Employment Law and HR Processes
Employment law encompasses the legal framework that governs the relationship between employers and employees in the workplace. It covers a wide range of issues related to employment. The primary objective of employment law is to ensure fair and equitable treatment of workers while promoting a productive and safe work environment.
Human Resources (HR) processes are the various procedures and activities within an organisation that are managed by the HR department. These processes are designed to effectively manage the organisation’s workforce and ensure that the organisation remains compliant with employment laws and regulations.
Find useful resources on employment law and HR processes, including holidays, sickness and leave, contracts, hours and pay, introductions to employment law, code of practices, and more.
Employment Law
‘Employment status’ refers to an individual’s legal standing in the workplace, dictating their entitlement to employment rights and their employer’s obligations. There are three primary types of employment status:
- Employee
- Worker
- Self-employed
Areas such as pay, leave and working conditions can all depend on employment status. People with different employment statuses have different rights set out in law.
Use NCVO’s Introduction to Employment Law series to understand your core legal responsibilities to your employees.
CIPD’s information will support you to address employment law issues at work, from recruitment and terms and conditions through to maternity, Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment rights (TUPE), and redundancy.
The Cranfield Trust has compiled helpful guidance on employment for charity leaders and trustees.
New flexible working laws have been introduced for British organisations. This resource from Gov.UK explains the changes.
HR Processes
Advice from ACAS for employees and employers on managing holiday entitlement, sickness absence and other leave.
Advice from ACAS on contracts, hours and pay.
See NCVO guidance on how to handle disciplinary matters, staff grievances and whistleblowing.
TUC’s short guides on redundancy for union reps provide information for every stage of the redundancy process, including information on access the knowledge, training, and skills they need to move forward after a redundancy.
TUC’s guide to risks and how to manage them will help you answer the following questions:
- How often should a risk assessment take place?
- What are the five steps to risk assessment?
- What is the difference between a ‘hazard’ and a ‘risk’?
- What are the main health and safety regulations?
Employers Direct offers free HR Advice to businesses of all sizes, within any industry in the UK, based on the ACAS Code of Practice. Their qualified HR advisors offer confidential, in-depth, actionable advice on any HR query.