False accusations at work: HR help

Employers are required by law to deal with complaints or grievances at work fairly and lawfully. Handling such issues, however, becomes further complicated if you suspect the employee may be making a false allegation. False accusations at work can relate to any kind of untrue claim of wrongdoing made by an employee. While some accusers […]

Reasonable travelling distance: employer guide

If you are relocating to new premises, or asking an employee to move to another office or branch, you will need to understand how you can legally request a move. This includes exactly how far you can expect an employee to travel to their new place of work. However, the employment law rules relating to […]

Employment case law update October 2020

A number of key employment law cases of significance for employers have recently been decided. Breach of contract, Unfair Dismissal, Working Time and Leave Holloway v Aura Gas Ltd The claimant, Mr Holloway, was employed by Aura Gas as a heating engineer. His role required him to travel from one job to the next, in […]

Bringing the company into disrepute

For the most part, employees’ work and personal lives coexist harmoniously side by side. However, there are occasions when an employee’s behaviour or conduct outside of work may be considered to be sufficiently unacceptable to be damaging to the employer’s own reputation. In such situations, the employee can be said to be bringing the company […]

How to calculate pro rata salary & holiday

Calculating pro rata salary and holiday entitlement is not always straight forward. Whether in relation to part-time workers, or where employees join or leave mid-year, employers have to get pro rata calculations right to comply with their legal obligations and avoid complaints from employees. The following article looks at what pro rata means for salary […]

What is a protected disclosure?

Whether an employee’s complaint is classed as a protected disclosure is critical to determine if they are protected as a whistleblower. By understanding the meaning of a protected disclosure within the context of whistleblowing, this can help employers to respond appropriately to employee concerns and complaints about any wrongdoing at work without falling foul of […]

What to include in a whistleblowing policy

UK workers and employers are entitled to certain protections if they “make a disclosure in the public interest” regarding their employer’s or a third party’s actions. Encouraging your workforce to make any such disclosures in line with a specific procedure and reassuring them of their protected position if they do so, may be necessary and […]

How long does a DBS last?

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is a criminal record check that an employer can request as part of their recruitment and onboarding process. DBS checks are useful in ensuring that the employer is only recruiting suitable people into their organisation and for the job role in question. This is especially important when the […]

Dealing with allegations of managers bullying team members

Employees are protected by law from bullying. Yet bullying in the workplace is most commonly cited as coming from those in a position of seniority such as managers. What should an employer do if a manager is being accused of bullying at work? What do we mean by bullying at work? There is no legal […]

Employment case law update September 2020

A number of key employment law cases of significance for employers have recently been decided. Disability discrimination Sullivan v Bury Street Capital Limited In this Employment Appeal Tribunal decision, it was held that an employee suffering paranoid delusions was not considered disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. The Claimant suffered which delusions […]