When to issue a final written warning?
There are a number of obligations employers have to meet when issuing a final written warning. The following guide for employers and HR personnel looks at the steps that should be taken to avoid the potential pitfalls when issuing a final written warning, while ensuring a fair disciplinary process is followed. We also consider what […]
Redundancy during maternity leave: HR guide
The process of making employees redundant is rarely straightforward, but can be further complicated where the law affords the worker additional protections, such as if the employee is pregnant or on maternity leave. This guide will explain the key issues for employers dealing with redundancy during maternity leave, to help ensure fair and lawful handling […]
Racial discrimination at work: HR help
Being an equal opportunities employer means taking positive steps to prevent all forms of discrimination, including racial discrimination at work. Tribunal claims for unlawful racial discrimination are costly to defend, damaging to your reputation as an employer, and can have a profoundly negative impact on workplace morale. As such, taking positive steps to prevent unlawful […]
When can you replace a redundant position?
It’s not uncommon for organisations to experience growth after a period of financial difficulty that resulted in redundancies. If you are looking to recruit for a role that has previously been made redundant, it will be important to ensure you are proceeding lawfully to avoid potential legal complaints. In this guide for employers, we explain […]
Dealing with long term sickness absence
Long term sickness absence requires careful management by employers. It is a balancing act between supporting the employee’s recovery and return to good health while minimising operational and performance disruption and mitigating legal risk exposure. Absence management should be considered in two parts: dealing with the employee’s absence from work and then managing their return […]
Constructive dismissal bullying claims: HR help
An employee complaining of workplace bullying may be able to bring a tribunal claim for constructive dismissal if they resign as a result of their employer’s failure to deal with the unwanted behaviour. In this guide for employers, we look at how to reduce the risk of constructive dismissal claims for bullying by dealing with […]
Are employers allowed to monitor employees at work?
Monitoring staff is a sensible business decision for several reasons, but this must be balanced with employees’ right to privacy while at work. In this guide, we outline what types of monitoring are permissible, under what conditions, and what must be in place for it to be legal. What do we mean by ‘monitoring’ […]
National Living Wage Increasing in April 2024
The Chancellor has announced a rise in the National Living Wage (NLW) to over £11 an hour from April 2024, up from £10.42 an hour for the current financial year 2023/2024. The rise takes the NLW to two-thirds of average earnings and would mean the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living […]
Reasonable adjustments for mental health disabilities
Employees are protected from discrimination at work if they have a qualifying disability under the Equality Act 2010. The obligation on employers to prevent unlawful disability discrimination extends not only to employees’ physical health and visible conditions but also to their mental health and well-being. Section 20 of the Act, in particular, gives eligible employees […]
TUPE & right to work checks on transferring workers
Immigration compliance is a commonly overlooked aspect of the TUPE transfer process. Among the demands of managing a complex transaction and workforce changes, employers remain under an obligation to ensure all workers are eligible to work, or the organisation risks enforcement action being taken against them. What are the rules relating to right to work […]
