Employment law changes for April 2020

Development Overview Implementation Date Increase in holiday reference period from 12 weeks to 52 weeks The reference period used for determining a week’s pay when calculating holiday pay for workers with irregular hours will increase from 12 weeks to 52 weeks. The changes are designed to allow greater flexibility for workers in choosing when to […]

Read More…

Ban the phone

Employers and unions are increasingly discussing the right of an employer to ban mobile phones at work. In some organisations, this is already the case, such as large retailers, banks and some medical settings, but it is something which smaller employers still battle with. My mobile number (although not my phone) is still the one […]

Read More…

Don’t commute and use your phone

I do think that people now are more aware of how they use their phones while driving – it is illegal to do so – but how aware are people of how they use their phones on a public transport commute? I had a lovely chat with Roberto Perrone on the BBC 3 Counties Drive […]

Read More…

Probation Period

This is a trial period at the start of someone’s employment. A 6 month probation period is ideal as it gives the employee time to learn the role and the employer time to assess performance and to provide feedback, making corrections to performance or attitude if required. If the new member of staff does not […]

Read More…

Family Friendly Policies

A full set of policies around maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay need to be developed so that employees feel valued and their skills are not lost from the business, but so that they business is able to function effectively with short and long term absences as a result of the prospective and actual […]

Read More…

Social Media

Companies need to think about what they will and will not allow their staff to do in terms of social media. Do employees have access to company accounts and if so, what are the rules around the use of that account? If employees comment on ‘a day at the office’ what might the implications be […]

Read More…

Discrimination

  Well written policies and procedures which are communicated and applied consistently are the key to ensuring that the risk  of discrimination is reduced as much as possible. Employees (as well as workers and job applicants) could bring claims for discrimination on the basis of Age, Gender, Race, Beliefs, Marital Status, Disability and Sexual Orientation. […]

Read More…

Why Corporate Jargon And Nonsense Stops Businesses Taking HR Seriously

(And The Four Processes That Most Business Owners  Need To Go Through When Dealing With Staff) I’ve been studying and practicing HR for over 25 years.  Which means that I ‘get it’.  I ‘understand’ it.  However ludicrously worded something is, or however jargonny a contract sounds, I can usually root out the genuine meaning, and […]

Read More…