Protected Period in Pregnancy: A Guide for UK Employers
Pregnancy and maternity are classed as one of nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The protected period refers to the timeframe during which pregnant employees and new mothers are afforded enhanced legal protections against discrimination and unfair treatment under UK law. Treating an employee unfavourably because of pregnancy, maternity, or taking maternity leave […]
Reasonable Travelling Distance: Employer Guidelines
If your organisation is moving to a new location or you are asking an employee to transfer to another office or branch, a key consideration will be determining whether the distance the employee will have to travel to their new workplace is ‘reasonable’. Unfortunately, the rules on travelling distance for work are far from clear, […]
Compulsory Redundancy Guide for Employers
Whatever the business driver behind redundancy, employers must in all cases follow a fair and transparent procedure when making someone redundant. In this guide for employers, we explain the process you need to follow when making compulsory redundancies. What is compulsory redundancy? A redundancy situation is where you terminate an employee’s contract of employment because you […]
Redundancy Settlement Agreement Guide
Settlement agreements are generally used by employers to settle potential employment claims, but they are also commonly used as an alternative to dismissal by redundancy. Notwithstanding the reasons for making someone redundant, the employer must still follow a fair and lawful redundancy process. Using a settlement agreement in a redundancy situation can help to avoid […]
Reorganisation and Redundancy: Employer Guide
Reorganisation and redundancy refer to processes where an employer restructures their workforce due to changes in business needs, such as cost reductions, operational efficiencies or evolving market conditions. Redundancy is when an employee’s role is no longer required, either because the work has diminished or the organisation’s structure has changed. Employers must approach reorganisation and […]
Redundancy Process: Step-By-Step Guide
The redundancy process is a legal framework that employers in the UK must follow when reducing their workforce due to business needs. Redundancy occurs when a role is no longer required, often due to changes in business operations, such as restructuring, closure, or technological advancements. In practice, redundancy can be one of the most stressful workplace […]
What Are Fair Redundancy Selection Criteria?
Redundancy selection criteria are used by employers to decide which employees will be made redundant during a workforce reduction process. These criteria must be fair, objective and transparent to reduce the risk of claims of unfair dismissal. Employers commonly base their selection criteria on factors such as length of service, skills and qualifications, performance or […]
Redeployment Rights: Guide for Employers
During the redundancy process, one of the requirements on the employer is to explore all suitable alternatives to making someone redundant. This could include considering options to redeploy the worker to a different role or a different part of the organisation. Employees do, however, have certain redeployment rights, making this a complex area of the […]