Essential Employment Law
Duration:
2- day interactive training and practice
About the Course:
This training will provide you with a firm grounding in the key elements of employment law in just two days. Authoritative, interactive, crystal-clear tuition will help you check your organisation’s policies against best practice and legal requirements. If you are new to the HR function, or require a refresher on the basics, then this course is for you.
Designed for:
HR and personnel professionals, employee relations managers, line managers, HR consultants, anyone else needing to know the employment law essentials.
Training highlights:
- Gain a thorough understanding of essential aspects of employment law
- Get clear advice and guidance on how the law is applied through a case study led approach
- Learn how to provide sound, authoritative advice to colleagues on latest law
- Be able to check your organisation’s policies against best practice
The Programme:
Day One
Creating the employment relationship CASE STUDY
- The recruitment process: interviews, the offer letter, references and medicals
- Contracts of employment: what are express and implied terms?
- Restrictive covenants: when do you need them?
Employment status and contracts
- Defining employment status: ‘worker’ and ‘employee’
- Agency workers: considering the employment status of temporary workers following
recent case law
- Making and varying employment contracts
- Part-time workers
- Fixed term contracts and varying employment contracts
- Working time opt out provisions, holiday entitlement and enforcement
Discrimination, diversity and equal opportunities CASE STUDY
- Direct and indirect discrimination
- Examining the Equal Pay Act: material factor defence and recent case law
- Sex, race and disability discrimination
- Sexual orientation, religion and belief discrimination
- The new age discrimination law explained
- Victimisation and harassment: defences and protection
Discrimination, diversity and equal opportunities – continued
Family-friendly rights CASE STUDY
- Maternity, paternity and adoption rights
- Antenatal care and pregnancy dismissals and discrimination
- Parental leave and time off for dependants
- The right to request flexible working arrangements
- The Work and Families Act
Day Two
The new TUPE regulations
- Understanding TUPE: definitions, employer obligations and recent case law
- What are the practical effects of the regulations?
- Contracting out services
- Transfers and unfair dismissal
Grievance and disciplinary procedures CASE STUDY
- What are the statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedures?
- Looking at exceptions and standard procedure
- How should modified disciplinary procedures be used?
- Considering the importance of time limits
- The revised ACAS Code of Practice
- Handling grievances in practice
- Handling disciplinary matters: process, procedure and hearings
- Acting fairly and reasonably
Dismissal CASE STUDY
- Considering methods of termination including constructive dismissal
- What are acceptable reasons for fair dismissals?
- The nature of conduct and capability
- What are automatically unfair dismissals?
- Handling redundancies and being ‘reasonable’
Performance and absence CASE STUDY
- Dealing with poor performance and absenteeism
- Managing stress related absence: avoiding common pitfalls
- Misconduct outside the workplace
Employment Tribunals: preparation and procedure
- Time limits and handling claim and response forms
- Preparing and presenting cases: evidence collation and the preliminary hearing
- Documentation and the tribunal ‘bundle’
- Getting to grips with tribunal procedure
- Do’s and don’ts when presenting a case: opening speeches, evidence in chief and cross examination
- Employment Tribunal remedies for unfair dismissal
- Rules and costs of settlement