Managing Mental Health Issues At Work

One in four people will experience symptoms of mental ill health during their lives.  According to the Chief Medical Officer for England, 70 million working days are lost in the UK every year due to stress, depression and other mental health conditions.  It is estimated that this costs the UK economy between £30 billion to £100 billion per year. Gillian Reid, Head of Employment at Ware & Kay in York, Wetherby & Malton , looks at what managers can do to help employees and advises how to avoid discrimination claims from employees with mental health issues. What is mental health? Mental health is the mental and emotional state in which we feel able to cope with the normal stresses of everyday life.  Mental ill health can range from feeling 'a bit down' to severe mental…

York Against Cancer Charity Go Karting Challenge

Friday, 17 March 2017 Holly Stevens, Owen Thomas, Nick Wardle and Andrew Little did a magnificent job supporting York Against Cancer in the Go-Karting Challenge. The whole event raised approximately £5,000.  York Against Cancer are celebrating their 30th year and all funds raised are being directed to two big projects. The money raised from the evening will go towards a mobile chemotherapy unit which will go out to all the smaller towns such as Malton, Selby and as a far as Scarborough.

Employment Law Changes Taking Place From April 2017

Employment law is a fast-changing area and as an employer you need to stay up to date with developments to ensure that you are acting lawfully.  Most employment law changes take place in April and October each year.  Gillian Reid, Head of Employment at Ware & Kay Solicitors in York, Wetherby & Malton , looks at what is happening in April 2017 and what you need to do. National minimum wage and national living wage aligned The review date for the national minimum wage has moved to 1 April 2017 instead of 1 October 2017. This means that the next round of changes to the national minimum wage and national living wage will take effect on 1 April 2017: From this date: the national living wage for workers aged 25 and over will increase…

Have You Been Accused Of Misconduct

Conduct is a potentially fair reason for dismissal so, if an employer has accused you of misconduct, you should get independent legal advice to ensure your employment rights are protected.  Gillian Reid, Head of Employment at Ware & Kay in York, Wetherby & Malton , looks at what you need to do if you are facing disciplinary proceedings for misconduct. Misconduct is unacceptable or improper behaviour.  Cases of minor misconduct, such as lateness, are usually dealt with informally.  If informal resolution fails or the matter is more serious, your employer will normally take formal action.  Gross misconduct is the most serious type of conduct and includes theft, fraud, fighting, drunkenness, harassment, serious negligence and serious breach of health and safety rules.  It can result in the termination of your employment without notice or pay in…

Employment Law Newsletter February 2017

In this newsletter, we outline updates which will take effect from April, summarise the government's recent review of Employment Tribunal fees and look at 2 recent cases dealing with Rest Breaks and Redundancy Consultation, plus a brief mention of a recent case on employment status. Updates from 6th April 2017 National Living Wage For workers age 25 and over   £7.50 per hour For workers age 21 - 24          £7.05 per hour For workers age 18 - 20          £5.60 per hour For workers age under 18        £4.05 per hour The apprenticeship rate           £3.50 per hour   Parental payments (Provisional figures) Statutory maternity Pay (after the first 6 weeks), paternity pay and adoption pay will rise to £140.98 per week. Statutory Sick Pay (Provisional figures) SSP will rise to…

Age Discrimination In The Workplace

As school leavers and graduates compete with an aging population who need or want to work longer, there is an increasing risk to employers of employees bringing claims against them for age discrimination where they believe their career prospects have been adversely affected by how old they are. In this article, Gillian Reid, employment lawyer at Ware & Kay in York, Wetherby & Malton , outlines the main provisions of the law on age discrimination, contained in the Equality Act 2010, and explains the steps you, as an employer, can take to avoid falling foul of the rules. Discrimination in recruitment Job applicants are protected from age discrimination. Before publishing a job advert, you need to look carefully at the language you intend to use to check whether it might put off a potential candidate…

Ready To Invest Here Is How To Get Started

If you're looking to get a better return from your money than you can from your bank account, then the time might be right to think about investing for the future. Before you begin, here are some golden rules to consider. HOLD SOME CASH You'll need to have ready access to a cash fund to cover everyday living expenses and unforeseen expenditure. Obviously, there's no point rushing into investment if you've got substantial debts or if you know you're going to have to make major financial commitments that will take up all your spare cash. A vital part of your financial planning must be providing adequately for retirement, not least because of the tax breaks available on pension contributions. DEFINE YOUR GOALS You need to be clear why you're investing and what your goals are…

Ware & Kay Solicitor Cycles For Charity

Michael Peach from Ware & Kay Solicitors Ltd and President of the Yorkshire Law Society is undertaking a "double-marathon" cycle ride of more than 52 miles on Sunday 17th August in order to raise money for Martin House. As President, Michael is combining his duties leading the solicitors of Yorkshire with running the Ware & Kay Wetherby office. One of his duties as President is to nominate the Society's Charity of the Year and Michael has chosen Martin House Children's Hospice near Wetherby as his chosen charity. Ware & Kay have been active supporters of Martin House for many years and Michael has taken time out of his busy working schedule as Director at Ware & Kay where he specialises in Commercial and Residential Property to visit the hospice. This has enabled him to understand…

Autumn 2016 Employment Law Update

This is a round-up of the main employment law changes that have recently come into effect, including those taking place from Autumn 2016.  Gillian Reid, Head of Employment at Ware & Kay Solicitors in York & Wetherby, outlines the main changes and the action you need to take as a result. National minimum wage rises The national minimum wage is reviewed every year and traditionally any increases come into force in the autumn.  The new hourly rates from 1 October 2016 are: adult rate (21 to 24): £6.95; youth development rate (18 to 20): £5.55; young workers' rate (16 and 17): £4.00; and apprentice rate: £3.40.   It is understood that these rate changes will only apply for six months because the government has decided to align all further changes with the national…

Ware & Kay Warriors Conquer The Major Series!

Ware & Kay Solicitors immersed themselves in muddy bogs, thick woods and river crossings in the Major Series on Sunday 16th October to raise money for York-based charity 'The Island'. The 14-strong platoon of troops named 'The Ware & Kay Warriors' led by "Field Marshall" Holly Stevens Residential Property Solicitor and "Lieutenant Colonel" Sian Foster Wills & Probate Solicitor strapped their boots on tight before embarking on a mud run like no other.  The team, who were at the peak of fitness, had all received personal training before negotiating the epic military-style 5k grueling mission. The Ware & Kay troops managed to raise £684 for The Island.  The charity provides a mentoring service to vulnerable young and disabled people in York.  The young people are linked with fully-trained volunteer mentors, who, by means of…