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 […]
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 […]
Paternity leave & pay rules
Employers have to meet a number of legal responsibilities when an employee is on paternity leave. We look at what employers should do to support their employees while ensuring compliance with the rules on paternity in the workplace. Employee paternity rights Where an employee is expecting a baby and will have paternal responsibility for the […]
Can employers refuse parental leave?
As an employer you are legally bound to consider any request for parental leave made by an eligible employee, and undoubtedly will want to encourage a healthy work/life balance, although equally you will need to ensure that any such request does not significantly interfere with the running of your business. The following guide for employers […]
Redundancy when pregnant: fair dismissal?
According to studies conducted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, it is estimated that over 50,000 women could be losing their jobs each year because of pregnancy or maternity – and this was prior to the pandemic. With reports that the number of women seeking […]
ACAS shared parental leave: employer guide
Eligible employees are entitled to take time off work as shared parental leave (SPL). As an employer you will need to understand the statutory rights and responsibilities of your employees in relation to SPL and what this means for your business in practice when handling a request for SPL. Further, in accordance with best practice, […]
Pregnancy-related sickness absence: HR FAQs
Pregnancy-related sickness requires careful handling. Pregnant employees are afforded special legal status which must be accounted for in any approach to pregnancy-related sickness absence management. What is the protected period? The protected period prevents women from suffering unfair treatment on the grounds of their pregnancy or related illnesses. For women who are eligible for maternity […]
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 […]