Request for Annual Leave
Dealing with requests for annual leave is an integral part of managing people at work. This entails ensuring that all workers receive their full entitlement to paid time off each year so that the workforce is rested and motivated, while minimising operational disruption or resourcing issues. In general, the more notice someone gives to take […]
Employment Rights Act 1996: Essential Summary
The Employment Rights Act 1996 is a significant piece of legislation. When introduced, it consolidated many existing statutory obligations on employers and statutory rights of employees, from the right to employment particulars on commencing employment to the right not to be unfairly dismissed on termination of employment. In this guide, we summarise the key provisions […]
Annual Leave Policy: What to Include
An annual leave policy is a critical aspect of supporting consistent and compliant management of workplace holiday entitlements. This helps to avoid grumbles or disagreements within teams and ensures workers are receiving their full entitlement to paid time off work. Without any annual leave guidelines or policy, managers and staff are likely to be unclear […]
Grievance Policy: What to Include
Dealing with complaints from your workforce is an inevitable part of being an employer or manager. It’s critical to understand how to deal with issues properly, from small concerns to serious breaches, or you risk tribunal claims, workplace disruption and conflict, and damage to your employer brand. Likewise, employees should have confidence that any work-related complaints […]
Time Off for Dependants: UK Employer Guide
Employers have to give their employees a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work to deal with emergencies, such as caring for a relative who is ill. Mishandling requests to take off work for dependants can result in morale issues, and potentially tribunal claims, making it important to deal with these issues fairly, lawfully and […]
Hiring Contractors (Employers’ Guide)
How an individual is employed by an organisation to undertake work, for example, on an employed or self-employed basis, will be key in determining the legal rights and responsibilities between the parties. This includes important matters such as the way that person is paid, and any respective liabilities to deduct or account for Income Tax […]
Data Subject Access Request (Employer’s Guide)
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), employees have the right to request and obtain a copy of their personal data held by their employer, or former employer. This is known as making a data subject access request (DSAR). The GDPR places strict compliance requirements on employers to deal with subject access requests. While the […]
Zero Hour Contract Holiday Pay Entitlement
Zero hour contracts remain a common feature of the UK economy, offering flexibility to suit both employers and workers. While this working arrangement can offer a number of benefits for employers, it can also present challenges when dealing with zero hour contract workers’ holiday entitlement. The law in this area changed in April 2024, and […]
Do You Pay Employees More in a Leap Year?
Paying an employee the right amount is both a legal requirement and critical to fostering positive employer-employee relations. However, disputes over pay remain one of the most common workplace issues, and while they are generally easily resolved if dealt with quickly, they are best avoided altogether. In some cases, the issue often arises when there […]
Overtime Pay Rules
Overtime can offer employers critical flexibility in staffing, while employees can benefit from additional payment for the additional time worked. But while overtime is commonly used across the economy, in practice it’s not always clear who is entitled to overtime pay and how this should be calculated. When employers are not clear about their overtime […]