FAQs

The world of work is evolving rapidly, and with it, the rules governing flexible working in the UK are undergoing significant changes. The introduction of the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 marks a pivotal shift in the employment landscape. Here we provide an overview of these changes […]Read More… (Read more)

Can I dismiss an employee with less than 2 years service without following the normal process? This is a question we get asked a lot, and the short answer is “yes… BUT”. There are some potential pitfalls and the employee still has some rights and protections. The ‘2 year rule’ is a bit of a […]Read More… (Read more)

While there is no legal requirement to provide paid breaks or suitable facilities, good practice encourages employers to do so safely.   Many new mothers want to continue to breastfeed when they return to work. As well as providing a supportive environment for mothers returning from maternity leave, employers must ensure they meet their legal […]Read More… (Read more)

Introduced in 1996, protected conversations are confidential discussions between employers and employees, aimed at amicably ending employment without ongoing disputes. They exclude issues like discrimination or unfair dismissal and are optional for employees, with employers needing alternative legal routes if refused. […]Read More… (Read more)

Since 2018, I have been helping to deliver Sexual Harassment Prevention training as part of a wider project to create healthy, safe and respectful working environments within local charities. We have known for most of this time that a change is coming, but we finally know the details of those changes. The biggest change is […]Read More… (Read more)

Options When you have an issue with your staff, there are a few options: 1 – DIY 2 – Instruct an Employment Solicitor 3 – Work with an HR Professional As you might imagine, all of these have their pros and cons. Do It Yourself Unfortunately, doing what feels right isn’t necessarily the right thing […]Read More… (Read more)

Workplace surveillance is any form of employee monitoring undertaken by an employer. Although surveillance methods have existed and have been used for several years, during lockdown they have become more and more common. Questions arise regarding what is legal, what is ethical and what is effective people management practice? Monitoring as an effective people management […]Read More… (Read more)

Our clients often ask us if they need to provide a prayer room for their staff, what are their obligations and what can they say or not say? There are a number of factors which will determine your approach to the provision of prayer rooms. These may include: your equality, diversity & inclusion policies company […]Read More… (Read more)

The ‘working world’ post COVID-19 pandemic does not quite look the same as it did two years ago and although the rigour and pressures of working life have returned in full force for many, the impact of the pandemic looks like it will persist for the foreseeable future, particularly in the form of our working […]Read More… (Read more)

There is a myth that you can dismiss a member of staff if they have less than two years of service. Like all myths, this has some foundation in reality, but actually, if you take a business decision based on this myth, you are likely to end up in an employment tribunal. The reality If […]Read More… (Read more)

What is a risk assessment? In its simplest form a risk assessment is an evaluation a person completes to ensure that there are no risks or hazards which may cause damage to individuals or assets and if there are, to mitigate those risks or hazards. An employer is required by law to protect their employees […]Read More… (Read more)

A settlement agreement is a legal document which is offered to an employee by their employer as a way of paying them to leave the business. It is offered for a number of different reasons, or combination of those reasons: The employer has not followed a proper legal process for termination of employment The employee […]Read More… (Read more)

I’ve been away this weekend on business. It’s been the most incredible weekend, full of inspirational speakers, amazing people, catching up with friends who I haven’t seen for two years, and I was lucky enough to be manning an exhibition stand, where we were talking to people about our services. One of the things that […]Read More… (Read more)

When an employee is off sick or is still at work but has confirmed they have a medical condition which impacts on their ability to work in some way, it is possible for HR, the line manager or the business owner to request medical information. In an ideal world, your contract of employment will make […]Read More… (Read more)

Discrimination is a legal term used not only in employment, but in society as a whole. It is defined as the unfair or prejudicial treatment of individuals and / or groups of people based on specific characteristics. In the UK, there are a number of characteristics which were classed as ‘protected characteristics’ in the 2010 Equality […]Read More… (Read more)

A written warning is a stage in a company’s formal disciplinary policy and procedure. There may only be one written warning stage, but there could be multiple stages of written warning. It is essential that a company clearly documents their disciplinary policy and communicates it to managers and employees. It may be a stand-alone policy, […]Read More… (Read more)

There is currently a conflict in legislation which is going to cause employers some massive issues in the coming months and it is only going to be resolved with case law! The technology is in place to provide proof of vaccination from Covid-19, either as a paper-based system or with biometric vaccine certificates. AND Employers […]Read More… (Read more)

Definition: Lay-offs are useful ways of handling temporary work shortages and adverse trading conditions without having to resort to redundancy. An employee is ‘laid off’ during a particular week if the employer is unable to provide any work for them for that week and as a result, the employee is not paid. Overview: Lay-offs can be a […]Read More… (Read more)

We’ve had a number of conversations with clients on the phone recently who haven’t really understood what Statutory Sick Pay is. I’m just going to take a moment to explain it. Statutory Sick Pay is money that is paid by the company on behalf of the government. So depending on the size of your payroll, […]Read More… (Read more)

  In this video, we’re going to be talking about annual leave, and very specifically about the ability to carry annual leave forward from one year to the next. Now, there are lots of reasons why people might want to do this, and there may be a business need for them to do it, or […]Read More… (Read more)