Resign – rather than be fired
It is fair to say that in the majority of cases, an employee doesn’t want to have their employment terminated. Similarly, despite what most people think, managers and leaders don’t get a kick out of firing an employee. So, if you put both those situations together, you end up with a scenario where if an […]
Notice clauses
It is a requirement that when an employee is issued with a statement of main terms and conditions (contract) that there is a clause that stipulates the period of notice required. The period of notice will not necessarily be the same from the employer and the employee – it is possible that they will be […]
Employment Rights Bill – phased reform and roadmap
The Government has released its roadmap for proposed Employment law changes and with Royal Assent expected in September 2025, there will be a phasing in of changes over the next 2 years. Consultation is on-going and representation will be made by both Employer organisations – CBI, FSB etc. and the Unions but, as with everything […]
Falsifying timesheets
Despite the advent of automated clocking in systems and time recording Apps, many employers still ask employees to complete timesheets manually as a means of logging their time – and also to record overtime. Every so often, an employer may have an issue that an employee is not completing their timesheet accurately and specifically that […]
Withdrawing job offers
Can an employer withdraw a job offer? It depends… It is not uncommon for the circumstances of a business to change and as a consequence, it is necessary to withdraw a job offer. The process of withdrawing a job offer is not without risk and will depend on the circumstances. In considering the process of […]
Employment Law changes
Summary of key changes Rolled-up holiday pay/holiday accrual As part of the phased implementation of a legal change in 2024, employers with a holiday year running from January to December will now be able to use the new method of annual leave accrual and rolled-up holiday pay for irregular hour and part-year workers. Effective January […]
Tattoos in the workplace
According to recent analysis, some 26% of people have some form of tattoo and/or body art. Some tattoos might be hidden but increasingly more people are having visible body art on various parts of the body including face, neck, head, legs etc. Also, tattoos are very much a case of…you either love them or you […]
Employment Rights Bill – the key points
After much anticipation, we are seeing the proposed changes that will take effect under the Labour Government. Just by way of clarification, these are the published proposals and they are now subject to consultation between Governments, Trade unions and interested employer stakeholders – such as FSB, CBI etc. It is anticipated that the changes will […]
Sexual Harassment Prevention
The new duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace What is the new law regarding sexual harassment prevention? From 26 October 2024, the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act comes into force and requires all employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees in the course of […]
The Right to Disconnect
What do we mean by the right to disconnect? The right to disconnect (sometimes referred to as switch off) is a proposed human right that gives employees the right to disconnect from work and not engage in work related activities outside of normal working hours. This could include Not being contacted by e-mail or other […]
Labour party proposals for changes to Employment law
The Labour party’s proposals for employment rights have been set out in a document – Labour’s plan to make work pay – delivering a new deal for working people – and they commit to the introduction of legislation within 100 days of a new Parliament to implement the plan in full. Let’s look at some […]
Fire and Re-hire
What does Fire and Re-hire mean? Fire and Rehire is a practice where the employer wants to employ the employee on less favourable terms and conditions and effectively, the employer gives contractual notice of termination of their existing contract terms and then re-hires them on less favourable terms and conditions with the employee maintaining continuity […]
Expectant Mothers – Risk Assessment
Normally, when an employee advises the employer that they are pregnant, the employer will say “congratulations” to the expectant mother. However, depending on their job role, you may have to consider whether there are any aspects of the employee’s job which could be putting the expectant mother and unborn child at risk. This isn’t scare-mongering […]
Managing Menopause in the Workplace
The Menopause continues to be one of the biggest HR hot topics in the workplace. Why? The legal context The Menopause is effectively covered by various strands of legislation. Under the Equality Act, 2010, the Menopause is potentially covered under 3 protected characteristics – age, sex and disability. Also, the Health and Safety at Work […]
Employment law – upcoming changes and what you need to know.
In this article we’ll take a look at the upcoming changes to Employment law and what you need to know. Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 Pregnant employees or those returning from maternity, adoption, or shared parental leave will be protected from redundancy. It will be the employer’s duty to offer these […]
Employee Loans
Employee Loans We are living through a cost of living crisis and employees are facing increases to all their utilities bills, rent and mortgage payments are going up and they struggle to make ends meet from one payday to the next. So, in amongst all this, employees are turning to their employers for either an […]
Interview Feedback
The vast majority of people who go for a job interview will say that they receive little or no feedback about how they performed. Candidates don’t normally receive any feedback other than a rejection and whilst some may say this is disappointing, it is clear that there are 2 opposing points of view that need […]
Varying Terms and Conditions
Most Companies at some stage, for whatever reason, will want to understand how to vary or change terms and conditions of employment. In short, it is possible to change terms and conditions but any change should follow a consultation process and wherever possible, a mutual agreement to change terms and conditions is always preferable. What […]
Medical Certificates
What is meant my medical certification? We all have different names for the same document – a note issued by the Doctor to certify that the employee is not fit for work. Sometimes, they’re called Fit notes, Medical Certificates, Doctor’s note, or maybe a Statement of Fitness for Work, Med 3 or sick note. Regardless […]
Christmas parties – the HR nightmare
It’s party time. The Christmas party should be fun and festive but for employers it can also be the worst nightmare with all the issues associated with unwanted advances, religious discrimination, drink driving, drugs, pictures on social media or dealing with the employee who fails to turn up the next day because they are too […]