September 20, 2018
With effect from 4 October, your employees will no longer be able to join any Childcare Voucher scheme you may offer. However, those who are already enrolled into the scheme will still be able to benefit from it, providing: you continue to run the scheme they remain in your employment they do not take an…
View Post
September 18, 2018
Suspending an employee can seem the next logical step when an allegation of harassment has taken place, but employers should be careful and consider the ‘law of unintended consequences’. The recent incident between actress Roxanne Pallett and actor Ryan Thomas within the Celebrity Big Brother house highlights how a seemingly innocent act can escalate into…
View Post
September 10, 2018
Organisations should treat any form of harassment seriously – not just because of the legal implications and because it can lead to under-performance, but because people have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at work too. Employers should foster a fair and inclusive working environment that enables everyone to feel they can…
View Post
September 6, 2018
Chairing disciplinary hearings or listening to formal grievances are activities that take lots of managers out of their comfort zone – even many HR managers dislike this aspect of the role. Follow these ten tips to take away the pressure and ensure the best outcome for your business and workplace relationships. 1. Prepare for the…
View Post
August 28, 2018
In July 2017, the Government launched a national survey of LGBT people. The survey received more than 108,000 responses, making it the largest national survey of its kind anywhere in the world. Some of the most important findings: 23% of survey respondents employed in the 12 months preceding the survey had experienced a negative or mixed reaction…
View Post
August 14, 2018
In March the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) published its paper on reforming workplace policies to support fathers balance their parental responsibilities and work – the take up (or lack of it) of shared paternity leave being the particular concern. As employer will be aware, the original two-week statutory paid paternity leave was introduced in…
View Post
August 2, 2018
Back in 2016 a House of Commons briefing noted that 99% of UK private businesses – and thus one third of our workforce – are employed by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the paper suggested that limited access to resources make some less likely to implement workplace initiatives promoting a health-based culture for employees. When you consider that full-time employees spend one third…
View Post
July 23, 2018
With Brexit now only a few months away – our membership of the EU is set to end on the 29 March 2019 – in this blog we look at the potential effects of Brexit from an employer’s perspective. But first, the Brexit basics. The transition period It is hoped that, by our exit date,…
View Post
July 13, 2018
The Court of Appeal has today reversed a minimum wage decision relating to “sleep-in” sessions by care workers. The case in question, Royal Mencap Society and Claire Tomlinson-Blake, has ramifications for care providers throughout the UK. In a series of Judgements, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (and subsequently HMRC) previously ruled that “sleep-in” sessions amounted to…
View Post
July 12, 2018
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is expected to impose a massive £500,000 fine on Facebook for failing to secure people’s information – and failing to be clear on how people’s data are used by others. This huge fine, one of the biggest ever handed out, is in keeping with a series of recent fines imposed…
View Post
June 20, 2018
Our busy, complex lives are increasingly becoming a series of risk management exercises. Think about it: when we leave home in the morning nearly all of us will make sure we lock up. We then unlock our cars and drive away, carefully avoiding any situations that might result in a collision. Many people give up…
View Post
June 18, 2018
The supreme court decision in pimlico plumbers v smith What was the decision? On 13 June 2018 the Supreme Court held that Mr Smith was a worker of Pimlico Plumbers, although not an employee. Various media outlets have incorrectly reported that he has been found to be an employee, which just proves how easy this area of law…
View Post