We get it – managing a team comes with its fair share of challenges. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, an employee may not be meeting the performance standards you’ve set. But can you just fire them? Don’t worry, because we’re here to tell you how you can dismiss an employee for poor performance, all while … Read more
Introduction Let’s face it – dismissing an employee fairly is never a walk in the park. But as a business owner, it’s crucial to handle the situation fairly and within the bounds of UK employment law. While the process may seem daunting, breaking it down into manageable steps can make it a bit less overwhelming. … Read more
There’s one employment law story dominating the headlines this week, and it’s P&O’s decision to sack 800 staff with zero notice. And in case you’re wondering what P&O did wrong, it’s NOT the fact that they made a business decision that they needed to let all of those staff members go – P&O have likely … Read more
Yes! If you employ anyone, be it a receptionist, sales person or nanny means that you have responsibilities under employment law. As is usual in law, ignorance is not a defence and will not protect you! You don’t need to pay redundancy to staff who have worked less than two years for you. You will … Read more
Short answer to this is no (sorry, know you didn’t want to hear that!). They may have stormed out after a row. They may have calmly handed in their notice once their pay was on their bank account. But as far as they’re concerned, it’s over. You could try and get them to stay with … Read more
When you employ a new person, it is important to check references. All you are looking for is confirmation that they really did work for that company as stated on their CV. More than that is unrealistic to expect nowadays. But what else do you need to have? In addition to the usual references, sometimes … Read more
I was reviewing a contract today. They had a sentence in there:
“If you are considered to have committed gross misconduct then you will be summarily dismissed, with no notice or pay.”
Now I know what they are trying to say. They are just not saying it correctly.
When can you give verbal warnings to an employee?
Never! Verbal warnings were abolished in 2009.
At a recent talk I was asked “but can’t we keep using them, if they are part of our policies and procedures?”.
How much would you have to pay if you lost a discrimination case at tribunal – what is it capped at? Bad news – it is unlimited! Which is why all those female city bankers can claim millions of pounds in compensation. What irritates me more is when the NHS, who should know better, do … Read more
So. You’re a small business with just a few employees, and managing them is one job you have to do yourself. And do it well. Learn from the costly traps that other employers have fallen into, with this free guide on the pitfalls you simply must avoid. Remember these are the seven biggest mistakes that … Read more
This case was frustrating because my client had really bent over backwards to help, and it had backfired badly. The employee had resigned, and then said that as she was intending to move up north, and things hadn’t been finalised, could she stay on till the end of term (this was in a preschool). My … Read more
”I have been made redundant before and it is a terrible blow; redundant is a rotten word because it makes you think you are useless.” Billy Connelly Picture the scene. You’re about to make a redundancy announcement to a staff member. You are seated at your desk when there is a knock at the door. … Read more
This is a formula worked out by the CIPD to show companies that making “knee jerk” redundancies is not necessarily the easy and cheap way out of a financial bind. (n ×R) + (x ×H) + (x ×T) + ny(H + T) + Wz(P – n) Where: n = number of people made redundant R … Read more
