New rules for Employee Fit Notes from 1st July 2022
With the idea of reducing pressure on Drs – and in particular, GPs, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)…
With the idea of reducing pressure on Drs – and in particular, GPs, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)…
During the employment lifecycle, one side or the other may begin to feel that the employment relationship has broken down…
This year has brought to the fore the challenges faced by businesses in managing Bank Holidays, with particular reference to…
Parental Bereavement Leave (PBL) came into effect in Great Britain in April 2020. Since this important right has now been…
Your employees may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), currently £96.35 a week (rising to £99.35 from April 2022),…
Severe weather can raise a number of tricky issues for employers when employees can’t get into to work. These can…
Increases in National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) From April 2022 If you’re keen to keep abreast…
Sabbaticals are periods of paid or unpaid time away from work which are agreed between the employer and employee. One…
Some key points The right to take time off to care for dependants is intended for dealing with emergency situations…
The short answer is yes. Harassment is both a criminal offence and a civil action under the Protection from Harassment…
Can my business legally have a ‘no jab no job’ policy?…is a question commonly asked by employers right now, but…
The future of work, or at least the part relating to the elimination of traditional workspaces is currently playing out…
For many businesses, the last 18 months have been an experiment in seat-of-the-pants flexible working arrangements and as a result,…
In essence, no. Employees cannot get sick pay and holiday pay at the same time. Taking holiday while off sick…
Although there is no legal requirement to set probationary periods for new employees, doing so provides organisations with a number…
…and the importance of contractual considerations.Managing remote employees can be stressful for any line manager or business owner. Building high…
…and how to stop conflict from escalating to a formal process. What is conflict and why does it happen? Managing…
The position concerning holidays, bank holidays and part-time workers can be complex. Full time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks…
Yes, but you must be clear about your reasons for doing so. To comply with data protection obligation, employers must…
There are particular circumstances where an employer may need to obtain a medical report for a prospective, or existing employee,…
With research showing a rise in the instances of sexual harassment for women and men at work, it’s clear that…
Unauthorised absence is when someone does not come into work and gives no reason for their absence, or makes no…
2020 was a busy year for organisations with many changes to the employer/employee relationship, particularly in regard to remote working,…
Since the onset of Covid-19, many employers have been under pressure financially and a high number of business leaders have…
In short, no, although employers have a duty, as far as reasonably practicable, to ensure the health and safety at…
Going through a redundancy process can be a devastating experience for those affected and needs to be handled sensitively by…
National Minimum Wage (NMW/NLW) rates are reviewed annually and from April 2021 will be as follows. Workers aged 23 and…
Handling an employee grievance correctly can mean the difference between successful resolution, or an escalation to an employment tribunal. Having…
From 1 January 2021, a new points-based immigration system will come into force and will apply to all non-British and…
Employers should encourage employees to take their breaks, but are there any penalties for the employer if employees don’t take…
A self-employed person is an independent contractor or sole proprietor who reports self-employment income. Self-employed persons work for themselves rather…
The ACAS code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures does not expressly state that it applies to grievances raised…
Homeworking is now commonplace for many businesses and their employees. Despite being located remotely, having the right communication devices in…
Lay-off and Short-time working, (or ‘LOST’) can be used as an alternative to compulsory redundancies. A LOST situation can arise…
Yes. The right to paid annual leave continues to build up (‘accrue’) even during periods of absence from work, such…
Yes, although employers can only deduct the holiday pay overpaid from a final wage payment if there is a written…
For most workers, routine travel time commuting to work does not count as working hours.However, for workers with ‘no fixed…
Part-timers, like full-timers, are entitled to take sufficient paid leave to be away from work for the equivalent of 5.6…
The law provides for a woman on maternity leave to work for up to ten ‘Keeping in Touch’ (KIT) days…
Can we dismiss an employee for posting damaging content about our organisation on Facebook?It depends… However, organisations must have a…
The test of whether sick pay is payable or not, is not the number of hours work, or the type…
Must we consult for the minimum period if the business is likely to close?There’s no time limit for how long…
Employers do not have to pay workers for overtime. However, average pay for the total hours worked must not fall…
Flexible working can be extremely beneficial, allowing employees to create a strong work/life balance that can assist with personal commitments…
Employers owe a duty of care to their team no matter where they are working and properly carrying out a…
The three categories of employment status are employee, worker and self-employed. When considering the status of ‘casual workers’, the key…
Rishi Sunak announced on 12th May 2020 that the Coronavirus Scheme will be extended until the end of October 2020.…
It is first worth clarifying that a job is made redundant, rather than an employee.If a number of people do…
Can I rotate employees on Furlough leave? Yes. Employees can be put on furlough more than once so employers can,…
Changes to contracts of employmentFrom 6 April 2020, written statements of employment particulars must: Be issued to all workers -…
Employers should consider some simple steps, to help protect the health and safety of everyone during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.…
Employers can only choose to opt out of the statutory sick pay (SSP) scheme if they operate their own scheme,…
Reducing pay would be a variation of an employees’ contract of employment. Employers cannot unilaterally vary a contract of employment.This…
To ensure equality in the shortlisting process, the key is to base all decisions on an objective assessment of the…
Before June 2014, employees needed to meet fairly fixed eligibility requirements in order to have the right to request flexible…
If the contract includes a Pay in Lieu of Notice (PILON) clause, the employer can terminate the contract and make…
There has been increased use of email, internet and telephone monitoring by employers in recent years. However, before you can…
Employers cannot deduct pay from an employee as a disciplinary sanction unless there is a contractual disciplinary procedure that includes…
The simple answer is ‘yes’. Employees engaged on zero-hours contracts have the same legal protections as more traditional full-time employees…
…and other HR TIPS to help employers avoid issues during the Christmas Season Communicate any compulsory closing dates to employees…
Yes, from day one of employment all employees have the right to time off for dependants. Time off for dependants…
Yes, an employer can advertise a vacancy resulting from the dismissal of an employee without waiting for the outcome of…
Yes, although employees have the right to statutory annual leave, employers can say when leave can or cannot be taken.…
Should an employee make a claims unfair dismissal, the employer must show that it had a potentially fair reason for…
Employee handbooks are a staple to any business and, when well written and properly communicated to your workforce, will provide…
It is common during unpaid leave that is pre-arranged, for the employee to remain under a contract of employment and…
Further to a disciplinary or grievance meeting, employers should provide a copy of the minutes or notes taken at the…
Firstly, when your employee has returned to work following a sickness absence, carry out a return to work interview as…
The Home Office Right to Work Checking Service available on GOV.UK, gives employers access to up-to-date, real-time information about migrants’ right…
A deduction from wages occurs when an employee’s wages are less than the total amount properly due to them on…
If a worker is absent for four or more days in a row they may qualify for SSP (Statutory Sick…
If an employee resigns while on maternity leave, in certain circumstances the employer must pay the employee their normal full…
Yes. All workers must be issued with a form of contract, regardless of the hours they work. All can expect…
Statutory entitlement for full-time employees is 28 days’ paid annual leave. Calculating for part time employees can be a more…
The statutory right be to accompanied to a disciplinary meeting, does not apply to performance review meetings that will not…
It has been confirmed that the government intends to introduce a right for bereaved parents to take paid time off…
For statutory sick pay purposes (SSP), once an employee has begun work, that day cannot count as a day of…
Merely being in a probation period does not mean an employee does not have legal recourse were they to be…
Tribunal compensation limits increase from 6 April 2019. The new rates are: Limit on guaranteed payments – £29 Limit on…
Statutory Family Pay Rates: The weekly rate for statutory family pay rates increases to £148.68 for 2019/20. This rate applies…
Recent media coverage relating to sexual harassment at work has brought home the need for employers to ensure allegations of…
Conduct at work is a different issue to that of capability. Capability is when an employee is unable to reach…
Yes, but only after a job offer has been made and only if it complies with data protection requirements. The…
What is poor or underperformance Underperformance, or poor performance, is a failure to perform the duties of the role or…
There is no precise legal timescale in which a Disciplinary Appeal Hearing should be held. However, the ACAS code of…
An employer must give employees a ‘written statement of employment particulars’ if their employment contract lasts at least a month…
From 1st April 2019, the national living wage is due to increase to £8.21 per hour. Hourly rates will be…
Yes, although employers need to explore the reasons a witness may wish to remain anonymous and ensure the employee’s right…
From 6th April 2019, workers will be entitled to an itemised pay statement. Should employees have pay that varies, according…
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, the 5.6-week holiday entitlement cannot be replaced by a payment in lieu, excepting where…
Some employers have in place a Severe Weather and Disruption to Travel Policy, or contractual clauses within the Employment Contract,…
First check your Employment Contracts – If employers do not follow an appeals procedure that forms part of the contract…
Whilst it may previously have been commonplace to catch up on work by sending home work emails, this is a…
On occasion, it may be necessary for an employer to suspend an employee (with full pay) while carrying out a…
Whether or not a worker is engaged on a casual or zero hours contract, does not necessarily determine their employment…
An employee can self-certify absence for the first 7 days of sickness, but a doctor’s certificate (i.e. a Fit Note)…
Problems can arise in any workplace and for varying reason. Making sure they’re dealt with fairly and consistently can necessitate…
Although more employers are offering flexible working as an option for their workforce to assist in maintaining a healthy work-life…
A fixed-term contract will usually terminate at a specified date, or on the occurrence of a specified event, such as…
Given the number of hours spent together at work, it’s inevitable that romantic relationships will occur between colleagues. This can…
If an employee is called up for Jury Service then employers are required to allow time off to complete the…
Reputational damage, drunken tweets, or an unsavoury Instagram photograph let loose on the world in the small wee hours, are…
Conflict at work can take many forms and can lead to significant problems for businesses, including; resignations, reputational damage or…
Workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks’ paid annual holiday (i.e. 28 days for a worker who works…
The minimum information that employers are required to keep for each employee who receives statutory maternity pay (SMP) is: the…
Lack of capability, including when it is assessed with reference to health, is a potentially fair reason for dismissal under…
Can employers ask a prospective employee to fill in a medical questionnaire? Yes, but only after the employer has made…
What should employers discuss with employees at Individual Redundancy Consultation meetings? The Employer should: Hold a number of consultancy meetings…
When do employers need to include overtime in holiday pay? Holiday pay must be calculated on the basis of an…
Is there a maximum workplace temperature beyond which employees should not be expected to work? The Workplace (Health, Safety and…
Must employers obtain consent from an employee before providing a reference? Providing a reference is likely to involve processing personal…
How long does an employer need to wait before re-employing an employee whose role was made redundant? Once employment has…
Most bank holidays fall on a Monday or Friday, so part-time employees who do not work on these days could…
No, it is not necessary for employers to amend the contracts of existing employees to comply with the General Data…
The other significant change is in respect of auto-enrolled workplace pensions, with minimum workplace pension amounts increasing in April 2018.…
As of April 2018, changes are coming in, for which employers should be preparing now. Firstly, from 6 April 2018…