HR tip: Age discrimination
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question:"We are uncomfortable with age discrimination constraints. How can we ensure that a candidate has the appropriate length of experience for the job if we cannot ask for minimum periods of experience in […]
HR Tip: Transfer of undertakings
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "We are transferring a function out to a contractor but one of the employees affected does not wish to transfer. We have no job we can offer him. How do we stand?" HR […]
HR tip: Restrictive covenants
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "How can I make an employee accept a restrictive covenant?" HR Tip: This could be difficult. If there is a really sound business reason for wanting the covenant, and the employee refuses it unreasonably […]
Sidelined? The disappointing maternity return. By Annie Hayes
Undermined, excluded and sidelined – these are just some of the situations working mums complain of when they return to work following a period of maternity leave. Annie Hayes reports on the emotional and legal battle. In 2006 just over half of women (55 per cent) with children under five were in the labour force. […]
HR tip: Compromise agreement
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question:"What exactly is a compromise agreement?" HR Tip: A compromise agreement is a legally binding agreement between an employer and an employee, made usually – though not necessarily – on termination of the latter's […]
Ministers promise to cut red tape
A programme of reforms aimed at slashing the red tape blighting UK businesses was unveiled yesterday by the government. Business and enterprise secretary John Hutton said the new measures are aimed at “tackling regulation and creating a dynamic business environment”. Ministers, he revealed, will put greater pressure on regulators to review and reduce the number […]
HR tip: Resignation in face of discipline
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: Our managing director is more than happy if people who are summoned to a formal disciplinary meeting choose instead to resign. He does not want to jeopardise their chances of getting another […]
Ask the expert: Annual leave request refused
This week, Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise on what to do when an employee has used up all their annual leave entitlement, so has the holiday request refused, and then makes it known they plan to take the week off sick […]
HR tip: Companion in disciplinary hearings
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "Our disciplinary procedure states that a shop steward is provided to attend any formal disciplinary hearing. An employee who has been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing has objected to this and […]
Single equality law considered
The government has published a green paper outlining plans for a single equality bill with the aim of simplifying and improving existing legislation. But the proposals have come under fire from both the TUC and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) for not including employment law. Instead, the government is looking at private clubs and associations […]
HR Tip: Confidential information on employees over the phone
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "Someone telephoned us to ask if a certain named person – one of our employees – worked here. I did not know what to do so asked them to ring back. What […]
HR Tip: Sex discrimination because we have only male engineer apprentices?
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: “I have been advised that we discriminate unlawfully because all our engineering apprentices are male. We have no objection to female apprentices but no girls apply. Surely we are therefore in the […]
HR Tip: Fixed term contracts and unfair dismissal at termination
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "If I engage someone on a fixed term contract can I thereby prevent them from claiming unfair dismissal when their work comes to an end?" HR Tip: No, it is no longer possible […]
HR tip: Return from maternity leave – staff intentions
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "I asked one of my employees who was going off on maternity leave whether or not she intended to return, but she told me it was none of my business. I need […]
Legislation update: Part time workers miss out on bank holidays
Georgina Folkes, solicitor at Withy King, explains the legal issues surrounding part time employees and bank holidays. Four of the UK's eight bank holidays always fall on Monday (Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday and August Bank Holiday). One is always on a Friday (Good Friday) and the other three vary. For some […]
HR Tip: Deductions from final wages for company clothes
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "An employee has resigned rather suddenly and left the premises but he has not returned his company overalls. Can we deduct the cost of the garments from his final wages payment?" HR […]
Ask the expert: Can I be forced to change jobs?
Can an employee be forced to return to their old job when their current position becomes redundant? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:I started working for my present company as a press operator working three shifts. Last year I […]
HR Tip: Sex discrimination in warehouse
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "We only employ men in our warehouse because the work is largely heavy lifting and humping. We believe that this is fair to women and is not discriminatory. Would appreciate you confirming […]
HR Tip: Custom and practice on employees leaving early
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "I recently took over a new department in our large organisation, which is in a building outside and a little way from the main site. The employees' contracts of employment are almost […]
HR Tip: Disclosing employees’ birthdays
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: “If someone asks for the date of birth of a colleague and says that it is because they want to send a birthday card we give them the day and month but […]