Harassment at work is usually carried out by individuals – but under UK law, employers can still be held responsible. This is because of a legal principle called “vicarious liability” which means a business can be liable for harassment carried out by an employee if it happened “in the course of employment.” What does “in… [Read More]

Being ‘laid-off’ is often used interchangably with being made redundant or getting fired. However, in employment law terms, the term lay-off has its own specific meaning. What does lay-off mean in legal terms? The legal concept of ‘lay-off’ refers to a situation where the employer asks an employee not to come to work for a… [Read More]

Many UK staff work alone, whether by design or default. What are the rules around lone working? And what do HR teams need to be aware of? What is lone working? The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines lone workers as those who work without close or direct supervision. This can include: What does the… [Read More]

The relationship between employer and employee is, at its root, a contractual one – with the contract of employment at its base. You might think that ending the relationship simply involves ‘ending’ the contract. However, the law recognises several different ways in which a contract of employment can come to an end – and each… [Read More]

The Working Time Regulations 1998 provide the legal framework for working hours and rest breaks and outline special rules for night workers. For this reason, HR professionals must carefully manage night work arrangements. Here’s what you need to know. Who is a Night Worker? Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, a night worker is someone… [Read More]