Since 1 October 2014, fathers and partners have had a legal right to take time off work to go with a pregnant woman to her antenatal appointments. The right was introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014 and applies in both Scotland and England. Pregnant employees have their own, separate right to paid time…
Rising prices for energy, food, rent and childcare have put many household budgets under pressure in recent years. Money worries do not stay at home: they can affect sleep, concentration, health and, in turn, performance at work. Employers cannot solve the problem on their own, but there are practical steps that can make a real…
A survey of more than 1,000 LGBT+ workers published by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in August 2024 found that just over half (52%) had been bullied or harassed at work. The behaviour reported ranged from offensive comments to threats, intimidation and physical attacks, and younger workers were more likely to be targeted. The TUC…
When an employer believes an employee may have committed misconduct, it will usually need to investigate and may then start a disciplinary procedure. Getting the process right matters. If an employer fails to follow a fair procedure, it may face a grievance and, if the employee is dismissed, a claim for unfair dismissal in the…
The UK’s large four-day week pilot ran from June to December 2022 and involved 61 organisations and around 2,900 employees. Staff kept 100% of their pay in return for a meaningful reduction in working time, and each business could choose its own model. When the results were published in February 2023, 56 of the 61…
Rising living costs have created problems for employers and employees alike, and one less obvious effect has been an increase in workplace theft. Figures obtained by the insurer Zurich through Freedom of Information requests to police forces, published in February 2023, showed a 19% rise in the number of employees in England and Wales recorded…
Zero hours contracts remain one of the most debated features of the UK job market. They offer flexibility to both sides, but they also leave many people unsure how much they will earn from one week to the next. The Employment Rights Act 2025 will bring significant changes for zero hours and low hours workers,…
Handling a grievance well can resolve a problem before it grows into a dispute, a resignation or an employment tribunal claim. Handling it badly can make matters worse. Here are our ten tips for employers dealing with grievances raised by employees. 1. Know the rules that apply Before taking any action, check: The Acas Code…
Redundancy is one of the potentially fair reasons for dismissal, but only if the redundancy is genuine, the selection is fair and a proper procedure is followed. If any of these goes wrong, an employee may be able to bring a claim for unfair dismissal, discrimination or both. In this article we look at three…
What can you do if an employee secretly records a meeting or disciplinary hearing without asking you or telling you first? Almost every employee now carries a phone that can record audio, so this question comes up often. Sometimes an employee asks in advance whether they can record a meeting. In other cases the employer…