Rest breaks at work: employers’ guide
The rules on taking breaks at work are covered by the Working Time Regulations 1998 and your employee’s own contract of employment. Whether or not these breaks are paid is entirely your decision as the employer, and should be stated in the employee’s contract. Most employees have a right to a break of twenty minutes […]
Statutory layoff pay: guide for employers
In the current climate, where the coronavirus crisis has forced the closure of many UK businesses, or resulted in a significant downturn in profits, employers may be looking to temporarily suspend workers’ employment. To avoid use of layoffs and redundancies, the Government has introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which reimburses employers employment costs such […]
Home working: employer guidance
Given the current work from home requirements due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the phased return to work post-lockdown, home working is expected to become more widely adopted. For employers, this means giving full consideration as to how home working will work on a longer term basis, and what this means in terms of assessing […]
Compulsory redundancy: employer guidance
To ensure the survival of your business you may find yourself forced to make financial cuts, including reducing your payroll liabilities. Alternatively, your organisation may have undergone a complete restructure, or you may have invested in new technology, making certain roles obsolete. Whatever the business driver behind redundancy, employers must in all cases follow a […]
Changing worker contract terms: Coronavirus FAQs
The coronavirus outbreak is forcing employers to make difficult decisions and actions in respect of their workforce. While the Government introduces emergency schemes to avert widescale layoffs and redundancies, employers need to be aware of the employment law implications of making changes to a worker’s contract terms. We look at some frequently asked questions from […]
Time off for dependants: Coronavirus HR guide
This article was first published before the Government extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to include carers With the coronavirus crisis affecting the UK as a whole, and following the closure of UK schools from 23 March 2020, increasing numbers of workers are having to request time off work to care for dependants. Employers have […]
Homeworking during lockdown: HR advice
The UK Government has placed the country on official lockdown from 23 March 2020. Under the new rules, members of the public must not leave their house except to: Travel to and from work if impossible to work from home Shop for essentials, as infrequently as possible Exercise outdoors once per day, alone or with […]
Unpaid leave: HR guide to employees’ rights
Unpaid leave is where an employee takes time off from their job without pay. In some situations, as in the case of time off to care for a dependent in an emergency, you must grant the time off, although you can decide whether it is paid or unpaid. In other situations, such as a request […]
Coronavirus advice: employer FAQs
Coronavirus advice for employers The outbreak of coronavirus in the UK raises a number of issues for employers across employment, immigration and health & safety. We are updating this article with the latest coronavirus advice for employers to help manage and contain the risks relating to Covid-19 and protect your people and your business. What […]
Restructuring and redundancy: employer guide
How should an employer proceed if a restructuring process could potentially involve redundancies? A business restructure does not necessarily mean that redundancies are inevitable, for example, where changes are made for operational rather than for financial reasons. But in some cases, the loss of jobs may be unavoidable. In this guide, we look at the […]
