Absenteeism It will never be possible to eliminate sickness absence entirely. However sickness absence can be controlled with clear... Read
Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 (AMRA) From an employment law perspective, this Act allows an individual to access any medical report which is, or has been,... Read
Accident Investigation Every incident causing injury should be considered for the potential for similar or more serious injuries, and measures... Read
Accident Investigation We will advise you on the steps that need to be taken following on from an accident/incident. That could very well... Read
Accident Records Employers need to keep a record of every workplace accident that results in injury. It doesn’t matter whether the... Read
Accident Reporting The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (known as RIDDOR) require employers to... Read
Adoption Rights Female employees have had maternity rights for many years but since 2003, fathers and adoptive parents have also had... Read
Advertising vacancies It’s important to remember when advertising vacancies that employment legislation still applies. Any advertisement... Read
Ageism As is the case with gender, religion, race, sexual orientation and disability, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and... Read
Agency and Temporary Staff Agency and temporary staff working for a business are exposed to the same health and safety hazards as the businesses'... Read
Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) Temporary staff taken on are, in the same way as permanent staff, entitled to annual leave so an employer must ensure... Read
Agricultural Wages The right to certain minimum wage benefits applies to specific agricultural workers within different parts of Great... Read
Agriculture With approximately 20% of all workplace fatalities across the UK attributed to the Agriculture Sector alone, it is... Read
Alcohol Consumption of alcohol during working hours can be a major area of concern for employers for several reasons. It can... Read
Alcohol Abuse Alcohol use and abuse constitute a real threat to the safety, health and welfare of people in the workplace; both to... Read
Alcohol and Drugs Policy Consumption of alcohol during working hours can be a major area of concern for employers for several reasons. It can... Read
Alternative Employment The need for an employer to offer alternative employment could arise in various situations. Sometimes it is possible to... Read
Annual Leave Under the Working Time Regulations all employees are entitled to annual leave. Full time workers have a statutory... Read
Anti-Bribery Policy Preventing Bribery at Work Bribery in the workplace is an extremely serious issue, which can have a highly damaging... Read
Appeal An employee has the right of appeal following disciplinary action, including dismissal, if they believe that the action... Read
Appraisals Appraisals are an essential tool for an employer to monitor employees’ performance and improve the overall... Read
Asbestos Asbestos is a potent cause of disease and cancer. The symptoms of ill-health do not normally become apparent until 10... Read
Associative Discrimination Until recently, there was a requirement that a discrimination complainant possessed one of the protected... Read
Asthma Asthma is a disorder of the respiratory system. It occurs when exposure to a substance creates an allergic response in... Read
Attendance At Tribunal It will be, in most circumstances, the Legal Services Consultant who prepared the case who will attend the tribunal to... Read
Automatically Unfair Dismissal with no Service Qualification Investigation Automatically unfair dismissal occurs when the dismissal violates an employee’s statutory legal rights. In most... Read
Avoiding Redundancy Making staff redundant can be as stressful to company owners and managers as it is to the staff members themselves. And... Read
Bank Holidays The statutory entitlement to annual leave is for 5.6 of the worker’s normal working weeks (see Annual Leave). This... Read
Bereavement Leave Unfortunately, most people will experience the loss of somebody close to them at some point during their career and, as... Read
Blogging The internet can be an excellent resource if used appropriately, in the right circumstances and with the right checks... Read
Bonuses Bonuses are either guaranteed under contract, discretionary or some combination of the two. The details of any bonus... Read
Breach of Contract Disputes An employee requires no length of service to bring about a claim for breach of contract. A Tribunal is able to make an... Read
Breaks at work If any of your workers drive Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) i.e. vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of more than... Read
Bribery Act 2010 The Bribery Act came into force on 1st July 2011 and covers the criminal law relating to bribery. Bribery is the... Read
Bullying Bullying at work is more commonplace than many realise. It occurs when someone tries to intimidate another worker,... Read
Bullying and Harassment Policy Despite increasing awareness of the problems bullying and harassment can cause in the workplace, these behaviours still... Read
Bullying in The Workplace Bullying can have a huge impact on an employee’s health, wellbeing and performance at work, particularly when it is... Read
Business Focused Decisions Sometimes as a business owner, the commercial realities of a situation can be so pressing or self-evident that... Read
Capability As an employer it is important to ensure that there is a consistent approach to the management of capability at work.... Read
Carry Over of Annual Leave On commencement of employment, an employee begins to build up or accrue holiday entitlement. An employee is entitled to... Read
Case Conclusion At the conclusion of a case, you will be advised on what additional remedial steps should be taken, so as to help you... Read
Case Resolution On conclusion of the case your Legal Services Consultant will discuss the tribunal's decision with you, and, if... Read
Changing Terms and Conditions There may be times when it becomes essential for an employer to change the terms and conditions of an employee’s... Read
Child Care In most medium- to large-sized companies, there is a good chance that some will have young children. As employers, this... Read
Childcare & Nurseries Peninsula understand that nurseries and those in a childcare setting face a unique set of challenges when considering... Read
Children and Young Persons Legislation governs and restricts the employment of children and young people. A child under the minimum school leaving... Read
Civil Partnerships When a same-sex couple register a civil partnership, they become entitled to many of the same rights as married... Read
Claiming Expenses The claiming of expenses is not only a tricky issue for our Members of Parliament. As an employer, it is vital you have... Read
Clock Cards Some time clocks require that employees punch the time clock with a time card, some involve swiping with a swipe card... Read
Codes of Practice Codes of practice are written guidelines issued by a company to help its employees understand, follow and comply with... Read
Company Handbook For information about our Employee Handbook advice service, please visit the appropriate page. The company handbook,... Read
Compensation Compensation is awarded to recompense an employee for lost earnings in the event of having been unfairly dismissed by a... Read
Competent Person The term ‘competent person’ is used throughout health and safety legislation. In some cases plant and equipment... Read
Compressed Air Systems A form of stored energy, compressed air can be used with perfect safety; but if compressed air systems and tools are... Read
Compulsory overtime Employees cannot be forced to work more than 48 hours per week (see Working Time Regulations). An employee can agree... Read
Compulsory Redundancies It is an unfortunate fact that from time to time, most medium to large companies will have to make some... Read
Conciliation There are three different types of conciliation depending on what stage any claim is at and where it is being brought.... Read
Conduct versus Capability Conduct at work is a different issue to that of capability. Capability is when an employee is unable to attain expected... Read
Confined Spaces A confined space is not necessarily a small space and may not always be an enclosed space. The legal definition of a... Read
Construction Specific requirements apply to the construction industry. These relate both to the way that construction projects are... Read
Constructive Dismissal Fearful of legal consequences or accusations of unfair dismissal, some companies might be tempted to try taking another... Read
Consultation There is no statutory obligation on an employer to allow an employee to carry leave over to the following year, though... Read
Contract of Employment It is common knowledge that a business without employment contracts is leaving itself wide open to problems. The terms... Read
Contractors Contractors often come onto your premises to carry out routine maintenance and repairs to the building, the electrical... Read
Contracts of Employment For information about our Contract of Employment advice, drafting and consultancy service, please visit our business... Read
Contributory negligence Contributory negligence is a partial defence in the law whereby the claimant is deemed to have suffered damage as a... Read
Corporate Manslaughter The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act created the offence of "corporate manslaughter" allowing for the... Read
Court Proceedings In the event that you are prosecuted, you will be provided with legal representation throughout the entire process.... Read
Custom and Practice Custom and practice refers to any unofficial aspect of company, trade or industry culture that has become the... Read
Damage To Company Property Employers often provide equipment to their staff so that they are able to perform efficiently in their job as... Read
Dangerous Substances Any substance or mixture of substances which presents a hazard to health and safety is a Hazardous Substance and must... Read
DBS checks DBS checks (Disclosure & Barring Service checks) were previously known as CRB checks (see CRB checks). They came... Read
Deductions from Pay An employee requires no length of service to bring about a claim for this reason. Should they win a Tribunal can award... Read
Default Retirement Age From 6th April 2011, employers were no longer able to issue staff with retirement notices. Thanks to the UK population... Read
Dependants Employees have the right to take a reasonable amount of time off work to take necessary action in certain situations... Read
Dermatitis Dermatitis is a skin condition caused by contact with something that irritates the skin or causes an allergic reaction.... Read
Direct Payments As an employer managing direct payments can be complicated. An employee has the right to know how much they will be... Read
Disabled Employees The introduction of the Equality Act on 1st October 2010 brought together several pieces of existing discrimination... Read
Disciplinary Rules Disciplinary rules are necessary in an organisation to establish the expected standards of behaviour and performance of... Read
Disciplinary Rules and Procedures When an employer disciplines or dismisses an employee, they are legally required to follow established disciplinary and... Read
Discrimination Discrimination occurs when one employee is treated less favourably than another by an employer. It could be on the... Read
Discrimination Cases An employee requires no length of service to bring a claim of discrimination. If an employer loses a Tribunal case on... Read
Dismissal Procedure The sequence of events that takes place before, during and after a dismissal is the key to minimising the likelihood of... Read
Dismissal Procedures While no employer wants to be in a situation where they need to dismiss an employee, it is an unavoidable part of... Read
Dismissals To bring someone’s employment to an end, with the associated costs and problems for both employee and employer, is... Read
Display Screen Equipment DSE equipment includes workstations where there are monitors and keyboards on machinery and process equipment as well... Read
Disputes The current coalition Government has clearly stated its commitment to dispute resolution in the workplace, making the... Read
Diversity There are clear rules an employer must follow to encourage diversity in the workplace in accordance with the Equality... Read
Drugs As with alcohol consumption, drug and other substance (e.g. solvent) abuse can cost employers significantly through... Read
Drugs and Alchohol Policy Discovering that someone you know is misusing alcohol or drugs is a sad and serious matter. But when that individual is... Read
Duty of Care All employers are legally bound to ensure that their employees are not exposed to unreasonable harm at work, both... Read
Education The education sector is subject to much scrutiny in terms of the standard of teaching, the quality of the learning... Read
Email Usage Email is an invaluable business tool and many of us cannot remember how we operated professionally without its... Read
Emergency Leave When an employee’s absence from work is not planned because of serious external causes (other than the employee’s... Read
Employee The definition of an employee for the purposes of health and safety legislation is very different to that used in other... Read
Employee Assistance Programme For information about our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Products, please visit the appropriate page. An... Read
Employee Handbook An employee handbook is a valuable resource and reference point for all members of staff, and a good accompaniment to... Read
Employee lateness policy Defining a clear employee lateness policy is essential for business to monitor and maintain the productivity of their... Read
Employers Health and Safety Responsibilities If you're an employer, health and safety responsibilities are not to be taken lightly. You have a legal duty to protect... Read
Employing People It’s important to remember when advertising vacancies that employment legislation still applies. Any advertisement... Read
Employment Contracts For information about our Contract of Employment advice and consultancy service, please visit our business service... Read
Employment Equality Act The Employment Equality Act of 2010 contains important guidelines for employers on avoiding discrimination both in the... Read
Employment Tribunal Help Businesses and employers can contact our Legal Services department if they are ever served with tribunal papers by a... Read
Employment Tribunal Representation Guide We will provide clients with support before, during and after the employment tribunal process. We live in a litigation... Read
Employment Tribunal Services Whenever times are hard, there is a sharp increase in the number of employment tribunals, just as we have seen... Read
Ending a Contract Ending a contract of employment represents the end of an employee's duration with an employer. Depending on the case,... Read
Enforcing Authority Reports From time to time, Inspectors from the Enforcing Authority may visit a workplace to carry out an inspection to... Read
Enhanced disclosure checks An Enhanced Disclosure Check is a more detailed DBS check that can be made when recruiting potential employees for... Read
Equal Opportunities An equal opportunities policy is designed to ensure that an employer runs an inclusive organisation where everyone is... Read
Equal Opportunity Policy Discrimination is an area of employment law that businesses cannot afford to get wrong. Employers can find equal... Read
Equal Pay Equal pay legislation was introduced in the Equal Pay Act 1970, but in October 2012 was consolidated into the Equality... Read
Equal Pay Disputes An employee requires no length of service to bring about a claim for this reason. A Tribunal can award an arrears of... Read
Equality Act 2010 The 2010 Equality Act introduced in October of that year was the single biggest piece of discrimination legislation... Read
Equipment Use Equipment provided for use at work, work equipment, can take many forms. It ranges from fixed and portable work... Read
European Working Time Directive The European Working Time Directive is a Directive of the European Union which was introduced in 1993 with the aim of... Read
Exit Interviews Exit interviews provide an ideal opportunity for employers to understand and improve employee experience within their... Read
Extra Bank Holidays The statutory entitlement to annual leave is for 5.6 of the worker’s normal working weeks (see Annual Leave). This is... Read
Failure to Consult Union An employee requires no length of service to bring about a claim for this reason. A Tribunal can award up to 91 day's... Read
Failure to Issue Statements An employee requires no length of service to bring about a claim for this reason. An order can be made for a repayment... Read
Falsifying Official Documents Deliberate falsification of official documents can occur for many reasons. Employees may alter time cards (see clock... Read
Family Events Should staff be allowed time off on full pay to attend weddings, funerals, school sports days, graduation ceremonies... Read
Family Friendly Policies A family friendly policy in the workplace is intended to help employees to balance their work and family lives, and... Read
Family Friendly Workplaces Creating a family friendly workplace can be a balancing act. Maintaining employee satisfaction can reduce stress and... Read
Fee For Intervention Following the election in 2011, the Conservative Coalition Government elected has severely cut the budget of the HSE... Read
Fire Risk Assessment Every employer is responsible for fire safety at every premise under their control and must appoint a ‘responsible... Read
Fire Risk Assessment Software Fire risk assessment is a critically important health and safety task which most businesses can tackle with speed and... Read
Fire Safety Every employer is responsible for fire safety at every premise under their control and must appoint a ‘responsible... Read
First Aid Employers must provide suitable and sufficient provisions for dealing with incidents that require immediate first aid.... Read
First Aid at Work There is risk in all aspects of daily life, but as an employer you are particularly responsible for the health and... Read
Fit to Work: The Fit Note On the 6 April 2010 the infamous “sick note” was replaced by the “fit note” or, to give it its technical name,... Read
Flexible Working In some situations, flexible working can be an extremely good solution for employers and employees alike. Employers... Read
Flexitime We are constantly being told that the days of the nine to five are over (presumably by people who do not travel during... Read
Fork Lift Trucks Every year there are many reportable injuries that involve fork lift trucks. These injuries impose a heavy cost on the... Read
Gas Supplies and Equipment The correct installation and maintenance of gas services and equipment is a legal requirement. The work must be done by... Read
Gender Reassignment It is against the law to discriminate against, harass or victimise a person because of gender reassignment. Anyone who... Read
Glass and glazing The architectural use of glass in buildings and building structures may create risks to safety if the hazards... Read
Grievance Procedures An employee raising a grievance is a complex and worrying time for an employer, and knowing which procedure to follow -... Read
Grievances A grievance is a concern, problem or complaint that an employee raises with his employer. Most grievances will concern... Read
Gross Misconduct Gross misconduct is misconduct so serious that the employer is entitled to dismiss for a first offence. Generally it... Read
Gross Negligence Manslaughter Work related fatal accidents are initially investigated by the police to determine whether the criminal offences of... Read
Guards = Machinery Dangerous parts of machinery must be protected either by fixed guards, other forms of guard, protection... Read
Hair Dressing and Beauty Salons Workers and clientele in hairdressers and beauty salons face a number of potential hazards from the range of treatments... Read
Hand Arm Vibration Long-term, regular exposure to hand arm vibration (HAV) leads to potentially permanent and debilitating health effects,... Read
Handbooks An employee handbook is one of the most important communication tools between an employer and employee. It is a book or... Read
Harassment Employers should have a clear policy to protect their employees from harassment at work. This involves any behaviour... Read
Hazard Reporting Effective management of health and safety includes arrangements to identify and act on hazards and risks before they... Read
Hazardous Substance (COSHH) Risk Assessment The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 are designed to protect employees from all... Read
Health & Safety Indemnity Insurance With Peninsula Business Safe, you will benefit from an insurance policy, to protect against legal expenses in the... Read
Health & Safety Training The provision of effective health and safety training is a fundamental requirement of the law and also good practice.... Read
Health and Safety Arrangements and Action Plan Our Health & Safety consultants develop a set of specific arrangements for your business. Along with an action... Read
Health and Safety Documents & Record Forms We provide a range of Safety Record Forms including:- Accidents, Incidents, Diseases or Dangerous Occurrences ... Read
Health and safety guidance Health and safety is an extremely important consideration for any business, with the safety and wellbeing of employees... Read
Health and Safety Guidance Notes and Online Advice Health and safety legislation is a notoriously complex area where many employers and HR managers feel out of their... Read
Health and Safety Management and Responsibilities To ensure a business is compliant with Health & Safety legislation, it is important that there are clear lines of... Read
Health and Safety Policy & Procedures As an employer, you have a duty of care towards your employees to ensure that their health & safety at work is... Read
Health and Safety Policy Advice Ensuring your business has an up-to-date and comprehensive health and safety policy is not only important, but a legal... Read
Health and Safety Risk Assessment Health and safety in the workplace is an extremely important consideration for an employer, ensuring that your... Read
Health and Safety Rules and Procedures Rules and procedures Information for employees Employee Responsibilities Safety Rules Consultation ... Read
Health and Safety Tribunals Should the company be the subject to formal action by the Enforcing Authorities for any health and safety related... Read
Health Benefits Maintaining the health and fitness of employees is a win-win situation for employers. It creates good relations between... Read
Health Care Waste To protect workers and people at risk employers need to assess risks from exposure to healthcare and other hazardous... Read
Health in the Workplace In the UK it’s estimated that 11.4 million working days per annum are lost due to stress, anxiety and depression. And... Read
Health Surveillance In some circumstances legislation specifically requires health surveillance before or during work with specified... Read
Healthcare Healthcare and social care services in the UK are undergoing a massive change, with qualified GPs and other healthcare... Read
Hearings (Disciplinary Hearings) Occasions will arise where an employee’s conduct does not reach the standards expected by the employer and outlined... Read
HGV Driving Hours If any of your workers drive Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) i.e. vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of more than... Read
Hierarchy of Control Whenever a significant risk to health or safety in the workplace is identified the employer has to take action to... Read
Holiday Entitlement and Conditions It’s a peculiar fact of the working life that one of the most sought-after aspects of an employment contract is a... Read
Holiday Pay Entitlement Holiday pay entitlement varies from business to business, depending on the contracts of employment that you draw up.... Read
Holidays Under the Working Time Regulations all employees are entitled to annual leave. Full time workers have a statutory... Read
Home Working Home working is becoming increasingly popular with both employers and employees as they begin to recognise the benefits... Read
Hospitality & Leisure Hospitality & leisure businesses face a great challenge when juggling employment law, HR and health & safety... Read
Incentives Incentives or bonuses are either guaranteed under contract, discretionary or some combination of the two. The details... Read
Independent Medicals An independent medical examination occurs when a doctor not previously involved in a person’s care is brought in to... Read
Induction An induction process is essential for new joiners to a company. It ensures that right from the outset employees are... Read
Information for Employees Employers have specific duties to provide employees with information necessary to ensure their health and safety at... Read
Internet Usage One of the most noticeable trends in the workplace over the past five years has been the increase in Internet usage and... Read
Interviewing Appointing the wrong person can be disastrous and extremely expensive. Having a rigorous selection and interview... Read
Interviews and Investigations You will be provided with legal advice and assistance in connection with investigations undertaken by any one of the... Read
Investigations Workplace investigations take place to gather, establish and assess the facts surrounding a grievance or disciplinary... Read
Job Applications It's important to remember when advertising vacancies that employment legislation still applies. Any advertisement for... Read
Job Sharing As working patterns have become more flexible, job sharing has become a viable option for employees and, to some... Read
Jury Service Every year almost half a million people are selected for jury service. As an employer, you must allow your employee... Read
Keeping in Touch Days Keeping in Touch days apply to maternity leave, adoption leave and additional paternity leave. When your employees... Read
Key Workers It may be as an employer that you have certain employees who you consider particularly important to the business or who... Read
Ladders Before selecting to use ladders, employers will have made a risk assessment of the job to be done. The initial... Read
Lateness Having employees arrive on time to work is vital for all employers and the day-to-day productivity of any... Read
Lay Off A lay-off is a situation where there is not enough work in the short term for the employees of a company such as during... Read
Legal Advice Running a business is one thing; running a small business, where you are solely responsible for the company, is an... Read
Liquefied Petroleum Gas LPG Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a generic term which includes both propane and butane. Both are colourless odourless... Read
Local Exhaust Ventilation Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is used to control exposure to airborne contaminants in the workplace. A local exhaust... Read
Lone Working People who work alone without direct or close supervision are lone workers. In the vast majority of work activities... Read
Lone Working Risk Assessment Working alone throws up a number of potential risks that might not be considered risks in a shared space. And mild... Read
Long-term Sickness According to a January 2013 government press release, long-term sickness costs employers £160m annually in statutory... Read
Machinery Dangerous parts of machinery must be protected either by fixed guards, other forms of guard, protection devices or... Read
Machinery Risk Assessment Any workplace or business which contains machinery will have to undertake regular machinery risk assessment to ensure... Read
Managing Health and Safety at Work In any business the effectiveness of its health and safety arrangements are a reflection of the way the business is... Read
Manual Handling In every employment sector, tasks that involve manual handling are a significant cause of injury. In an average year... Read
Manual Handling Risk Assessment According to the Health and Safety Executive, “Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are the most common cause of... Read
Maternity Leave Maternity leave can be a divisive subject when employers and parents (or expecting parents) get together. However, many... Read
Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Pay Parental payments from April 2015 Type of payment Current rate Max. period Statutory... Read
Materntity Leave Entitlement There are many different eligibility criteria and variables to consider when an employee wants to take maternity leave.... Read
Maximum Working Hours The maximum number of working hours a worker is required to undertake per week should, in normal circumstances, not... Read
Medical Reports An independent medical report can be requested by an employer when an employee is on sick leave to ascertain current... Read
Mezzanine Floors In industrial and commercial applications, mezzanine floors are semi-permanent floor systems, built between two... Read
Migrant Workers A migrant worker is a worker who has come to work in the UK or Ireland within the past five years. Foreign workers have... Read
Misconduct Misconduct is behaviour that an employer deems inappropriate or unacceptable for an employee. Examples of the types... Read
National Minimum Wage The national minimum wage rate is a legally-enforced standard that ensures employees are paid what they deserve. It was... Read
Nicknames Nicknames may seem like harmless fun and a part of traditional workplace banter. However, employers should beware. A... Read
Night Work A night worker is defined as a person who normally works between midnight and 7.00am the following day and works 50% or... Read
Noise Exposure to noise at work can cause irreversible hearing damage. It is one of the most common health problems but can... Read
Non-compulsory Redundancies Redundancy can take several forms, but is almost always used to keep a company afloat while it goes through a period of... Read
Non-productive overtime Non-productive overtime is overtime that is spent in the workplace but that is not engaged in activities that are... Read
Nonprofit Finance and Nonprofit Organisations endure many of the same Employment Law and Health & Safety burdens as every... Read
Notice Not Worked One issue regularly faced by employers is that of employees leaving before working their full notice period. If it is... Read
Notice Period An employee who has worked continuously for a company for one month is required to receive at least one week’s... Read
Occupational Asthma Asthma is a disorder of the respiratory system. It occurs when exposure to a substance creates an allergic response in... Read
Organisation & Responsbilities Health and Safety Management and Responsibilities To ensure a business is compliant with Health & Safety... Read
Other Types of Claims In addition to claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination and pay disputes, there are a number of other claims that... Read
Overpayments Overpayments can be reasonably common in businesses operating computerised payroll systems particularly in relation to... Read
Overtime Laws Occasionally, employers may require staff to work in addition to their contracted working hours – commonly known as... Read
Parental Leave Employees are entitled to take time off work for the purposes of ‘caring for a child’. It can be taken at any point... Read
Parental Leave Entitlement There are so many factors that affect an employee's maternity, paternity or parental leave entitlement, it's often... Read
Part Time Workers Part time workers have the same statutory rights as full time workers. Any contractual rights should also be given on... Read
Part-time Working There has always been a need for part-time workers in business, and there has always been a ready supply of applicants... Read
Parties Many a budding career has been ruined by bad behaviour at the office party. Whilst you want people to have a good time,... Read
Paternity Leave Gone are the days when new fathers would be expected to pop their head round the maternity ward door then go for a... Read
Payment In Lieu of Notice It isn’t always possible for a company to keep an employer’s job open for the duration of the Statutory Redundancy... Read
Penalties From March 2015 there is no maximum financial penalty for most breaches of Health and Safety legislation committed... Read
Pensions Act Compulsory pension contributions for employees According to the pensions reform announced by the Government in 2008,... Read
Permits to Work A permit-to-work system is a formal written system used to control certain types of work that are potentially very... Read
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) PEEP's Workers and other people who are disabled or vulnerable can find it impossible or difficult to quickly... Read
Personal Protective Equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE), designed to directly protect a worker from exposure to hazardous physical and... Read
Poor Performance Poor performance at work can be an issue of considerable concern to the employer. It not only reduces productivity but... Read
Pre-employment screening Pre-employment screening can be used to run certain checks on job applicants to ensure they are suitable for the... Read
Pregnancy Employers have a duty to protect the health and safety of pregnant and new mothers whilst at work. This includes... Read
Pregnant Women As an employer you have a duty of care to protect the health & safety of any pregnant women working for your... Read
Preparing for Employment Tribunals Your case will then be allocated to a Legal Services Consultant. The Legal Services Consultant will also take away... Read
Pressure Systems Pressure systems and equipment include: boilers and steam heating systems pressurised process plant and... Read
Probationary Period A probationary period should be written into all contracts of employment to ensure that the employer has an opportunity... Read
Professional negligence Professional negligence falls under the rules on negligence but applies specifically to a situation where someone has... Read
Prohibition and Improvement Notices Our Advisors are on hand to guide you through the implications arising from any enforcement action taken against you by... Read
Promotion When conducting a promotion process it is essential for the employer to behave fairly and to conduct a structured and... Read
Racism Racial discrimination in the workplace is unacceptable and an employer has a duty of care to ensure his or her... Read
Racking Systems Modern day racking systems usually consist of a skeletal steel framework of fixed or adjustable design to support loads... Read
Radiation Workers can be exposed to two distinct types of radiation in the course of their work, ionising radiation and... Read
Radiography Radiography involves the use of ionising radiation. The radiation generated by radiography equipment is invisible and... Read
Radon Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas formed by the decay of radioactive uranium in the ground; it is... Read
Re-Instatement and Re-Engagement Following a Tribunal Once an employee has gained one year's service with an employer, they are able to receive additional rights that expand... Read
Reasons for Dismissal If an employee is dismissed, the reason for their dismissal must fall into one of the potentially fair reasons, and... Read
Recruitment It’s important to remember when advertising vacancies that employment legislation still applies. Any advertisement... Read
Redundancy There are various reasons why as an employer you may need to make some or all of your employees redundant. These could... Read
Redundancy Advice & Consultation Making staff redundant is one of the hardest things an employer will ever have to do. The last thing you want is to... Read
Redundancy Pay When employees are made redundant because their positions have become unworkable or unprofitable, the part of the... Read
Redundancy Payment Provisions After an employee has two year’s service to a business, they are able to make a Tribunal claim for redundancy payment... Read
Redundancy Rights Redundancies are hard for all involved, and employers you have a legal obligation to be as fair as possible during the... Read
Redundancy Selection Process The need to make employees redundant is not necessarily a sign that your company is failing to provide enough work to... Read
References Giving The author of a reference owes a duty of care to the person about whom it is written and an employer may be liable for... Read
References Receiving The purpose of obtaining references is quite simply, to put an added safeguard in to the recruitment and selection... Read
Refusing Holidays We all need to recharge our batteries from time to time, so it’s important for employers and employees to understand... Read
Repeated Misconduct If an employee’s behaviour repeatedly does not reach the standards laid out in the employee handbook (e.g. through... Read
Reporting an Accident RIDDOR = The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. The RIDDOR regulations... Read
Resignations It is always disappointing to lose good people but it is also part and parcel of running a business. It is important... Read
Retirement The default retirement age and the statutory retirement procedure are no longer in use meaning that employers are no... Read
Return To Work Interviews Return to work interviews form an essential part of a robust absence management system. Managing sickness absence... Read
Right to be Accompanied All workers have a statutory right be accompanied at a grievance or a disciplinary hearing by a fellow work colleague... Read
Risk Assessment Risk assessment is no more than a systematic careful examination of the workplace to indicate what aspects of work and... Read
Risk Assessment in The Workplace Carrying out a workplace risk assessment is often one of the most dreaded tasks faced by employers, business owners and... Read
Risk Management Pack Risk Assessment and Management Guidance Simply worded guidance and forms that will help you meet your obligations to... Read
Roof Work Falls from roofs cause many serious and fatal injuries every year. Although the risks of working at height are well... Read
Rules & Procedures Health and Safety Rules and Procedures Rules and procedures Information for employees Employee... Read
Safe Systems of Work Sometimes referred to as Safe Operating Procedures, Safe Systems of Work (SSOW) are formal procedures which define the... Read
Safety Record Forms Health and Safety Documents & Record Forms We provide a range of Safety Record Forms including:- Accidents,... Read
Safety Signs, Signage Signs in the workplace are an important tool for informing workers and others who may be present of the hazards nearby,... Read
Second jobs Almost one third of the working population in the UK has a second job. As an employer you cannot order your workers not... Read
Selection It’s important to remember when advertising vacancies that employment legislation still applies. Any advertisement... Read
Self Certification An employee does not normally need a doctor's certificate for the first seven days of illness. Employers are required... Read
Self Employment It is important for an employer to be clear about whether an employee is an employee or actually self-employed. There... Read
Settlement Agreements A settlement agreement is a legally binding agreement between an employer and employee (or ex-employee). It usually... Read
Shared Parental Leave The Shared Parental Leave Regulations were brought into effect on Monday 1st December 2014. These provide for parents... Read
Shortage of Work There are times when, due to a shortage of work, the employer may need to introduce lay-offs or short-time working.... Read
Sick Leave Entitlement As an employer, there’s a fine line to tread between “punishing employees for being sick” and being unduly... Read
Sickness Absence Policy While many companies see no reason to exceed the absolute minimum legal requirements of sick leave entitlement, others... Read
Sickness Handling It will never be possible to eliminate sickness absence entirely. However sickness absence can be controlled with clear... Read
Sickness Pay and Conditions It’s virtually inevitable that your staff members will need to take time off work for sickness at some point during... Read
Sleeping on Duty "Sleeping on the job" refers to falling asleep during company time. In many workplaces, this would be considered gross... Read
Slips, Trips and Falls Slips, trips and falls account for the vast majority of incidents reported to the Health and Safety Enforcing... Read
Social care As if running a company in the social care sector isn’t a legal minefield in itself, as soon as employees enter the... Read
Social Networking Employers have different views towards social networking sites. For some, such as marketing, design or technology... Read
Staff Amenities & Rest Rooms Employers need to make arrangements for their workforce to take rest breaks, prepare or obtain hot drinks and be able... Read
Staggered Hours Companies can add several hours to a working day by allowing their staff to work staggered hours. This is where some... Read
Statement of Main Terms and Conditions of Employment Communication is the key to the avoidance of disputes between employers and employees, and there is probably no more... Read
Statutory Redundancy Notice Period The law is clear on how much notice employees must be given if they are to be made redundant. These “Statutory... Read
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) There’s no escaping the fact that a certain percentage of any company’s staff hours will be lost to illness and... Read
Statutory Sick Pay Entitlement Statutory sick pay is the absolute minimum a company is legally bound to pay an employee if they are too ill to work.... Read
Storage racks = Racking systems Modern day racking systems usually consist of a skeletal steel framework of fixed or adjustable... Read
Stress Stress is a difficult issue for businesses to deal with and can be something of a catch-all for a range of medical and... Read
Stress in the workplace The well-being of a workforce is essential to both their physical and mental health. Whilst pressures from outside work... Read
Substance Abuse Substance use and abuse constitute a real threat to the safety, health and welfare of people in the workplace; both to... Read
Summary Dismissal When an employee commits an act that causes damage or injury, or if a tipping point is reached in a history of poor... Read
Sunbeds The law prohibits the use of commercial sunbeds by any person under the age of 18. The law in Scotland requires all... Read
Suspension In suspected serious cases of misconduct, an employer may suspend an employee pending investigation into the... Read
Temporary Staff There are circumstances in which the use of temporary staff may be appropriate for an employer. These would include... Read
Terms and Conditions The terms and conditions are the written particulars that define the essential elements of an employment contract or... Read
Theft Theft in the workplace can be a real problem, costing businesses millions of pounds every year and having a serious... Read
Third Party Pressure Third party pressure arises when a customer or client threatens to withdraw their business unless you dismiss one of... Read
Training Agreements As an employer it can be immensely frustrating to lose an employee shortly after you’ve sent them on an expensive... Read
Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) Regulations TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment), and is designed to safeguard jobs under certain... Read
Transfer of Undertakings Consultation TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment). In 1981, regulations were introduced to ensure that... Read
Treatment of Employees An employee requires no length of service to bring about a claim for this reason. Should they win, a Tribunal will make... Read
Trial Periods A probationary or trial period should be written into all contracts of employment to ensure that the employer has an... Read
Tribunal Awards Tribunal awards will vary dependent on the issue suffered by the employee and the impact that this is deemed to have on... Read
Tribunals Employment tribunals came into being as industrial tribunals under the Industrial Training Act 1964. The tribunals are... Read
Unfair Dismissal There are numerous reasons for which an employee can be legitimately dismissed, but in sacking any employee, the... Read
Uniform Many employers require their staff to wear a uniform in the course of their work and many more have a dress code... Read
Varying Contracts There may be times when it becomes essential for an employer to change the terms and conditions of an employee’s... Read
Violence in the Workplace Workplace violence occurs where people, in the course of their employment, are verbally abused, threatened or... Read
Visitor Records for Health and Safety Management For the effective management of health and safety and fire safety it is important to know who is on your premises and... Read
Wastage Efficient stock management lowers costs and improves profitability for a company. As an employer it is important to... Read
Whistle Blowing Whistle blowing, or making a protected disclosure as it is technically described, occurs when an employee believes... Read
Whole Body Vibration Whole body vibration (WBV) is caused by vibration transmitted by work equipment or by carrying out work in areas... Read
Windows Window design and construction must be carefully considered wherever there is a risk that windows more than two metres... Read
Winning Contracts When a new contract is won it is important to assess whether TUPE comes into play. TUPE stands for Transfer of... Read
Working for a Competitor As an employer little can be more galling than seeing a good employee in whom you have invested time and money leave to... Read
Working from Home The connectivity provided by modern communications channels such as broadband, mobile and fibre means that for millions... Read
Working Time Regulations The Working Time Regulations (1998) are the regulations by which the UK puts into place its obligations under the... Read
Working Time Regulations Working time regulations are one of the key areas of business management and in some cases, one of the easiest to slip... Read
Young Persons The legal responsibilities involved in the employment of people who are under 18 are different to those involved with... Read
