Employment & HR

Five-year extension. In autumn 2023, the government confirmed that holders of pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme would automatically have their status extended by two years if they hadn’t yet obtained settled status. It has now announced that, when it automatically extends pre-settled status, this will be for five years instead of two. ...

The government is urging employers to recruit prison leavers as part of a campaign to reduce reoffending and grow the economy. If you’re reluctant to do this, can you refuse to employ someone because they have a criminal record?

King Charles has returned to public duties following his cancer diagnosis in February 2024. What reasonable adjustments should you consider for an employee returning to work following a period of sickness absence due to cancer?

To get ahead in the job market, many candidates resort to lying on their CV, and lying about qualifications is high up on the list. What measures can you take to check qualifications as part of your pre-screening process during recruitment?

Agency workers can be a useful resource for covering seasonal work variations, annual leave, etc. If you want to offer an agency worker a permanent role, you’ll normally have to pay a temp-to-perm fee to the agency. Can you avoid paying it?

Guide for line managers. The government has published a new practical guide for managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition (see The next step ). Content. The guidance covers the entire employment lifecycle, including such topics as: (1) the manager’s role in creating an inclusive working environment; (2) the duty to make reasonable adjustments; (3)  appropriate language to use about disability; (4) attracting a wide range of job applicants and making adjustments to your recruitment process; (5) making adjustments for new starters; (6) disclosing disability and confidentiality; (7) career progression, including access to training and development; (8) sickness absence management; and (9) employment termination, including dismissal and redundancy. Most of the sections also include some useful bullet point “top tips” . ...