Whistleblowing: employer guidance
Whistleblowing in the workplace is dealt with under the Employment Rights Act. The following guide looks at the law on whistleblowing at work, from what protection a whistleblower may be afforded to what an effective whistleblowing policy should include. What is a whistleblower? A whistleblower is an individiual who reports certain types of wrongdoing, typically […]
Employee shareholder status FAQs
An individual’s employment status will help to determine their rights within the workplace, as well as your responsibilities towards them as their employer. Below we look specifically at employee shareholder status, with guidance for employers on what this means and what conditions must be met to acquire this status – including the nature of the […]
Implied terms of employment: rules for employers
The contract of employment is a legally binding agreement between employer and employee, setting out the terms and conditions governing the working relationship between the parties, including their rights and responsibilities. By understanding the nature of the employment contract, together with its constituent parts, not least the express and implied terms of employment, this will […]
Voluntary overtime pay rules
In this guide for employers, we look at the rules relating to voluntary overtime pay, including how voluntary overtime differs to compulsory overtime, who is entitled to be paid for voluntarily working additional hours and whether voluntary overtime pay should be factored into holiday pay entitlement. What is voluntary overtime pay? Voluntary overtime is typically […]
Employee rights during probation
The following guide for employers focuses on employee rights during probation. We look at how to manage probationary periods in the context of employee’s statutory and contractual rights, from setting targets and goals for new employees, as well as how to address any performance or conduct issues that may arise during the period of probation. […]
Notice period to change employment contract terms
Changing an employee’s contract of employment is not something you can usually do without their consent. Further, even where the employment contract contains some form of flexibility or variation clause, you can only make use of this type of contractual provision where it is reasonable to do so and having provided the employee with sufficient […]
Employees’ relocation rights: HR guide
Whether organisations are moving to bigger premises, for financial reasons or to be nearer to customers, the relocation process is invariably complex, carrying a number of risks and challenges for human resource teams. The priority should be retaining key personnel and maintaining a positive and productive workforce through the relocation process, while reducing legal risk […]
Shared parental leave: HR guide
With Shared Parental Leave (SPL), parents can opt to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between them in the 12 months after their child is born or, if adopted, placed with the family. In this guide, we summarise the rules on SPL and how employers can approach […]
Types of disability discrimination
It is unlawful to discriminate against an individual in the workplace by reason of disability. Discrimination issues typically relate to flawed or inconsistent organisational policies, procedures or practices that have failed to accommodate people’s physical or mental impairments as required by law. Understanding and recognising different types of disability discrimination can help employers take a […]
Capability dismissal: guide for HR
Capability dismissal refers to an employer terminating an employment contract on the basis of poor performance where they have a reasonable belief that the employee is unable to carry out the duties required of them to the expected standards. Employers are permitted to lawfully dismiss employees by reason of poor performance and capability, but they […]