Employment Information for Employers and Employees

Employing People; Information for Employers

  • Employing People
  • Information and advice from Business Link about taking on staff and all the issues regarding employing people from recruitment to redundancy. Includes pay & pensions, working hours and time off, equality and diversity, resolving problems and managing change, training your staff and taxes, returns and payroll
  • Taking on a New Employee - a toolkit from Business Link to guide you through the legal implications of taking on a new employee
  • HM Revenue & Customs
    HM Revenue & Customs is the new department responsible for the business of the Former Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. The site contains useful information for employees, the self employed, employers and business & corporations. It covers taxation and National Insurance, pensions, import and export taxes, etc.

Employment; Information for Employees

  • Advice on wide variety of topics from DirectGov

See also separate topics below

Employment Rights and Legislation

Information about employment rights and responsibilities for employers and employees

  • General guide to EU and UK Employment Law from London Chamber of Commerce. Covers equalities, working time and employment contracts, maternity / paternity rights, social security and pension rights, personal data (data protection), transfer of undertakings (TUPE), health and safety and information and consultation of employees
  • Specific employment rules apply to forms of employment that differ from full-time permanent contracts. Fixed term, part-time and posted workers
  • Advisory handbook - Employing people: a handbook for small firms (ACAS)
  • The Employer's Charter - Find out what you can and can't do when managing your staff (Business Link)
  • General advice on employment (DirectGov) (mainly for employees)
  • NOTE that in October 2011, the new Agency Worker Regulations will come into force. Whilst details are still to be settled, the rights of temporary employees will change after 12 weeks service. When they come into force, employers will need to ensure that they are paying both temporary and permanent workers the minimum wage. In general it will mean putting temporary workers on equal terms with permanent ones with regard to pay and conditions.

Equalities

NB A new Equalities Act came into force in October 2010 and replaces existing legislation ( Equality Act 2010 - What's Changed v 3 0 (Word Document, 0.1 Mb)). All companies need to review their policies to check that their procedures comply. The Equalities Office web site will give the latest information.

Age Discrimination

Bullying and Harassment

Disability

Equal Pay

Race discrimination

Religion

Sex Discrimination

Sexual Orientation

Pay

  • National minimum wage
    Since 1999 employers have been legally required to pay their workers a fair minimum wage, but the minimum wage can differ depending on the employees' age and type of work. Get all the information you need on paying the minimum wage in Business Link's guides. Use the minimum wage calculator. New national minimum wage rates came into effect on 1st October 2010
    Age Range National Minimum Wage Rate
    16 to 17 £3.57 to £3.64
    18 to 20 £4.83 to £4.92
    21 and over £5.80 to £5.93
  • The Low Pay Commission
    The Low Pay Commission (LPC) was established as a result of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 to advise the Government about the National Minimum Wage. Link includes tables to calculate entitlement
  • Holiday pay entitlement
    advice from DirectGov on how to calculate your entitlement

Tax credits

There are two types of tax credits, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

Working Tax Credit is for people who are employed or self-employed (either on their own or in a partnership), who

  • usually work 16 hours or more a week
  • are paid for that work, and
  • expect to work for at least 4 weeks

and who are

  • aged 16 or over and responsible for at least one child, or
  • aged 16 or over and disabled, or
  • aged 25 or over and usually work at least 30 hours a week

Child Tax Credit is for people who are responsible for at least one child or qualifying young person.

Working conditions

Working hours / Working Time Directive

The amount of time that an employee can work has been defined under European Union (EU) law in the Working Time Directive. Employers guide on hours, rest breaks and the working week. DirectGov working hours guidance. What breaks am I entitled to under the working time regulations? (HSE)

Flexible working arrangements

Common kinds of flexible working include:

  • Part-time working.
  • Flexi-time.
  • Job-sharing
  • Working from home
  • Term-time working
  • Staggered hours.
  • Annual hours.
  • Compressed working hours.
  • Shift-working.

For more detailed information on the different types of flexible working see the Acas booklet Flexible working and work-life balance at www.acas.org.uk/publications.

  • Parents and Carers (ACAS)
    Parents of children aged under 6 (or under 18 if the child is disabled) and their partner or civil partner, have a statutory right to make a written request to their employer for more flexible working arrangements. Flexible working might include, for example, compressed hours, flexitime, home working, job sharing, teleworking, term-time working, shift working, staggered or annualised hours.
  • Carers of adults (ACAS)
    Carers of adults also have a right to request flexible working. The cared for person must be aged 18 or over and be the spouse, partner or civil partner of the employee, a near relative of the employee, or living at the same address as the employee.

Leave

Maternity, Paternity & Adoption Leave

Absence and Sickness

Unions and Representation

  • Representation of individuals on personal issues
    Workers have a statutory right to be accompanied by a fellow worker or trade union official where they are required or invited by their employer
  • Trade union recognition
    Employers and employees may agree whatever arrangements for recognising trade unions for collective bargaining that they find suitable.

Disputes in the workplace