Offering voluntary redundancy
Employers should consider all workforce options before pursuing compulsory redundancies. This includes offering voluntary redundancy. As a way to reduce headcount, ‘self-selection’ for redundancy can bring a number of benefits. Voluntary redundancies are generally more straightforward to deal with than compulsory redundancies, and entail less stress and animosity between the employer and affected employees. This […]
Dependency leave: guide for employers
This guide for employers looks at the rules relating to dependency leave, including who counts as a dependant and how best to manage requests for dependency leave. What is dependency leave? By law, the employee has relatively limited statutory rights when it comes to dependency leave, although establishing exactly when and to what extent these […]
Without prejudice & protected conversations
Without prejudice and protected conversations have become an essential part of the HR toolkit, but they have to be used with care to avoid further issues arising. If you are looking to bring an employee’s contract of employment to an end, you may want to have an off the record chat with a view to […]
Resolving pay disputes (HR guide)
Pay disputes at work require swift action on the part of the employer to understand the reason for the complaint, and to identify and rectify any issues or errors. The following guide on pay disputes sets out employees’ rights and entitlement to pay and the basis upon which a claim for unpaid wages could be […]
Collective Consultation (Redundancy Guide)
Consultation with any affected employees is a requirement in any redundancy situation, but where an employer is considering collective redundancies, a collective consultation exercise may also be required. Failure to comply with the legal requirements for collective redundancies can be a costly error and may also adversely affect employee morale and the business’ reputation in […]
Mutuality of obligation & worker status
Mutuality of obligation is an important concept in employment law, as it forms a key part of the criteria used by tribunals for determining the employment status of an individual. Below we examine this concept in more detail, including how this is applied in the context of HMRC’s IR35 off-payroll working rules. What is mutuality […]
Maternity leave: employers’ guide
Employers have to meet a number of legal responsibilities when an employee is on maternity leave. Managed well, the period of maternity leave can improve morale, provide reassurance to your employees during their absence and contribute to a positive employer brand as a business that values its staff. Failure to meet your obligations and poor […]
Individual redundancy consultation: HR help
The process of managing individual redundancies differs from that of collective redundancies, including the individual redundancy consultation requirements. This makes it important for employers, HR and managers to understand the difference and follow the correct and lawful procedures to avoid tribunal claims. Making an employee redundant Employees become redundant if you are no longer carrying […]
Some Other Substantial Reason & Lawful Dismissal
As an employer, if you are looking to dismiss an employee, you will need a lawful reason to do so, otherwise run the risk of facing an unfair dismissal claim. In this guide, we look at what ‘Some Other Substantial Reason’ means and how, in practice, this can be applied by employers to establish a […]
Pre-employment overseas criminal record checks
Carrying out pre-employment checks for migrant workers can not only be crucial to ensuring that you are hiring someone trustworthy and reliable, but in ensuring that your chosen candidate is likely to be successful in their application for a work visa if you are looking to sponsor them. In this guide, we examine the rules […]