, which seeks […]
Equal Pay Act (A Brief Guide for Employers!)
The Equality Act 2010 enshrines in law the employers’ responsibility to pay employees equally for equal work, regardless of gender. The legal basis for equality of pay was first introduced in the UK by the Equal Pay Act 1970, which prohibited any less favourable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions […]
Attachment of Earnings Order (Employers’ Guide)
Attachment of earnings orders are used to enforce non-payment of county court judgments or unpaid magistrates’ fines. They are administered by employers, who must meet certain obligations for the order to be effective. What is an attachment of earnings order? Where a creditor has obtained a county court judgment (CCJ) for monies owed by a […]
Directors Service Agreements Explained
When appointing a company director, the directors’ service agreement should be used to ensure the individual complies with their duties and that your business’s interests are protected. What is a directors’ service agreement? Directors have specific statutory duties and responsibilities in relation to the organisation, which should be addressed within a directors’ service agreement. In […]