I know that in the doom and gloom of January, harking back to the festivity and frivolity of Christmas isn’t exactly a popular move.
But I hope you’ll forgive me for doing exactly that today – there is a good reason!
The Christmas Day just gone was the best one I’ve had for decades, despite returning from Thailand cursing the weather and feeling very “bah humbug” about the whole thing in the run-up to it.
So, why was it the best?
I’ve been here, there, and everywhere these last few weeks, delivering employment law talks to the great and good.
Which means a lot of miles on the road and plenty of hotel rooms, too.
I’ve always found hotels fascinating. The fact that you can pay roughly the same and yet have an entirely different experience from place to place is bizarre and interesting in equal measure.
The last hotel I stayed in was a case in point: staff were friendly, they upgraded my room, but when I got upstairs, there were two rather weird elements.
First, the (seemingly now) standard freezing cold room and incorrect thermostat – I had to crank it to 25 degrees just to get 21 degrees on the bedside table.
Second, slightly rarer: the WiFi code was nowhere to be seen.
On 26 October 2024, a new sexual harassment law came into force in the UK. The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 obliges all employers to take reasonable proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment within their organisation. Here, our expert HR and employment law professionals take a look at the new sexual … Read more
Employers are under a mandatory legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Part of that duty involves undertaking a sexual harassment risk assessment. Here, our HR and employment law specialists consider how an employer might carry out a sexual harassment risk assessment to ensure compliance with their legal obligations. … Read more
Knowing how to prevent sexual harassment is crucial in enabling employers to fulfil their legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in their organisation. To assist you in understanding the nature and extent of your legal duty and how to prevent sexual harassment at work, our expert HR and employment law specialists … Read more
Employers are under a duty to proactively prevent instances of sexual harassment in the workplace. If you fail to take reasonable preventative measures and an employee brings a successful sexual harassment claim, the tribunal may increase the damages payable by up to 25%. Accordingly, understanding what is classed as sexual harassment at work and the … Read more
New laws introduced in October 2024 require employers to proactively prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Failure to do so can result in increased financial liability if an employee takes legal action and wins. With three out of every four people saying they have been subjected to sexual harassment at work, it’s never been more … Read more
I’ve recently ticked something very special off my bucket list – polar bears, in the wild, in Canada.
Jaw-dropping. And rather cold.
Sometimes ticking something off your list can be a bit underwhelming: you’ve built it up so much in your head that the reality doesn’t match the vision.
This was absolutely not one of those occasions.
Everything was perfect, from first to last, and there were a couple of nice little touches that I thought were worth highlighting – inspiration for anyone in business.
I had a fantastic time at a recent conference, in no small part down to the emphasis on building the right team and looking after the staff that make our organisations great.
(Long overdue, in my opinion!)
If you were there, you’d know “Employee Assistance Programmes” (EAP) were mentioned quite a lot.
What is an Employee Assistance Programme?
A confidential helpline dedicated to helping your employees smooth out personal and work-related problems.
Yes, it might seem a bit touchy-feely, but the reality is that it really does make a difference and can help you keep your team together, turning up and functioning as you need them to.
Two things are about to intertwine, and I’m fearing the worst: The new sexual harassment laws, which came into effect in October 2024 Christmas The festive season has long been a hotbed for sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour, so before silly season arrives, I thought it best just to drop you some information to help … Read more
As an employer, you can lay someone off if you don’t have enough work for them. Lay-offs can be a convenient alternative to permanent redundancies if you expect the downturn in business to be temporary. However, you must ensure you are legally permitted to impose a lay-off and follow the correct procedure. If you don’t, … Read more
Laying off employees can prevent an employer from having to make redundancies following a temporary downturn in business. However, you can only make lay-offs when legally entitled to do so. Here, our expert HR professionals explain what lay-offs are, when you might want to make lay-offs, and how to lay off employees legally. Call us … Read more
Small businesses face a number of challenges, some of which can affect their profitability. When faced with a downturn in business, small business owners sometimes need to consider reducing their workforce by making redundancies. One of the questions regularly asked of our HR and employment law specialists is, ‘Do small businesses have to pay redundancy … Read more
Making one person redundant in a small business can be incredibly stressful for both the employer and the workforce overall. Following the correct procedure is essential, both to avoid legal proceedings and maintain staff morale. Here, our specialist HR and employment law advisors explain, step by step, the process you should follow when making one … Read more
I’ve always loved buying things, from when I was a little girl, counting out the pennies for a paper bag of cola bottles, right through to now, when everything is available with the click of a button, or swipe of an iPhone.
The internet really has reduced purchasing friction, and I’m regularly finding myself drawn to products advertised to me on Instagram and buying them before I’ve even thought twice about it.
And – philanthropist that I am – in the last couple of years, most of those products aren’t even for me, but for our beloved miniature schnauzer.
I’ve been trying to sell my son’s moped for 18 months now.
Why the delay?
A combination of my lack of motivation, paired with a significant lack of understanding of the second-hand moped market.
I started off by putting ads out at a sales price I considered eminently reasonable.
The prospective buyers did not agree. Zero enquiries.
It’s rapidly approaching that time of year again – the skeleton crew is in operation, staff disappear to make merry, and you lose half of December to run your business!
Before we get into the silly season, let’s answer some of the key questions we get around holiday:
How much holiday entitlement do my employees get?
“It depends” is the short answer.
Normally, this would be specified in their contract of employment.
I’ve stayed in a lot of different hotels this year, from humble hostels to five-star specials.
But regardless of the brand or quality, they’ve ALL had one thing in common: a woefully inaccurate thermostat in the bedroom.
The one that really took the biscuit was the Hotel Adlon in Berlin – a beautiful hotel, but with a thermostat that swore blind that it was 18 degrees in the room.
And having set my home thermostat at that temperature to keep costs down, I can tell you one thing: I KNOW what 18 degrees feels like.
As I’ve experienced over many months now, 18 degrees means warm socks, a woolly jumper, and a blanket if I’m watching TV.
“18 degrees” at the Adlon? A different temperature entirely – the kind you could sit in wearing a summer dress and still feel pleasantly warm.
When they are thinking of laying off employees, small businesses must follow a fair procedure. Failing to do so can render any dismissals they make unfair and enable the affected employees to bring unfair dismissal claims in the Employment Tribunal. Here, our skilled HR and employment law professionals give a general overview of the legal … Read more
If you do not follow a fair process when making redundancies, the affected employees could take you to an employment tribunal. The redundancy process for less than 20 employees is not as prescriptive as the one you must follow if your plans affect more than 20 workers, but it still must be fair. Here, our … Read more
When an employee is made redundant, their employer must pay them redundancy money. Here, our specialist HR and employment law advisors discuss the different types of redundancy money employees are entitled to and explain how to calculate them. Call us now on 01491 598 600 or Click Here to Make An Enquiry and we will … Read more
Redundancy holiday pay is one of a number of payments employers must make to an employee when their employment ends by reason of redundancy. Here, our expert HR professionals explain how redundancy holiday pay works, including what an employee facing redundancy is entitled to and how you should calculate it. Call us now on 01491 … Read more
When considering making employees redundant, following the correct redundancy timeline is essential. Failing to follow a legally compliant redundancy timeline may render any dismissals you make unfair and expose you to unfair dismissal claims. At Gap HR, we have been providing HR and employment law support to small businesses for over twenty years. With a … Read more
As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours, and in the last month, we’ve had a particularly dense deluge of “employee incidents” to deal with:
Yep, as I mentioned, it’s been busy.
It’s finally here: the widely trailed Employment Rights Bill, which most employers have been anticipating since Labour came into power at the beginning of July, has been unveiled in the House of Commons today. No doubt you’ve seen some of the details covered by the media – giving employees “day one rights” to protection from … Read more
A key step in a fair redundancy process is giving those employees selected for redundancy the correct notice. How much redundancy notice an employee must be given depends on various factors, including how long they have worked for you and whether their entitlement is contractual or statutory. Our expert HR Advisors specialise in supporting small … Read more
Statutory redundancy notice periods dictate how much notice an employee selected for redundancy must be given before their employment with you ends. Understanding statutory redundancy notice periods and ensuring you adhere to them is crucial in following a proper redundancy process and avoiding Employment Tribunal claims. At Gap HR, we are experts in HR and … Read more
The required redundancy consultation for less than 20 staff is less prescriptive than the one you must follow when more than 20 employees are affected, but it must still be fair. Employers are subject to strict legal duties when making redundancies, no matter how many employees are affected. If you fail to follow the correct … Read more
Employers may need to consider redundancies for a variety of reasons, including a downturn in business or relocation. A key aspect of any redundancy process is the consultation period. Adhering to your legal obligations in connection with consultation periods is essential in ensuring you treat staff fairly and avoiding unfair dismissal claims. The legal requirements … Read more
Making redundancies can be a difficult decision but it is a necessary step at times to ensure the ongoing success of your business. Specific laws and regulations protect the rights of employees at risk of redundancy and those made redundant to make sure they are treated fairly. While these laws and regulations protect all employees … Read more
If you’ve dealt with committees before, then this won’t be news to you, but I just felt the need to write this after dealing with several incidents recently made a whole lot worse by committees…
So I am sure that you can see how committees are like teenagers now:
PILON stands for ‘payment in lieu of notice’. PILON redundancy refers to situations in which an employee who has been made redundant stops working for you immediately, but you still pay them in full for their notice period. As an employer, if you do not adhere to your legal obligations relating to PILON by, for … Read more
When considering making redundancies, you must follow a fair and legally sound process. What will be deemed ‘fair’ depends on several factors, including how many employees’ roles are affected by your proposals. Whatever process you follow, consulting with the affected employees is crucial. The consultation process often involves several meetings with the relevant employees or … Read more
Making employees redundant is a hard but sometimes unavoidable part of running a business. Employment law imposes strict obligations on employers making redundancies, and its crucial to understand how to make someone redundant fairly and in line with your legal duties to avoid facing employment tribunal proceedings. At GAP HR, our team of HR and … Read more
The consultation period for redundancy is a crucial aspect of the redundancy process. As an employer, it is vital to understand your obligations in respect of consultation and adhere to them. If you don’t, the employees selected for redundancy may have cause to bring an unfair dismissal claim against you. At Gap HR, we specialise … Read more
The nature of the redundancy process relevant to any given situation depends on several factors, including how many employees are likely to be affected by your proposals. If you are considering making redundancies and are unsure of your legal obligations, taking advice from expert HR specialists like ours will ensure your processes are fair, justifiable, … Read more
We’re recruiting again – there seem to be no end to staff issues at the moment, so we’re pretty much at capacity.
And when it comes recruitment, I’m pretty ruthless – after all, I’ve got to be happy with the successful candidate giving out critical HR advice in our name, so they’ve got to know what they’re doing.
Step one of The Wahlen Gauntlet is designed to quickly and painlessly weed out the people who aren’t HR experts – a straightforward 10-question employment law quiz, which requires a minimum of 70% to proceed to the next stage.
You’d think everyone applying for an HR job would ace it, but you’d be wrong – only 20% applicants actually make the grade.
Stephen King coined the phrase, “Books are a uniquely portable magic”.
I’m in total agreement – books are pretty much my joint favourite thing.
The trouble is, the other thing at the top of the list is travelling, so I really do need my books to be extremely portable.
Enter my Kindle, allowing me to take 300 books on the go.
It’s had more than its fair share of use over the last year or so though and is slowing down as a result, and though I could just go on less holidays, I decided a new Kindle was a better bet – it’d been to five of the seven continents, so a pretty good innings.
There’s a golf club that’s keen to use us for their HR support, but there’s just one snag:
They’re with Citation.
Having been with them for three years, they’ve decided they’re not getting the bespoke, personalised support they need, and see the value in working with someone that specialises in golf clubs.
Anyway, they’d fulfilled their original three-year contract, and while they didn’t imagine they could leave straight away, they assumed it’d be a case of giving six months’ notice and they’d be free to go.
No dice.
There have been thousands of column inches devoted to what Labour is going to do when it comes to employment law – some of it true, some of it less so.
But one thing that seems pretty certain (albeit without a specific time frame) is that they’ll make Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) a day-one right that applies to ALL staff.
What is Statutory Sick Pay?
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) was introduced in 1983. The amount increases every April and is currently £116.75/week.
All workers are entitled to it as long as:
