If you’re working in the UK, employment law is going to affect you at some point. So, what is it? Employment law sets out the relationship between employers and employees. On the one hand, what the company expects from the employee and what they can ask you to do; on the other, what your rights are as an employee.
When you start a new job, or when a company is employing a new member of the team, there’s normally a contract which you both sign which sets out these expectations and rights. All good.
With any luck that could be as complicated as it gets, and both employees and employers will work within the terms of the contract. However, if you’re an employer, how do you make sure you’re on top of constantly evolving employment legislation when handling your relationships with staff? And, if you’re employed by a company and things go wrong, what are your rights and what can you do?
Employers – get your house in order
Whether you employ one person or 1000 people, as an employer you’ve got an obligation to make sure you abide by employment legislation, which sets out people’s rights when they’re working for you in different types of role, lays down guidelines to ensure there is no discrimination and highlights health and safety rules which you need to adopt in your business.
It’s important to regularly review your contracts of employment to make sure they’re still compliant with current legislation, and to ensure you have properly documented all the terms and conditions of someone’s employment. Importantly also, to keep proper written records throughout their time working with you of any pay reviews, annual performance assessments and any issues or disputes that may have arisen over their time working with you.
For larger organisations of more than a few people, it’s likely you’ll have a management structure in place of some sort, with staff reporting into a number of managers, who in turn report into senior staff. Do your staff and managers all know what your procedures are? Are they aware of how they need to conduct themselves in their everyday interactions with staff, to make sure they don’t overstep the line and breach employment legislation? Regular training can help protect your company from falling foul and ending up with a disgruntled employee.
Employees – you’re not alone
When you first get an employment contract to sign, for starters make sure you read it. You’d be amazed by the proportion of people who don’t read their contracts thoroughly. Better still, show it to an employment solicitor to check that you’re not signing up to any unreasonable terms. And ask to see any other policies referred to in the contract so you know what they say.
If you have a regular performance review, take time to make a note of the key points discussed. Hopefully, you’ll never need them, but it’s incredibly helpful to have a record so you can prove what was said if things go south.
Despite this, sometimes things go wrong. If you have had a disagreement in the workplace, been discriminated against or have been unfairly dismissed, then our employment lawyers can assist. Difficulties in the workplace can leave you feeling stressed and needing to resolve issues so you can get on with your life as quickly as possible.
When it goes wrong
Prosperity Law will provide you with accurate guidance on current employment laws and regulations and how they apply to both you and your business. We work with both employees and employers to provide clear legal advice on all aspects of employment law, whatever their requirements:
- Employment Tribunal representation
- Discrimination
- Unfair and wrongful dismissal
- Redundancies
- Compromise Agreements
- In-house training and advice
- Service Agreements
- General employment advice
With a reputation for being both highly commercial and responsive, we aim to not only advise on the employment and contract law, but the wider business impact and commercial implications.
Need a chat? If you’re looking for a team that’s responsive, proactive and can help you achieve rapid results why not call our employment team for a free, confidential consultation today.
