Have You Been Accused Of Misconduct

Conduct is a potentially fair reason for dismissal so, if an employer has accused you of misconduct, you should get independent legal advice to ensure your employment rights are protected.  Gillian Reid, Head of Employment at Ware & Kay in York, Wetherby & Malton , looks at what you need to do if you are facing disciplinary proceedings for misconduct. Misconduct is unacceptable or improper behaviour.  Cases of minor misconduct, such as lateness, are usually dealt with informally.  If informal resolution fails or the matter is more serious, your employer will normally take formal action.  Gross misconduct is the most serious type of conduct and includes theft, fraud, fighting, drunkenness, harassment, serious negligence and serious breach of health and safety rules.  It can result in the termination of your employment without notice or pay in…

Employment Law Newsletter February 2017

In this newsletter, we outline updates which will take effect from April, summarise the government's recent review of Employment Tribunal fees and look at 2 recent cases dealing with Rest Breaks and Redundancy Consultation, plus a brief mention of a recent case on employment status. Updates from 6th April 2017 National Living Wage For workers age 25 and over   £7.50 per hour For workers age 21 - 24          £7.05 per hour For workers age 18 - 20          £5.60 per hour For workers age under 18        £4.05 per hour The apprenticeship rate           £3.50 per hour   Parental payments (Provisional figures) Statutory maternity Pay (after the first 6 weeks), paternity pay and adoption pay will rise to £140.98 per week. Statutory Sick Pay (Provisional figures) SSP will rise to…

Age Discrimination In The Workplace

As school leavers and graduates compete with an aging population who need or want to work longer, there is an increasing risk to employers of employees bringing claims against them for age discrimination where they believe their career prospects have been adversely affected by how old they are. In this article, Gillian Reid, employment lawyer at Ware & Kay in York, Wetherby & Malton , outlines the main provisions of the law on age discrimination, contained in the Equality Act 2010, and explains the steps you, as an employer, can take to avoid falling foul of the rules. Discrimination in recruitment Job applicants are protected from age discrimination. Before publishing a job advert, you need to look carefully at the language you intend to use to check whether it might put off a potential candidate…

Ready To Invest Here Is How To Get Started

If you're looking to get a better return from your money than you can from your bank account, then the time might be right to think about investing for the future. Before you begin, here are some golden rules to consider. HOLD SOME CASH You'll need to have ready access to a cash fund to cover everyday living expenses and unforeseen expenditure. Obviously, there's no point rushing into investment if you've got substantial debts or if you know you're going to have to make major financial commitments that will take up all your spare cash. A vital part of your financial planning must be providing adequately for retirement, not least because of the tax breaks available on pension contributions. DEFINE YOUR GOALS You need to be clear why you're investing and what your goals are…