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]

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are legal contracts (or provisions of legal contracts) that require a person to keep certain information to themselves and not speak about it to others, usually for payment or something of value. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as ‘gagging clauses’.   In an employment context, they are often used… [Read More]

Anonymity can encourage openness and honesty in the workplace – especially when it comes to whistleblowing, misconduct, or harassment. But while it has its benefits, anonymous complaints can present challenges that HR must handle carefully. Anonymity vs. Confidentiality Anonymity means that the identity of the employee who has come forward with a complaint identity is… [Read More]

The words “redundancy” and “restructuring” carry very different connotations. Redundancy is often received with dread as it implies cutbacks and job loss. Restructuring, on the other hand, sounds strategic and forward-looking. It’s no surprise therefore that employers often refer to redundancies as “restructuring” in an effort to deliver difficult communications sensitively. But beware – it’s… [Read More]

What is fire and rehire? ‘Fire and rehire’ is a strategy used by some employers who – when unable to secure agreement with employees to new contract terms that suit them – resort to dismissing staff, then offering to rehire them on the revised terms. They may also hire new people on the revised terms… [Read More]