Employment and HR

  • ACAS issues guidance on social networking

    Whilst the Internet, tweeting, blogging and the like have revolutionised the way we communicate with one another, some estimates report that misuse of social networking tools by employees at work costs the British economy billions of pounds a year and...

  • Age Discrimination - Life After the Abolition of the Default Retirement Age

    The Default Retirement Age (DRA) has now been abolished and it is no longer permissible for an employer to dismiss an older worker on the ground of retirement unless this can be objectively justified under the Equality Act 2010 . This does not mean that...

  • Compensation limits to increase

      From 1st February 2011 compensation limits will increase as follows: Maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal will increase to £68,400 from £65,300 Maximum amount of “a week’s pay” will increase to...

  • Compromise Agreements

    As a general rule, ‘out of court settlements’ of employment disputes are not legally binding in that they cannot exclude an employee's right to take the matter concerned to an Employment Tribunal (ET). A formal compromise agreement is one of the...

  • Damages for Wrongful Dismissal

    The Supreme Court has ruled ( Edwards v Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust ) that a consultant surgeon who suffered a loss as a result of findings of personal and professional misconduct made against him in disciplinary proceedings that were...

  • Dealing with Employee Absence

    Employee absences can be both costly and disruptive. It is advisable to have systems in place to measure and analyse these costs so that you can identify problem areas. Are there patterns of absence? Does a particular department have a below average...

  • Dismissed News of the World Employees Seek Compensation

    Disgruntled News of the World employees who were left both jobless and reputations scarred could have reasonable ground for compensation, Alan Kennedy states. In June 2007 the House of Lords upheld, in principle, the right to award compensation to...

  • Dreaming of a white Christmas

      The bookmakers odds on the dream being a reality are likely to be pretty low now, probably exactly the same as the odds of disruption to your business, as the recent adverse weather conditions has brought organisations around South Yorkshire to a...

  • Drug Policy - Recognising the Signs and What to Do

    Research findings from Medscreen, based on drug testing carried out over the last ten years across a variety of professions, reveal that there has been a 3,000 per cent increase in the number of workers testing positive for cocaine. More than five per cent...

  • Employment Protection Scheme

    The easy and cost effective way to remove the burden of employment legislation from your business. Not a call centre.   With increasingly complex and costly employment legislation directly effecting the profitability of many businesses, it could be...

  • Failing to Prevent Bribery - Are You at Risk?

    The Bribery Act 2010 came into force on 1 July 2011. It created a new offence which can be committed by a commercial organisation if it fails to prevent persons associated with it from committing bribery on its behalf. A business can provide a defence by...

  • False Claims on a CV - What to Do

    According to research by the Risk Advisory Group, more than half of CVs submitted by job applicants contain lies or inaccuracies. These range from gaps in employment history to false claims regarding qualifications and failure to mention fraud committed...

  • Finally... Council Tax Relief for Home Owners

    Local Governement Secretary, Eric Pickles, is expected to announce major reforms to council tax in an effort to help 'middle England.' Currently those who house relatives in an annex face two separate council tax bills, thanks to tax inspectors...

  • Fox hunting views on par with religion?

    A landmark ruling has put fox hunting views on the same legal footing as religion, saying that an animal rights campaigner's opionions amount to philosophical beliefs. Click here for a full report in The Telegraph For help or advice on discrimination or...

  • Get the Christmas Party Right

    It’s that time of year again. Love them or hate them, the invitations to office Christmas parties will be arriving soon if they haven’t already. For employers, parties pose a particular threat. Here are some tips on making sure your...

  • Government halts red tape for small businesses

    In order to try to cut red tape, Vince Cable has announced a three-year moratorium on all new domestic rules for firms with fewer than 10 staff. Alan Kennedy, employment solicitor at Wosskow Brown says "The government's intention here...

  • Health and Safety - VDU Use

    More and more workers are spending a large part of their day looking at a computer screen. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 specifically deal with the health and safety issues associated with working with VDUs. The Health...

  • Informing and Consulting Employees

    The EU Information and Consultation Directive 2002 establishes minimum requirements for consulting and informing employees on a wide variety of subjects. The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 implement the Directive in the UK. ...

  • Record number of employment claims

    This year will see a record number of employment claims brought against employers according to recent figures published by Her Majesty's Court Service. Staying on top of legislation and resolving grievances effectively is key to staying out of the...

  • Relax Unfair Dismissal for 'Lazy' Workers?

    A leaked Government report suggests we may soon see a relaxation on increasingly stubborn employment legislation. The report calls for unproductive workers to lose their right to unfair dismissal - arguing sacking ‘lazy’ workers would...

  • Stress - An Employer's Duties

    The 13th edition of the Absence Management survey report , which is produced by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in conjunction with healthcare provider Simplyhealth, found that in 2012 stress was the most common cause of...

  • TUPE - Post-Transfer Obligations and Collective Agreements

    The Court of Appeal has overturned the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Alemo-Herron and others v Parkwood Leisure Ltd. Parkwood Leisure Ltd. had taken over a company that acquired employees of the London Borough of Lewisham’s...

  • The Corporate Manslaughter Act

    The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 established a new statutory offence of corporate manslaughter (corporate culpable homicide in Scotland). An organisation is guilty of the offence if the way in which it manages or organises its...

  • The Equality Act 2010 - A Guide for Employers

    The Equality Act 2010 has replaced nine major pieces of discrimination legislation and other ancillary measures that have been introduced over the last forty years. The core provisions of the Act came into force on 1 October 2010. As well as harmonising...

  • The pros and cons of using Facebook at work

    Social networking is here to stay – we all know that. The growth of networks such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Linked In has been phenomenal, but the headache it is causing to businesses all over the country is even bigger. Should staff be able to...

  • Tougher Sentencing For Youths and Violent Criminals

    Judges and Magistrates have raised concerns against plans on heavier sentencing for re-offending criminals. MPs will vote next week on legislative amendments, penned to impose mandatory sentences. If new legislation passes, offenders convicted twice...

  • What are your rights if your employer is insolvent?

    A company may take a variety of steps to protect itself when it becomes insolvent by virtue of not being able to pay its debts. However, these steps could have a significant impact upon employees. As illustrated in the recent cases of Comet, Jessops and...

  • Wosskow Brown launches new event programme for businesses

    Long established Sheffield Solicitors, Wosskow Brown, launched its new series of business events with a breakfast seminar at Ice Sheffield on 26th January. The event, an update of recent and up-coming changes in employment legislation and regulations was led...

  • Written Statement of Employment Particulars

    A contract of employment may be verbal but all employees, whether part-time or full-time, are entitled by law to be given a written statement setting out the main particulars of their employment, provided their employment lasts for one month or more. All the...
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