- Basic UK Employees’ Rights
Contracts of employment come in all shapes and sizes, but if you’re in full time employment and not a freelancer there are certain guarantees you should be entitled to If your contract doesn’t contain these things, your employer is breaking the lawy – and if you’re the employer, well – you could be leaving yourself open to costly legal battles should your employees feel litigious - Time to Settle Up? How to Get the Best Price When Selling Your Business
So you’ve had enough of your start-up business, and want to sell it while the going’s good and move on to better things (or simply retire on the profit you make) - Sports Travel Insurance – Are You Covered?
Sport and activity holidays are hugely popular nowadays, as people look to practice their skills in a new environment or even learn an entirely new sport as part of their holiday Many sports and activities, like skydiving and scuba diving, can be much cheaper to do abroad than in the UK - Happy Employees = More Productivity
It sounds like an obvious cliché to say it, but like many clichés there’s truth in it: happy employees are more productive And yet it’s amazing how often you hear of companies suffering from massive turnover, instability and a failure to live up to their full potential by ignoring this - A Guide to Employment Contract Clauses
Employment contracts are some of the most important UK business documents you will ever sign in your working life, and yet they are written in a deliberately convoluted and confusing manner, which often makes it difficult to get the clear points of what you’re signing up for Take your time, and read and re-read every contract, but pay special attention to the clauses, to ensure you understand them - Confidentiality and Non-disclosure Agreements – Protect Your Company
In today’s business world, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements are becoming increasingly important for businesses looking to protect themselves from damaging leaks Most employee contracts will contain some kind of confidentiality agreement as standard, but these kinds of agreements are very important if you share information with another company for any reason, or if you hire outside contractors to work for your business - An Equality Policy – Does Your Business Need One?
What is an equality policy
An equality policy is a business document that outlines a company’s position on equality in the workplace - Legal Documents – 8 Situations When Your Business Needs Them
If you are the owner of a Small to Medium Enterprise, it’s likely that the last thing you want to do is worry about the fine details of legal documents, contracts, business agreements, and similar pieces of paperwork You may want to get on with the running of your business, but if you don’t have the correct legal documents in certain situations you pay a high price, whether it is in legal fees, settlement costs or simply lost business - How To Form A Limited Company
If you’ve been self-employed for a while, you may wonder what the next step on the path to becoming the next Coca Cola or Nike is Although that stage is a long way off (and will remain so for most businesses), the next step to becoming a respectable household name is to form a limited company - What the Proposed Changes to the UK Equality Law Mean to You
Last week, Harriet Harman announced new equality laws to tackle widespread discrimination Under these new plans, age discrimination would be removed from all aspects of society, and further changes would be made to prevent workplaces from discriminating against minorities - What Managers Need: The Fundamentals Of Employment Contracts
Getting that initial contract of employment template ready can be a real hassle, and it’s tempting to get a professional to draft it up, but even at that stage, it’s important to know what you’re promising your employee, and to make sure that there are no loopholes that can be exploited by less scrupulous employees - Flexible Working – What It Means For Your Business
Flexible working is becoming popular in the 21st century workplace, as an increasing number of people seek to combine an active family life with full-time employment Employers have become more aware of the benefits that flexible working can bring to their business: these can include greater staff retention and better morale along with increased efficiency and productivity - Undertaking A Fire Safety Risk Assessment
Nobody imagines their office will suffer from a fire… and to be honest, the level of preparation often reflects this Previously in the UK, fire certificates were handed out by the fire services, but as of 2006, businesses are required to carry out their own fire risk assessment - How To Deal With Problem Staff And Poor Performance
Poor staff performance and ‘problem workers’ are some of the trickiest things to be dealt with in the office It’s difficult to balance morale and productivity in the optimum way for office success, and as a result I often hear of managers turning a blind eye to poor staff performance, fearing that drawing attention to it will cause problems in the atmosphere and work environment - Sicknote Britain – Sickness Absence Management For Small Businesses
It makes for depressing reading for the government, that Britain is losing £100 billion per year on sick days, but small business owners should be even more concerned if they see a ‘sick leave culture’ forming in their own office While the government can deal with such losses better, small businesses could see their own profits slipping down the plughole, and a good sickness and absence policy could make all the difference between a thriving company and one that ends up going under - Corporate Manslaughter: What You Need To Know
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force on 6 April 2008, and all businesses must therefore take a look at their existing health and safety regulations, if they don’t want to face an unlimited fine plus potential humiliation by ‘name and shame’
The new offense of corporate manslaughter is committed where an organization commits a ‘gross breach’ of a ‘relevant duty of care’, leading to a person’s death - Women: How To Get Equal Pay
Since the Sex Discrimination Act came into force in 1976, the gap between the pay of men and women has narrowed marginally But the rate of progress toward equal opportunities in the workplace which happened in the 70s and 80s has slowed in recent years and, at the current rate, equal pay will take another 50 years - UK Age Discrimination Rife– What About Elsewhere?
Earlier this month, the first case of age discrimination in Northern Ireland was won by a Terrence McCoy – a 58 year old man applying for one of two sales posts in the timber trade After two interviews, he was informed he had been unsuccessful, but the employment tribunal found in his favour, and pointed out that the job advert used the phrase “youthful enthusiasm”, adding that the employer had consistently linked age to “motivation”, “enthusiasm” and “drive - Know Your Rights! Legal Updates 2007
Unless you’ve been living under a rock in outer space then you’ll have heard about the smoking ban, but do you know about the legal updates on maternity leave, holiday entitlement and corporate management Workers, employers and directors need to be aware of these developments - Top 10 Bankruptcies Of The 20th Century
Celebrity bankruptcy has become so common that many now hire financial advisors to keep an eye on their bank accounts and stop them from overindulging on wild extravagances and unworkable business ventures Nobody, no matter how famous or rich, is immune to the perils of debt - Tis’ The Season To Avoid Litigation: Making Sure Your Office Christmas Party Is Safe
According to recent statistics, a third of companies aren’t planning on hosting the traditional office Christmas Party this year, amidst concerns about legal action due to drunken antics and so forth While I can safely say there are many more office safety risks during a party than the rest of the year (most offices just aren’t built for that level of snacks, alcohol and cheesy music), with a little thinking ahead the office Christmas party can become the celebrated institution it once was – without the dark cloud of litigation hanging overhead - You’re Fired! If Only It Were That Easy – Avoiding An Unfair Dismissal Trial…
I think I speak for all managers around the country when I say that we have all, in our darker moments, fantasized about mimicking Sir Alan Sugar’s catchphrase on ‘The Apprentice’ and telling an employee in no uncertain terms that they need to clear their desk and leave: “You’re fired” Nice as it is to be able to pretend it would be this easy to get rid of that typist who spends more time on the phone to friends than doing their job, or the office manager who pulls a sickie every week, the truth is that simply firing your staff in this unceremonious manner will lead to all the ‘pleasures’ of an ‘unfair dismissal’ lawsuit - Smoking: Good For Your Business' Health
So, whether you love or hate the UK’s smoking ban, it seems to have stuck, and the majority of the country seems to be in favour Sorry smokers, but the smoking ban isn’t going away anytime soon - How The New Employee Holiday Entitlement Laws Will Affect You
I’ve heard a lot of misconceptions about what the new UK employee holiday entitlement laws will involve, so here I shall do my best to explain who is affected, and what the changes to the law mean for businesses in the United Kingdom
Firstly, before you (or your employees) go out and start celebrating, it should be pointed out that the laws, which increase the number of paid statutory holidays employees are entitled to from 20 to 24, are unlikely to be of much benefit to the vast majority of business workers
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