Redundancy What Are Your Rights

More than 1.3 million workers have lost their jobs during this recession and there are substantial public sector job cuts to come. Even if you do not face redundancy, it is likely that you know someone who will. It therefore pays to know your rights. If you have more than one year's employment, you may be able to claim unfair dismissal if the redundancy was not genuine or your employer did not follow the correct procedure. You have to move quickly though - you only have three months from the date your employment ends to start a claim. In following the correct procedure, your employer has to consult with you individually in a series of meetings. This gives you a chance to come up with suggestions for avoiding your redundancy, consider any other jobs your…

Restrictive Covenants

A Restrictive Covenant is a contractual term restricting an employee's activities after termination but is void for being in restraint of trade and contrary to public policy unless the employer can show that: It has a legitimate proprietary interest that it is appropriate to protect. The protection sought is no more than is reasonable having regard to the interests of the parties and the public interest. General An employer cannot impose a covenant merely to stop someone competing, but it can seek to stop that person using or damaging something which legitimately belongs to it. This type of restriction is to be distinguished from the duty of confidentiality that an employee owes to an employer. The duty of confidentiality is founded in common law and does not require an express restraint to be…

Light At End Of Tunnel

Slowly but surely, we are seeing signs of increased activity in the housing market, as are fellow professionals in local estate agencies. Another sign of optimism locally is that City of York Council has recently given the green light to a 20-year development plan which includes a target 800 new homes per year, which would play a vital role in renewing supply for first-time buyers in the city. Without doubt, there is a great deal of frustration amongst many people seeking to get onto or move up the housing ladder. However, if you have been wondering when to put your house on the market, now may well be that time. You no longer need a home information pack, following their abolition last year, but you will need to commission an Energy Performance Certificate and produce…

Stress In The Workplace

According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), over 400,000 employees suffer stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by their current or past work.  Over 13 million working days are lost each year as a result of stress. In addition to loss of productivity, employers need to take care not to put themselves at risk of a claim from an employee, resulting in both financial penalties and potential loss of reputation.  O2 was ordered to pay nearly £110,000 in damages to an accountant who suffered ill health, having requested assistance on a number of occasions. Through taking a positive approach to tackling work related stress your business also stands to benefit from improved morale amongst staff and reduced cost of absences, sickness cover and recruitment. Stress is defined as: 'the adverse reaction people…