The Employer's Handbook 2009-10: An Essential Guide to Employment Law, Personnel Policies, and Procedures, 6th Edition

Now in a new sixth edition, "The Employer's Handbook" has established itself as a source of reliable and unambiguous advice for small- and medium-sized employers. The book is a comprehensive source of hands-on advice on the increasingly complex legal framework now governing UK employment law. Presented in plain English, it includes guidelines on age discrimination legislation and the latest employment tribunal forms. It also provides access to free legal updates and downloadable templates, forms and policy documents for dealing with key employment issues, including: recruiting staff, writing contracts, performance management; maternity/paternity rights; data protection; terminating employment; and, working with trade unions. Fully updated for this 2009 edition, "The Employer's Handbook" clearly identifies the legal essentials and best practice guidelines for effective people management. Copyright......Page 5 Table of contents......Page 14 AIM OF THIS BOOK......Page 26 EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS......Page 27 COMPANY SIZE......Page 30 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 31 Acknowledgements......Page 19 DECIDING WHETHER TO RECRUIT......Page 32 PREPARING A JOB DESCRIPTION......Page 33 PREPARING A PERSON SPECIFICATION......Page 35 HOW TO RECRUIT......Page 37 APPLICATION FORM OR CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)?......Page 41 E-RECRUITMENT......Page 43 INTERVIEWING......Page 45 OTHER SELECTION METHODS......Page 50 AVOIDING DISCRIMINATION IN SELECTION......Page 53 MAKING A JOB OFFER......Page 56 TAKING UP REFERENCES......Page 62 MEDICAL REPORTS......Page 64 REJECTING CANDIDATES......Page 65 EMPLOYMENT OF OFFENDERS......Page 66 EMPLOYMENT OF OVERSEAS NATIONALS......Page 68 ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION ACT 2006......Page 70 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 71 DECIDING WHETHER SOMEONE IS AN EMPLOYEE......Page 72 STATEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT PARTICULARS......Page 76 SPECIFIC CONTRACTUAL CLAUSES......Page 82 TYPES OF CONTRACT......Page 86 AMENDING CONTRACTS......Page 88 APPENDIX: SPECIMEN SERVICE AGREEMENT......Page 89 DECIDING HOW MUCH TO PAY......Page 104 JOB EVALUATION......Page 106 HOW PAY IS MADE UP......Page 117 PAY STRUCTURES......Page 119 BONUSES......Page 123 THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE......Page 124 DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT REGULATIONS 2002......Page 125 DEDUCTIONS FROM PAY......Page 126 TAX AND NATIONAL INSURANCE......Page 127 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 128 4 Employee benefi ts......Page 133 STAKEHOLDER PENSIONS......Page 134 CARS......Page 142 FLEXIBLE BENEFITS......Page 143 TAXATION OF BENEFITS......Page 149 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 150 THE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROCESS......Page 156 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT......Page 174 APPENDIX 1: CIPFA – OBJECTIVE SETTING ANDDEVELOPMENT SCHEME. A GUIDE FOR STAFF......Page 182 APPENDIX 2: ABC UK — COMPETENCY LEVELS ANDDEFINITIONS......Page 194 PLANNED ABSENCES......Page 202 REDUCING UNPLANNED ABSENCES......Page 205 PAY DURING ABSENCE......Page 212 DEALING WITH PERSISTENT ABSENCE......Page 215 COMPANY HEALTH CHECK......Page 217 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 218 TIME OFF FOR ANTENATAL CARE......Page 219 MATERNITY LEAVE......Page 220 STATUTORY MATERNITY PAY (SMP)......Page 224 MATERNITY POLICY......Page 225 ADOPTION LEAVE......Page 229 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 230 WORKING TIME REGULATIONS 1998......Page 231 TIME OFF IN LIEU OF OVERTIME (TOIL)......Page 235 ANNUAL HOLIDAYS......Page 236 SUNDAY WORKING......Page 237 FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS......Page 238 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 245 9 Writing a staff handbook......Page 246 WELCOME TO THE COMPANY......Page 247 TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT......Page 248 DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE......Page 252 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION......Page 253 RESTRICTIONS DURING AND AFTER EMPLOYMENT......Page 254 COMPANY PROPERTY......Page 255 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY......Page 256 SMOKING AT WORK......Page 257 HARASSMENT POLICY (see also Chapter 13)......Page 258 OTHER MATTERS......Page 259 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 260 PERSONNEL RECORDS......Page 261 DATA PROTECTION......Page 262 MONITORING OF E-MAILS AND TELEPHONE CALLS......Page 267 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 269 CHANGES IN RESPONSIBILITIES......Page 270 CHANGES TO ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE......Page 271 CHANGES TO PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES......Page 272 INTRODUCING PARTICIPATION......Page 273 RELOCATION......Page 274 BUSINESS TRANSFERS......Page 275 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 278 DISCIPLINARY RULES......Page 280 DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE......Page 286 CONDUCTING A DISCIPLINARY HEARING......Page 295 TAKING DISCIPLINARY ACTION......Page 298 SPECIFIC DISCIPLINARY SITUATIONS......Page 302 APPEALS AGAINST DISCIPLINARY ACTION......Page 305 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 307 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE......Page 308 BULLYING AND HARASSMENT......Page 312 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 317 DISMISSAL WITH NOTICE......Page 318 COUNTER NOTICE......Page 319 PAY IN LIEU OF NOTICE......Page 320 TERMINATION WITHOUT NOTICE......Page 321 DATE OF TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT......Page 322 AVOIDING UNFAIR DISMISSAL......Page 323 WRONGFUL DISMISSAL......Page 325 TYPES OF DISMISSAL......Page 326 GIVING REFERENCES......Page 342 EXIT INTERVIEWS......Page 343 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 344 15 Dealing with tribunal cases......Page 346 HOW TO DEFEND A CLAIM......Page 347 COMPENSATION FOR UNFAIR DISMISSAL......Page 348 REVIEW OF A TRIBUNAL’S DECISION......Page 349 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 363 GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY......Page 364 SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES......Page 365 SAFETY COMMITTEES......Page 367 MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY......Page 368 REPORTING OF INJURIES, DISEASES AND DANGEROUS OCCURRENCES......Page 369 HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS......Page 371 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 372 THE ROLE OF A TRADE UNION......Page 373 RECOGNIZING A TRADE UNION......Page 374 EMPLOYEES’ UNION RIGHTS......Page 378 LOCAL TRADE UNION REPRESENTATIVES OR SHOP STEWARDS......Page 379 PROVIDING INFORMATION TO TRADE UNIONS......Page 380 HANDLING DISPUTES......Page 381 FURTHER INFORMATION......Page 384 Glossary......Page 385 Useful addresses......Page 388 Index......Page 392 Index of advertisers......Page 401 Recruiting staff Writing employment contracts Paying staff Employee benefits Performance management Dealing with absence Maternity and paternity rights Working hours and holidays Writing a staff handbook Personnel records and data protection Handling organization change Handling disciplinary issues Dealing with grievances Terminating employment Dealing with tribunal cases Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of employees Working with trade unions. The Employer's Handbook is a key source of reliable, unambiguous advice for small- and medium-sized employers, clearly identifying both the legal essentials and best practice guidelines for effective HR management, including information on benefits, contracts, maternity/paternity rights, disciplinary issues and data protection.