Understanding the UK employment Law
In the UK there are approximately 4 million limited companies, with up to 21 million full time and part time employees. Therefore, UK employment laws are put into place to ensure that employers and employees are protected.
So what is employment law?
Put quite simply employment laws (of which there are many) are there to protect businesses, outline what their obligations are towards their employees and what protection is put in place for business owners.
An example of this would be, UK employment laws safeguard organisations by setting out guidelines in contracts. I.e. disciplinary rules, holiday entitlement and formal notice periods. It is important that contracts are put into place in order to protect employers and ensure they are both singing from the same hymn sheet. Also, UK employment laws are also there to protect employees, from hiring practices to conduct in the workplace and fair pay. In the UK for example, it is essential that businesses pay the National Minimum Wage based on the staff members age.
Immediately employees are covered from the moment they apply for a job by the Equality Act 2010. This legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.
What does employment law cover?
- Employment contracts
- Equal pay
- Holiday entitlement
- Pay
- Working hours
- Disciplinary procedures
- Maternity
- Paternity
- Grievance procedures
- Reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities
- Redundancy process and much more
What is unfair dismissal
Simply dismissal is the process where someone who is in a high position of authority within a business ends a employees employment. Unfair dismissal is when those rules around how to dismiss someone properly is not followed through properly.
The kind of issues that would constitute unfair dismissal include:
- Requesting maternity or paternity leave
- Raising health and safety issues
- Whistleblowing
- Being part of a trade union etc.
Employment contracts are put into place to put everything into place. It is a written agreement between an employer and the employee which states the terms and conditions of the employees job role.
This will then outline the employees basic responsibilities and duties, their working environment, their working hours, and their rights as an employee.
What is discrimination at the work place?
This is unfair treatment of an employee based on their membership of certain characteristics.
These include:
- Sex
- Race
- Religion
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Gender reassignment
- Disability
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Sexual orientation
- Age