If an employee abuses their sick leave, understandably it’s a stressful and frustrating time for you as an employer. It can be tempting to get proof they’re “faking it”. But spying on your workers is a risky game and could get you into more trouble than it’s worth. Three recent tribunal cases prove that covert […]
If a client complains about one of your employees, reacting to please the client without considering your employee’s rights could be a costly mistake. Understandably, you have a commercial relationship to protect. Many business owners over-apologise to the client, pull the employee in for a sharp word and hope it blows over. But, as the […]
If your business breaches basic employee rights, the consequences could be huge. You could be ordered to pay back everything you owe, going back years. A worker can make a tribunal claim without a lawyer. The new Fair Work Agency (FWA) can audit your records, issue financial penalties and name you publicly. And, if your […]
If you can’t measure every employee benefit you offer and how it impacts your bottom line, you’re not doing it right. Yes, perks are primarily there to support your employees. They keep your people happy and improve your work culture. But you’re running a business, not a charity. Any perks and benefits you offer must […]
If a tribunal claim lands on your desk, what you do next really matters. You have 28 days to act. And how you act can be the difference between successfully defending the claim and paying a large sum of money you potentially can’t afford. For most small business owners, it’s territory they’ve never been in […]
Dismissing employees is getting much more risky for business owners in the UK. Recent changes in the law mean that you can’t just let someone go and assume that everything will be okay. It’s easier (and therefore more likely) that an employee will claim that they were let go unfairly and the amount they can […]
If you have an employee who’s breastfeeding or expressing milk at work, you have legal obligations. Many small business owners have no idea what they are. But a small, accidental slip up could land you in hot water. You could be looking at discrimination and harassment claims, with potentially uncapped financial damages if a case […]
You probably won’t find out someone is leaving until they hand in their notice. By then, in most cases, the decision was made weeks ago. Summer tends to be when this plays out. People go on holiday, get some headspace, start browsing jobs on their phones and come back with a plan. If you haven’t […]
From October, if one of your employees makes a harassment claim, a policy alone won’t cut it. I know you might think a policy stored away somewhere is enough. But, with the rule changes, you must be able to evidence how you took all reasonable steps to prevent harassment in your workplace. A quick look at […]
With summer around the corner, more of your employees might be off on holiday than usual. If you’re only a team of ten, two people off at the same time is 20% of your workforce. That can really hit hard if you haven’t planned properly for it. What does planning properly look like? Let’s take […]
Every summer, the requests start coming in. “Can I work from home on Fridays while the kids are off?” “Would it be okay to shift my start time for six weeks?” “I was thinking about dropping Wednesdays during the holidays…” It’s tempting to say yes without thinking it through. Many business owners also say no […]
An engineering worker was awarded £66,295 plus £1,800 costs after his employer dismissed him for raising concerns about his manager’s competence. The employer thought they had a reasonable case. The tribunal thought otherwise. And, from January 2027, cases like this are about to get a lot more expensive. Here’s what happened and what it means […]
