Knowing your rights at work is of great importance; it ensures that both parties, employers and employees, are adhering to current government laws. However, it can sometimes be tricky knowing how many hours (by law) you can work in a week? Or how many days holiday your employees are actually entitled to? Within each company this is normally covered by HR (human resources) or line managers. They are the ‘go to people’ for this legal information.
What are the basic rights in the workplace?
Your rights at work will always depend on two factors: your statutory rights and your contract of employment. It is always courteous to remind employees to read through their contract thoroughly before signing. It is advised to encourage employees to contact you if they are unsure of anything in the contract, whether this is a particular clause or perhaps phrasing that they might not fully understand. This creates good rapport between you and your future employee.
As a company it is your responsibility to provide the employee with a copy of their rights and contract of employment. They can then refer to this as and when needed.
A list of the ‘basic rights at work’ is available from Citizens Advice Bureau. This is a useful and informative guide for both employers and employees. It covers all aspects of working including rights at work, wages, holiday pay, sickness, notice of dismissal and more.
Why should your company know the basic employment laws?
Knowing employment laws inside out ensures your company is aware of the rights and responsibilities as well as looking after employees in the best possible way. Employment law is a complex area and therefore requires knowledge, structure and revision; keeping up to date with new developments and policies. Laws change year on year so regular employment law training can be of great benefit to your organisation or business.
Keeping your company up to date with employment laws
Employment law training ensures HR practitioners/line managers gain, or update and review their employment law knowledge on a regular basis. New legislation is always being introduced so it is therefore good practice to be aware of these and enforce them in the workplace.
There are plenty of courses and training days available throughout the UK from weekend classroom based learning or part-time diplomas to e-learning certification. Knowing which one is right for your organisation can sometimes be a task in itself.
If you feel as if your SME would benefit from employment law training, there are a plethora of specialist consulting services available across the UK. Many employment law consultants offer training sessions and courses for HR and line managers encompassing all aspects of employment law. Many organisations also offer the CIPD-accredited Advanced Certificate in Employment Law.
Staying up to date with employment laws will help you avoid any pitfalls as getting it wrong can be extremely costly. Protect your company and employees from today onwards with regular training and qualifications.
This helpful business advice was sponsored by JSB Training and Development who are based in the London area and have over 30 years’ experience in employment law training.
