News
Navigating New Waters: Understanding the Impact of Recent UK Employment Law Reforms for Business Owners
As business owners, staying ahead of the latest legislative changes is crucial to ensure compliance and foster a healthy workplace. The UK government's recent response to consultations on reforms to retained EU laws and the recalibration of annual leave entitlements for part-year and irregular-hours workers and other legislation is significant.
Employment Laws Changes Organisations Should be Aware of
In light of the subtle shelving of the Employment Bill last year, the government has maintained its commitment to introducing a series of employment law reforms. These reforms come in various shapes and are progressing at different paces, making it challenging to stay well-informed. This article provides a concise overview of the multiple legislation and guidelines currently in the pipeline, along with the latest updates on their status. Pregnancy and Family Leave Act 2023 This forthcoming employment law change substantially expands protections for pregnant employees and those re-entering the workforce after family leave. It covers employees from the moment [...]
Neonatal Care Leave Act – What Employers Need to Know
By April 2025 or even sooner, specific regions in the United Kingdom are poised to witness the implementation of the Neonatal Care Leave Act. This legislation will provide employees with up to 12 weeks’ paid leave if their child (aged under 28 days or under) requires a hospital stay of over seven days. Under this act, both parents will be eligible to receive an extended period of up to 12 weeks of additional leave to care for and visit their newborns. With impending changes expected in April 2025, it is essential for businesses to proactively prepare for the adoption of [...]
What is Carer’s Leave in Ireland and why should you need to know about it?
Carer's leave is a significant provision in Irish employment law that allows employees to temporarily leave their work to provide full-time care and attention to someone in need. This leave can last anywhere between 13 weeks and 104 weeks, depending on the circumstances. While a carer's leave is unpaid, it ensures that your job remains secure and available for you upon your return. To be eligible for carer's leave, an employee must have been employed by the same employer for at least 12 consecutive months without any breaks. The person the employee intends to care for must require constant care [...]
How to Choose the Right HR Agency Partner for Your Business
As a business owner, you know that finding the right HR agency is crucial to the success of your company. A good HR agency can help you attract and retain top talent, ensure compliance with employment laws, and foster a positive company culture. But with so many options out there, how do you know which agency is the perfect match for your business? That's where this guide comes in. We'll walk you through the key factors to consider when selecting an HR agency, from their areas of expertise and pricing structure to their communication style and company values. Whether you're [...]
The Value of HR Advisory in Ireland – Navigating Complexity and Ensuring Compliance
Human resources (HR) management is an essential component of any organisation's success. In Ireland, the complex legal landscape and rapidly evolving employment laws can make it challenging for organisations to navigate HR-related issues effectively. This is where HR services come in, providing valuable guidance and support to ensure compliance with employment regulations and best practices. In this article, we will explore the value of HR advisory in Ireland and how HR Team can help your organization navigate these complexities. Understanding the Complexity of HR in Ireland The Irish employment law landscape is highly complex, with a range of employment [...]
More Healthcare Professionals Given Powers To Certify Fit Notes
New legislation to allow a wider range of healthcare professionals to certify fit notes (formerly sick notes) has been introduced by the UK government to ease pressure on GPs. This legislation change applies across England, Scotland and Wales. The list of those who can sign fit notes was extended on July 1, 2022, to also include nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists, reducing pressure on doctors, particularly GPs. How Will This Affect Employers? HR Team co-director, Breda Cullen, said: “By giving powers to more providers to legally issue fit notes, it should be quicker and easier for employees to prove reasons [...]
5 Reasons Why Recording Annual Leave Is Important
When it comes to managing and recording employee leave, there are many reasons why you should diligently manage, track, and pay leave. Proper leave management will allow your business to operate more effectively, help you meet your employees’ need for time-off, and ensure you satisfy your legal obligations. If organisations mismanage their annual leave, the errors can be costly. Here are five reasons why recording your annual leave efficiently is crucial to managing your business successfully. Here Are 5 Reasons Why Recording Annual Leave Is Important 1. It Is The Law First and foremost, keeping track of leave and paying [...]
Helping Employers Overcome The Key Challenges Of Reduced Working Hours
HR Team director, Breda Cullen, says HR Team’s consultants are making a number of recommendations on how to mitigate risk when seeking to reduce hours for employees as a result of Covid-19. Employers have a number of options available to deal with these challenges, as businesses face operational reductions. Lay-offs and short-time working Temporary lay-off is an option when an employer is temporarily unable to provide an employee with the work for which they were employed. Short-time working is also an option when operations have been reduced. Short-time working means an employee’s hours of work or pay are reduced to less than [...]
How to Manage your Annual Leave Backlog
Regardless of the employee’s length of employment or status, everyone is entitled to paid time off, whether they are part-time, fulltime, temporary, or casual workers. How can you manage your employee’s annual leave? The spread of coronavirus has had many impacts on businesses. One of these impacts being the accumulated amount of annual leave for employees. An employee accrues annual leave for any hours worked. If an employee has been laid off, they do not accumulate it during this period. Please note, employees accrue public holiday entitlements the first 13 weeks on layoff. A part-time employee will only qualify for [...]