Mon, 11 December 2017
Answers to some questions you may have about the GDPRFollowing on from the last two podcast episodes (89 and 90) I round off this mini series on the GDPR and provide you some of the questions that have arisen in discussion and from my own enquiries for my business. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in the UK and across the EU on the 25th May 2018 and is the first major overhaul of Data Protection rules and regulations since the Data Protection Act 1995. The GDPR is important for businesses who hold any type of data, whether about customers, contacts or employees, and the fines for getting it wrong can becostly. In this podcast I bring you questions and answers to some questions you may have. In this episode I will cover answers to the following questions:
Action Points
Useful LinksInformation Commissioner Guidance: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/ Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 |
Mon, 27 November 2017
As an employer what actions should you be taking to comply with the GDPRFollowing on from the last podcast (episode 89) I continue to provide you with an overview of the 'GDPR' and what you will need to know as an employer. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in the UK and across the EU on the 25th May 2018 and is the first major overhaul of Data Protection rules and regulations since the Data Protection Act 1995. The GDPR is important for businesses who hold any type of data, whether about customers, contacts or employees, and the fines for getting it wrong can be very costly. In this podcast I bring you an action list to get started on ensuring your business is compliant with the GDPR from an employers perspective. In this episode I will cover:
Action Points
Useful LinksInformation Commissioner Guidance: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/ Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 |
Sun, 12 November 2017
Do you know about the GDPR & your requirements as an employer?If you are an employer or business owner you will have undoubtedly heard the word 'GDPR' around generally, normally followed by a bit of confusion and concern. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in the UK and across the EU on the 25th May 2018 and is the first major overhaul of Data Protection rules and regulations since the Data Protection Act 1995. The GDPR is important for businesses who hold any type of data, whether about customers, contacts or employees, and the fines for getting it wrong can be very costly. In this podcast I begin a mini-series bringing you an overview of the GDPR from an employers perspective. Following this podcast will be at least one, possibly two further episodes on the GDPR and a free checklist for Employers. In this episode I will cover:
Action Points
Useful LinksInformation Commissioner Guidance: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/ Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 |
Mon, 30 October 2017
What is Sexual Harassment? & How does the law protect people in the UK?Following recent news about the long running and high profile allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein in the US there has been a lot of coverage in the media about sexual harassment and harassment in the workplace. With this coverage has been the social media campaign #metoo where women who have been subject to some form of harassment are using the hashtag in their social media to highlight the issue. I thought that it would be a good time to cover what the law in the UK says about sexual harassment and to provide an update for employers to help understand responsibilities and how to ensure the culture in your workplace does not allow this kind of behaviour to take place. In this episode I will cover:
Action Points
Useful LinksBBC 5 Live survey Results & Report: Here Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 |
Mon, 16 October 2017
Examples of cases involving suspension at workFollowing the last two episodes in which I covered suspending employees, I have compiled some cases involving suspension at work to give you some examples of the facts and circumstances. In this episode I will cover:
You can review Employment Tribunal Judgement that have been published here: https://www.gov.uk/employment-tribunal-decisions Action Points
Get in touch to get your copy of the free suspension checklist, email suspension@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 Would you like advice about your situation?Appointments are available on the telephone or via Skype throughout the UK. Alternatively we offer face to face appointments on the Isle of Wight, Salisbury, Eastleigh, Southampton, Fareham, Portsmouth, Winchester and surrounding areas in Hampshire. |
Sun, 1 October 2017
What are an employers options when an employee is charged with a criminal offence? Should they suspend indefinitely?Following the last episode in which I covered suspending employees I have been contacted by a listener who raised some great questions about suspending employees when there are criminal allegations either related to work or behaviour outside of work to take into consideration. This is certainly an issue that arises fairly frequently and often employers do not know what to do and feel that they have no choice but to suspend the employee on full pay pending the outcome of the criminal case. In this episode I will cover:
Action Points
Get in touch to get your copy of the free suspension checklist, email suspension@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 |
Tue, 19 September 2017
Suspension ChecklistWe are contacted on an almost daily basis by employees who have been suspended from work and often it is as a result of poor communication or poor planning and consideration. Many employers believe that suspending an employee is a neutral act and there is no risk in suspending whilst disciplinary issues are investigated, however several cases have shown that this is not the case and employers need to take care when suspending employees. Most recently I reported a case where it was ruled that it was unlawful for the employer to suspend the employee. You can read the full details here: CLICK HERE In this episode I will cover:
Action Points1. Get in touch to get your copy of the free suspension checklist, email suspension@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 |
Tue, 5 September 2017
Employment Law & HR issues in the newsNormally when I talk about a case on the podcast it is because it has importance from a legal perspective, usually it has been reported in legal journals and websites and the main issue covered is the point of law. This week there have been three employment issues in the popular press which I thought you may be interested to hear about. They do not bring anything 'new' from a legal perspective but the facts are interesting and they provide good examples for employers on how not to deal with issues that arise. In this episode I will cover:
Action Points1. Ensure that your staff and managers have training about equality and diversity issues; 2. Take care when changing employee hours particularly if it impacts on their childcare or caring responsibilities; 3. Seek advice when you receive a flexible working application before making the decision; 4. Continue to treat your employees reasonably and within the law and you will have much less chance of a dispute arising; 5. Seek advice about employment law and HR best practice from a professional who is experienced in this area of law. Don't forget you can contact us by email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or miranda@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001 or 023 8098 2006 |
Mon, 7 August 2017
No more fees in the Employment TribunalUndoubtedly you will have heard in the news or online about the Supreme Court decision that the introduction of Employment Tribunal fees for employees to make a claim is unlawful and as a result effective immediately employees will not have to pay the £160 or £250 fee for making a claim. In this episode of the Podcast I bring you a summary of the decision and my views on the outcome and the future for the Employment Tribunal. In this episode I will cover:
Action Points1. Don't panic about the 'floodgates' being opened and a flurry of claims against your business; 2. Ensure that you stay informed of the latest developments, you can sign up below for our free newsletter; 3. Continue to treat your employees reasonably and within the law and you will have much less chance of a dispute arising; 4. Seek advice about employment law and HR best practice from a professional who is experienced in this area of law.
Useful Links & Case References |
Mon, 24 July 2017
An interview with Juliette ChanAlthough my focus is on the law and the legal side of employing people I am very interested in and enthusiastic about ways in which my clients can be the best employers and get the most out of their people. After meeting Juliette at a networking group on the Isle of Wight I was really interested to hear about her work and the ways in which this can help employers and employees deal with work related issues. Juliette kindly agreed to be interviewed and I hope you will agree has provided some interesting insights into grief, loss and how it relates to work. |
Mon, 10 July 2017
The Pitfalls of ACAS Early ConciliationIn this weeks’ episode I tell you about a case involving an employee who represented himself and mistakenly put the wrong employer on his Early Conciliation application. |
Mon, 26 June 2017
When a female employee receives full maternity pay should a man on shared parental leave receive the same?In this weeks' episode I review the recent decisions regarding the payment of enhanced pay to fathers who take shared parental leave. There are two decisions of the Employment Tribunal, Leicester ET and Leeds ET which have given conflicting outcomes on this issue. Both cases are likely to be appealed but in the meantime it leaves a degree of uncertainty for employers who currently give additional pay to female employees on maternity leave but not fathers on shared parental leave. Please do not worry I will not send you spam! |
Mon, 12 June 2017
An interview with Terri BrookesIn this weeks' episode I interview Terri Brookes who applied for a job as a trainee solicitor with the Government Legal Service (GLS) and requested a reasonable adjustment as a result of her aspergers. When the GLS refused to make adjustments to their recruitment process Terri made a claim in the Employment Tribunal. After winning her case in the Employment Tribunal the GLS appealed to the Employment Appeal Tribunal and Terri successfully defended her claim.
Direct download: rec_live_tibrookes.equality_for_all_18_May_2017_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT |
Tue, 30 May 2017
Mental Health: An interview with the expertsMental Health of employees is a difficult subject for employers to tackle and there are a number of implications of getting it wrong. In this mini series I will be focusing on Mental Health at Work and providing some hints, tips and legal advice for employers. This is the final episode in the series and I interview Ian Smith and Gill Hepburn from the italk Employment Team who are specialists in providing support and guidance to employees having difficulties at work as a result of or related to mental health conditions. In this episode we will cover:
Direct download: Interview_with_Gill_and_Ian_-_Episode_78.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT |
Mon, 15 May 2017
Mental Health: Best Practice for EmployersMental Health of employees is a difficult subject for employers to tackle and there are a number of implications of getting it wrong. In this mini series I will be focusing on Mental Health at Work and providing some hints, tips and legal advice for employers. The focus in this episode is best practice and what steps you can take to be a better employer. In this episode I will cover:
Would you like advice about your situation?Appointments are available on the telephone or via Skype throughout the UK. Alternatively we offer face to face appointments on the Isle of Wight, in Eastleigh, Southampton, Salisbury, Fareham, Portsmouth, Winchester and surrounding areas in Hampshire. |
Tue, 2 May 2017
Mental Health & DisabilityMental Health of employees is a difficult subject for employers to tackle and there are a number of implications of getting it wrong. In this mini series I will be focusing on Mental Health at Work and providing some hints, tips and legal advice for employers. The focus in this episode is the legal implications and requirements of employers. In this episode I will cover: |
Mon, 24 April 2017
A focus on Stress at WorkMental Health of employees is a difficult subject for employers to tackle and there are a number of implications of getting it wrong. In this mini series I will be focusing on Mental Health at Work and providing some hints, tips and legal advice for employers. The focus to start with is on stress at work. In this episode I will cover: |
Mon, 3 April 2017
Is a cycle courier a self-employed person or a worker?This weeks' episode is about one of four cases that are making their way through the London Central Employment Tribunal on the issue of the status of workers. In this case Mr Boxer, who is a cycle courier, has asserted that he is a 'worker' rather than a self-employed person and is therefore entitled to holiday pay, and other benefits. |
Mon, 20 March 2017
It is easy to let things slide & have an easier life, BUT it can be costly later onIn this weeks' episode I explain the importance of addressing issues and having those difficult conversations when they occur rather than letting it go and trying to deal with it later on. In the last few months I have been advising a few employers who for one reason or another have reached the end of the line with an employee because of a culmination of small issues. However, because these small conduct issues have not been addressed when they arose it is almost impossible to rely on them later. |
Mon, 6 March 2017
An update on Social Media considerations for EmployersIn this weeks' episode I bring you an update on social media considerations for employers. I have been contacted numerous times in the last couple of weeks with questions about social media issues at work by both employers and employees and therefore I thought that it would be a good time to recap on some of the cases in this area and summarise key points for employers to note. |
Sun, 19 February 2017
Employers Questions AnsweredThis is a mini series focusing on family rights at work and the considerations which apply with regards to employees who are parents/will be parents. In this fifth and final episode in the series I answer some frequently asked questions from employers and give guidance on some good practice. |
Mon, 6 February 2017
Shared Parental Leave & Parental LeaveThis is a mini series focusing on family rights at work and the considerations which apply with regards to employees who are parents/will be parents. In this fourth episode in the series I summarise the two different types of Parental Leave that are available for employees who are parents. |