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‘Businesses and workplaces should encourage their employees to work at home, wherever possible.’ This is the advice from the government to all UK business, in a bid to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 across the country.
For some companies, this is business as usual but for many this is a new approach and just like anything else that’s new, it comes with tricky challenges and questions.

With the recent upgrade of the threat of the Coronavirus on the UK being upgraded from low to moderate, we are finding that our clients are coming to us for advice on what is best to do in the workplace. The government will be holding a press conference at some point today (3rd March 2020), so it may be that advice will change once that has occurred, but for now we have put this blog together to summarise what is currently being advised:

As of 6th April 2020, You must give employees written information on their main terms of employment by the date that they commence employment. Previous to this date, the requirement was to give them written information on their main terms within two months of their start date. You must now also give them a written statement containing details of any change to these terms within one month of the change.

April is usually a busy time for employers, a time of implementing/amending current practices to be in line with any new legislation. April 2020 will be no different, in fact we are seeing more changes than usual. So, it’s time to prepare because, as we all know, time flies and it will creep up on us!

Are you off Christmas day? Maybe even boxing day, too?

Well, you may wish to give a thankful thought to Charles Dickens!

Did you know that it was his story ‘A Christmas carol’ which reignited Christmas spirit back into England, bringing along some of our well-loved Christmas traditions, first introduced by Pagans of Europe and early Christianity?

Redundancy is when you dismiss an employee because you no longer need anyone to do that job, or you can make do with less people. This could be because new machines have been brought in, because your company is changing what it does, where it operates from or because the business is closing. Either way, that job is no longer needed and will no longer exist.

Periods of employee absence are inevitable, but they can be disruptive and expensive, especially for small businesses where each individual makes up a significant proportion of the entire workforce.

Sickness absence may be at its lowest ever level in the UK, but it’s true to say that finding a fair and appropriate way to manage unplanned absences is tricky.

The vast majority of employees want to come to work and do a good job…

THE REAL LIVING WAGE is the only UK wage rate that is calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, and is based on what it believes people need to live in the UK; it is not to be confused with the Government’s legally required ‘National Living Wage’, which was introduced in 2016. The real living wage is higher than the legal national living wage and is paid voluntarily by UK businesses. To date, nearly 6,000 businesses are doing so.

Today is Mental Health Awareness Day and, in case you weren’t aware, its goal is to help raise mental health awareness. Each of us can make a contribution to ensure that people dealing with problems concerning mental health can live better lives with dignity.
The theme this year is suicide and suicide prevention. Not the easiest topic to talk about but it’s highly likely that you will know someone who has died or is bereaved through suicide. I have seen the devastation that bereavement through suicide, can cause to the families, friends and work colleagues of the individual…

Unfair Dismissal; show you have been fair in the way you have acted; infirm employee, hold a meeting, allow to be accompanied, deciding on appropriate action, opportunity to appeal. Reasons such as pregnancy are automatically unfair
Notice; an individual entitled to one week’s notice (after 1 month service) if wish to dismiss them. After two years rises to two weeks and continues to increase by one week per year up to a maximum of 12 weeks.
Wages; Unlawful to deduct wages unless legally required to do so or a separate written agreement.