Employment & HR

Q. If an employee works a keeping in touch (KIT) day during their maternity leave and we agree to pay them their normal wages for that day, how does this affect their statutory maternity pay (SMP)? A. An employee doesn’t lose their entitlement to SMP when they work a KIT day. However, by default, any contractual remuneration an employee receives in respect of a week in the SMP payment period goes towards discharging your liability to pay them SMP in that week, meaning a day’s pay for a KIT day is set off against your SMP liability for the whole week, not merely for that day. So, it means employees may have no financial incentive to consent to work a KIT day unless you’re willing to reach an alternative offset agreement with them. You could therefore agree: (1)  to offset your SMP liability for the KIT day only and not for the week; or (2)  not to operate offset at all and so provide normal wages for the KIT day plus full SMP for the week. ...

Knife cuts account for many minor and some major incidents in the workplace. Use our new policy to establish clear guidelines for the safe use, handling and storage of knives in the workplace. What’s covered in this new document?

A telephone engineer drowned while trying to repair phone lines across a river. What went wrong and what lessons can you learn from this case to prevent a similar occurrence?

Bill. A Private Members’ Bill which has government support has completed its passage through the House of Commons and is now before the House of Lords. If enacted, the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Bill will provide powers for amended provisions on paternity leave in cases where the child’s mother or primary adopter dies. ...

Once you’ve received notice of the date an employee intends to start their maternity leave, you have 28 days to notify them of the date on which it will end. If you fail to do so, there are some adverse consequences. What are they?

A manufacturing company has been fined after one of its employees was crushed to death at a factory. What were the circumstances of the accident and how could it have been avoided?