Tired of making the same old excuses when you want a day off? Help could be at hand with the duvet day, another perk being offered to attract and retain staff.   We all know these January mornings when it’s cold and dark outside, the trains are still running late and are crowded with th... [More]

If your goal is to roll up at your prestigious company offices in a ferarari, think again. You may be crying all the way to the bank. Research endorses an old adage: money doesn’t make you happy.   Research has show that the factors that make people happy in work are not those you might... [More]

Business should be aware of age discrimination legislation coming into force in 2006. The legislation seeks to remove ageist attitudes and remove a critical barrier to older job seekers finding suitable employment. The new legislation may create a flood of claims for the uninitiated and create wide... [More]

The DTI has published guidelines on the new dispute, dismissal and grievance regulations due to come into force on 1st October 2005. The new rules employers large and small will have to follow: Standard 3-step process</strong> which will be seen as the minimum all employers should have in pla... [More]

Employers need to be aware of their obligations regarding employee hours and annual leave entitlements following the introduction of the EC "Working Time Regulations". Paid Annual Leave All workers, whether temporary or permanent, are entitled to 4 weeks paid annual leave. Leave may be taken at any... [More]

The case earlier this year [2005] of Alan Millbanke who was charged with causing a fatal crash whilst using his mobile phone when driving a company vehicle, brings into sharp relief again the risks employers run of involuntary manslaughter. The employer on this occasion, escaped this charge partly b... [More]

Even the most perfect e-policy can come unstuck if it's not properly communicated: the case of the Royal Bank of Scotland used a ‘matrix' tool to grade pornography downloaded by staff, which resulted in the dismissal of employee Goudie the ruling the Employment Appeal Tribunal found for Go... [More]

Under the Employment Practices Data Protection Code and in line with the Data Protection Act, employers are still able to monitor employees, provided that the benefit to the employer outweighs any negative/adverse impact on the employee. Monitoring employees includes checking phone calls, emails, i... [More]

A new survey suggests that UK employers don't care about or are not aware of their responsibility to staff suffering from stress. A survey to establish employers knowledge of HSE stress guidelines found: 79% of health and safety professional have taken no action to meet the guidelines just 7% of... [More]

Regulations covering Flexible working arrangements came on the 6 th April 2003. Under the new legislation, permanent employees with more that 26 weeks service who have parental responsibility for a child under age 6 (or under 18 if entitled to disability living allowance) are entitled to request fle... [More]