Employment
Our experienced employment-law solicitors advise community organisations on all aspects of employment contracts and internal policies and procedures.
It is important that employment contracts and internal policies and procedures are clear and easy to understand to reduce the risk of them being open to interpretation and potentially leave your organisation open to claims. Employment contracts, and internal policies and procedures are the most important pieces of legally binding documentation that exist between an employer and an employee.
Clear employment contracts and internal policies and procedures benefit both the employer and employees, as with them they know where they stand and the actions that should be taken in certain events. It is imperative that employment contracts and internal policies and procedures are frequently reviewed to ensure they are relevant and in compliance with changes to employment law and sector-specific regulations and that they reflect developments in your organisation.
At Anthony Collins Solicitors our team of employment-law solicitors provides practical support to TMOs and community organisations to prepare clear employment contracts and internal policies and procedures to ensure the smooth running of day-to-day operations.
Internal policies provide guidance to all employees within an organisation on how it operates and can help the organisation with decision making and provide a clear pathway of actions that should be taken in the event of a breach of contract or internal policy. Community organisations may have internal policies covering a number of areas, including:
- Employment.
- Finance.
- Premises.
- Confidentiality.
- Diversity.
- Risk management.
- Service delivery.
- Training.
- Volunteer involvement.
Our employment contracts, and internal policies and procedures service
We work with a number of community organisations to ensure that their employment contracts and internal policies and procedures are drafted in a clear and comprehensive manner, are tailored to the specific requirements of the organisation and take into consideration the sector-specific legislation and regulations.
Our team of employment solicitors can advise on all aspects of employment contracts and internal policies and procedures, including:
- Directors’ Service Agreements.
- Consultancy Agreements.
- Contracts of employment, including secondment and joint-employment contracts.
- Discrimination, bullying and harassment policies.
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures.
- Data protection and confidentiality procedures.
- Restrictive covenants.
- Staff handbooks and rules for employees.
- Joint contracts.
- Zero hour contracts.
- Sickness absence.
- Maternity, paternity, shared-parental and adoption leave.
- Equal opportunities.
- Health and safety policy.
“Holiday, celebrate”…but not if you employ term-time-only employees or use zero-hours contracts
The decision of the Court of Appeal in The Harpur Trust v Brazel & Unison has made clear that employers can no longer legally calculate part-time holiday based on 12.07% of hours worked over a year.
Modern slavery – looking out for shackles in the supply chain
The Government commissioned an independent review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in July 2018. The outcome was published in May 2019 which highlighted areas for improvement.
Mum’s the word and gets the enhanced maternity package…
A recent case in the Court of Appeal will no doubt bring a sigh of relief for employers, but a corresponding sigh of disappointment may be uttered for equality and gender balance in the workplace.
Pensionable service and contractual employment – not always the same
A recent case stands as a good reminder to employers to be careful when distinguishing between pensionable employment under a pension scheme’s rules and employment under a contract of employment.
Refusing to follow instructions
Even those of us with zero football knowledge will most likely know of the shenanigans at a Chelsea FC game this season.
Employment status... where are we?
The gig economy, the tensions between it, and our more established ways of working are rarely far from the news these days.
Compensatory rest – equivalent not identical
The case of Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd v Crawford [2019] EWCA Civil 269 will not win awards for excitement but is useful guidance when dealing with workers’ rest periods under the WTR 1998.
Brexit...of course
Non-UK nationals will surely be worried about an uncertain future, with much still unclear. These feelings will inevitably accompany people to work, and so employers need to be prepared.
The show must go on…The Government responds to the "gig-economy" review
Just when we thought that all news is Brexit news, the Government publishes its proposals for the modern workplace, its ‘vision for the future of the UK labour market’.
Holidays – are they all wrapped up?
A recent ECJ case has concluded that statutory holiday entitlement will not automatically be lost at the end of a holiday year unless the employer has “diligently” bought it to the worker’s attention.
Anthony Collins Solicitors, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2ES, United Kingdom
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