Employment law is a set of laws that governs employer and employee relationships. Every worker and employees are entitled to the written statement containing term and conditions implementable during their employment. However, for claiming unfair dismissal, a person needs to be employed for continuous two years.
Employment law includes
- General information like name, job title, working days, and place of work
- The salary that shall be at least equal to the national minimum wage
- Entitlement to paid leaves
- Disciplinary and grievance procedure
- Employment benefits
- For more information, you can visit GOV.UK
Dealing with employment disputes
Employment law is quite complicated in the UK, making it difficult for employers to deal with underperforming or misconducting employees. Inefficient knowledge about employment law can lead to an employment dispute. If you fail to make the right choices during an employment dispute, it can end up in an employment tribunal. Getting a legal expert to help on such issues can be costly. The legal bill might conclude to thousands of pounds. This cost is not feasible for small and developing businesses and could be a burden on company finances.
To avoid unfair discrimination and dismissal claims, it is necessary to have a good employment contract. The employment contract shall also accompany a handbook that defines key policies and health and safety guidelines. Furthermore, having good legal support in place can also lessen the chances of unfair dismissal claims.
Above all keeping, good relation with your employees can help in avoiding employment dispute. Moreover, you can motivate your employees to contribute more to companies cause by setting up company share option schemes.
Key legislation points concerning employers and employees in a business environment Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Employers must take risk assessment of the workplace they are providing their employees. A business must take preventive measures to reduce any risk to the health and safety of the employees. A company shall have a written health and safety policy.
Workplace Regulations 1992
This regulation ensures your working environment has basic facilities. You must make sure your workplace has adequate ventilation, lighting, heating and have other facilities like toilets, washing, and refreshment. Also, make sure any health hazards such as slippery stairs are taken care of.
Health and Safety Regulations 1992
This regulation is to protect employees using display equipment from any vision problems. A company must ensure that breaks of 5 to 10 minutes after every hour are given to employees using display screens. It is also necessary to provide regular eye tests and related health information to the employees, constantly using display screens. Working equipment, such as chairs and desks shall be adjustable to suit different users to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
The risk assessment must be carried out in any working environment that includes manually lifting weights and related injury risks. Employees shall be given information on the weight of the load they have to lift while ensuring they have the strength and proper understanding of how to lift certain items.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
The equipment provided to the workers shall be suitable and safe for its intended purpose. You shall provide proper training and instruction on how to use equipment safely. Also, ensure proper maintenance of the equipment to reduce injury risks.
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
If your business involves any work hazard for your employees, you need to provide them with personal protective equipment (PPE). PPEs include safety helmets, safety nets, protective goggles, protective footwear, and overalls, etc.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
You are legally bound to report any work-related incidents, injuries, and diseases to the Health and Safety Executive and local Environment Health Department. It is also necessary to keep an accident book with a complete record of any detail of any accident that occurred in your working space or business area.
Employment Rights Act 1996
This act covers almost every aspect of employment rights. The important consequents of the Employment Rights Act 1996 are:
- Pay
- Time off
- Pension
- Contracts of employment
- Dismissal and grievance
- Paternity, maternity, and flexible working
- Termination of employment
- Study and training
National Minimum Wage Act 1998
This act ensures businesses are paying their employers while complying with minimum Wage criteria. The minimum wage is increased every year according to the rise in the cost of living. You can visit GOV.UK for more information on minimum wages.
Equality Act 2010
A business shall ensure there is no discrimination in their working environment in matters considering:
- Religion or belief
- Race
- Maternity and pregnancy
- Gender reassignment
- Age
- Disability
- Sex
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Sexual orientation
Sex discrimination Act 1975/1986 also covers a wide range of discriminations based on gender in various aspects of business activities. Whereas Race Relation Act 1976/2000 put much emphasis on not discriminating on the basis of the race of an employee.
Equal Pay Act 1970
A business must offer its employees the same pay based on their ranks without discrimination between race, sex, ethnicity, and religious beliefs.
Data Protection Act 2018
As an employer, you are legally bound to protect any data listed in the Data Protection Act of your employees. You must ensure employees’ data is appropriately secured, protected against unauthorized unlawful processes, and used only for relevant working purposes.
