Employment Law UK Advice

When it comes to employment law UK business owners can't afford to be uninformed. As an employer, you have certain legal responsibilities to your employees. It's also wise to know the ins and outs of their responsibilities to you. But how do you keep track of your mutual responsibilities? It's a minefield, as UK employment law is contained in dozens of individual bits of legislation, each of which has a piece of the puzzle when it comes to running your workplace. It's always a good idea to take specialist advice so that you can be sure that you comply with the law, but for now, here are some of the provisions that you should consider.

The provisions for maternity cover have evolved over the past couple of years, with mothers having the right to longer periods of maternity leave. Statutory maternity pay has increased, and new parents can also ask to work more flexibly when they return from leave. In addition, there are increased rights for fathers (who can now benefit from two weeks' paternity leave), for parents of young children and for adoptive parents. Some of the laws to read up on include:

• Maternity and Parental Leave etc Regulations 1999
• Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints & Remedies) Regulations 2002
• Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay (General) Regulations 2002

Anti Discrimination Laws

Discrimination is a key area of employment law UK business owners should consider, with several regulations and acts governing the treatment of different groups. Discrimination law applies not only in the workplace, but also to recruitment, interviewing and dismissing employees. Basically, it's against the law to discriminate against people because of age, belief, sexual orientation, gender, disability or race. Have a look at these laws for more information:

• Disability Discrimination Act
• Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
• Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
• Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
• Equal Pay Act 1970
• Gender Recognition Act 2004
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975
  

Are you paying your employees what they should earn? One way to find out is to read up on the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999. Failing that, look out for the current recommendations from the Low Pay Commission. As a guide, remember that the pay for your employees will vary depending on whether they have just passed school leaving age, are under 21 or are over 21. If you're not sure what you should pay to whom, then take some employment law UK advice.

Deminos are HR Outsourcing and employment law specialists. To find out more please call us on 020 7870 1090 or visit http://www.deminos.co.uk