It seems as if the concept of privacy, something our ancestors fought very hard for, is something that barely exists nowadays.  With the PRIMS scandal proving that the UK and US government is spying on all our online activity, the last thing we need is more spying...

Zero Hours Employment Contracts! We can't hold back any longer in giving our views! Zero hours contracts are not an evil construct of the wicked exploitative employer! They are a useful tool that enables a flexible and affordable workforce in businesses where demand...

We've been discussing Employee Shareholder Contracts today - from September 2013 employers can offer employees shares in the business worth a minimum of £2,000 in return for them waiving some pretty fundamental employment rights. The New Growth & Infrastructure...

Compromise Agreements are a thing of the past! But fear not as they have been replaced with Settlement Agreements that appear to give employers greater flexibility. Settlement Agreements and confidential protected "pre-termination negotiations" can now be entered into...

The tricky job of telling the difference between employment, internship & work experience...when should someone be paid for working in your business? The issue of unpaid internships rumbles on & the CIPD have ben discussing this on their blog....

We've just sent out our latest newsletter covering 1. Changes to Whistleblowing Rules 2. The debate over the use of zero hours contracts 3. Tribunal fees You can access a copy here or you'd prefer to receive it directly to your mail box send us a mail & we'll add...

Do you know if you need to pay an intern or a student on work experience?  There is useful guidance on the Gov website to help you decide. https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-work-experience-and-internships The simple answer is that in most situations yes you...

The Apprentice Stella English lost her tribunal claim against Alan Sugar last week. The judge is noted as having commented that the case should never have been brought to a hearing. This seems like a resounding vote for common sense prevailing - a case without merit...

A recent comment made by an Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) opens up a whole new can of worms about the covert recording of interactions in the workplace. It would appear that in some circumstances, if appropriately transcribed & the relevance of the recording is...

Flexible Working is now the norm according to an ILM research paper that shows 94% of employers offer it in some form. https://www.i-l-m.com/research-and-comment/11830.aspx Interesting to note the gender balance, in that men are as likely nowadays to take advantage of...

  How would you feel about a Job Interview by Skype? There was an interesting article today on the BBC about this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21334710   Many recruiters we work with have successfully been using phone interviews as part of the...

I guess this US employee deserves some credit for innovation & maybe time management - surely getting someone else to do your job is the most effective use of your time there can be?! Hopefully this isn't a problem any of you might face in your businesses as we...

Much talk today of course about MPs voting today on whether or not to make same-sex marriage legal. This of course is accompanied by much scaremongering as the article today in HRZone highlights.Using the education sector as an example..., according to some...

As ever at this time of year we see increased limits on employment tribunal awards came into force with effect from 1 February: 'weeks pay' increases to £450 (was £430) maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal increases to £74,200 (was £72,300) maximum basic...

How about this for a lot of "ifs buts & maybes" then? IF the Conservatives win the next election and IF they then successfully renegotiate the UK relationship with the EU it MIGHT mean that there are POSSIBLE changes to SOME elements of SOME pieces of Employment...

We work closely with a number of solicitors to ensure we can give the best advice and support to our clients and we are always pleased to share when they have provided useful information.  Thank you didlaw for the link to the new guidelines for health questionnaires -...

We've been discussing the people management implications of social media and technology today - how does it impact in your workplace & are you using it to your advantage? What will the "workplace" be like in the next 3, 5 or even 10 years and how do we as people...

Are you ready for the snow? By which we don't mean have you got your sledge out from the shed & found your woolly gloves?! Is your BUSINESS ready for snow - it is predicted for next week in many regions so have you got a plan in place if people can't get to work...

We are sure you have been considering your plans for 2013 and beyond in your business. Maybe you plan to take some time out over the Christmas period for quiet reflection & to map out what next year looks like? What do you want to achieve? What are your goals? Are...

Brrrr it is chilly out there! It is that time of year when we begin to think how bad weather might affect our business. Maybe you put plans in place for transporting goods and supplies, you make sure the computers get backed up regularly, you had the heating serviced...

January 10th was the day that the most job seekers started hunting for their next career move in 2012. In 2013 it is predicted that the busiest day for job seekers will be January 8th – the first “normal” Tuesday of the new year. On the list of new year’s resolutions...

We read some interesting research today highlighted by the CIPD today which suggests that retailers need to keep recruiting....and recruiting strong talent even during tough economic times. The research looked at American retailers and it found that every $ added to...

Thank you to Karen Jackson at didlaw for alerting us to this in her very useful blog. In a nutshell - businesses are no longer required to provide access to a stakeholder pension scheme & if they have less than 30 staff they also don't need to comply with the...

We issue a polite word of warning to employers today.... Ensure that when you are considering disciplinary action that it is proportionate to the misconduct that you believe occurred.  A Housing Trust demoted a manager for expressing his views about gay marriage on...