Employment and HR
Employment and HR is a vast area of law in which our solicitors can provide advice and guidance on. It regulates relationships between employees and employers and ensures a business is efficient and well regulated.
Kidwells offer Employment and HR packages and HR Health Checks so you can have peace of mind your business is running smoothly.
We can advise you on a range of factors which will enable employers to monitor and enhance employees performances. We’ll show you how training and social media are both useful tools to train your employees and improve their performance at work. Performance and absence management and feedback can be given through employee appraisals which are beneficial in rewarding employees and encouraging them to achieve business goals.
There may be times where grievance and disciplinary procedures are necessary. These instances may lead to tension in the workplace and ultimately employment investigations. We encourage mediation to amicably solve these issues however, this is not always possible and employment tribunals are unavoidable. However, we will offer support and representation throughout the proceedings.
Our solicitors can also provide guidance on employment contracts, changing terms of employment, settlement agreements, early conciliation and employment law.
Employment contracts
Forming the foundation of the employment relationship you have with your employees is vital
A contract of employment is the beginning of a relationship between the employer and employee. It is integral that the employment contract accurately sets the scene and expectation of both parties for the duration of the term.
It is important to have well-drafted employment contracts as an employer as this forms the foundation of the employment relationship you have with your employees.
Drafting employment contracts at the start can prevent time-consuming disputes later on. Additionally, it can also reduce the risk of grievances as each party is aware of their rights and duties. Therefore, should any issues arise, drafting well written policies can assist to effectively manage the issue to achieve resolution.
Whether you are looking to update existing contracts or whether you are looking at drafting completely new ones our dedicated Employment law team not only has the knowledge of employment contracts but also the experience of implementing new ones, as well as changing contracts for organisations across a very broad range of industries.
Employment investigations
Investigations are used to manage conflict or investigate a grievance. Investigations differ in their nature and extent depending on the seriousness of the matter. They need to be conducted in a fair and objective manner.
The conduction of employment investigations is important for employers and employees
Investigations should be conducted when managing conflict between individuals, when an employee has raised a grievance or during disciplinary proceedings for example for misconduct. Investigations are an integral part of your misconduct or gross misconduct dismissal.
In order for a conduct dismissal to be fair you must have;
- An honest belief that the employee was guilty of the offence;
- That there were reasonable grounds for holding that belief; and
- That these came from a reasonable investigation of the incident(s).
Employee Appraisals
Employee appraisals ensure that not only the employee but their manager/supervisor, are fully aware of the individual’s strengths, weaknesses and goals. Information is power, and so by utilising employees effectively and harnessing their own individual skill sets in the right way can only benefit the Company.
Employee appraisals are beneficial for you as an employer and your employees
Appraisals are an essential tool for Companies to monitor employees’ performance and improve the overall productivity of the business.
Employee performance is a fundamental issue for all businesses, as poor performance often means poor Company performance. Poor performance not only reduces productivity but can have a negative impact on the employees who work alongside the poorly performing employee and bring down their performance too.
A regular appraisal system allows you to assess your staff against set objectives, provide feedback on performance and establish mutually agreed goals. Regular appraisals can help identify performance issues at an early stage. Rewards for outstanding performance or remedies for poor performance can be established where appropriate using the outcomes of the appraisal.
Recruitment and Retention
An able and willing workforce is key to any successful business. Replacing staff is costly and disruptive. High staff turnover can lower morale and productivity.
By starting out with the right steps you can match the best individual to the role and help them make it their own long-term. The recruitment of the right employee and keeping them is not a matter of luck.
Let Kidwells support you through your recruitment process, be protected against claims that can form at interview stage such as discrimination and make sure you’re not breaching any previous employment restrictive covenants. Learn how to obtain useful references and how to use them effectively.
Kidwells will guide you through the stages of recruitment at whatever level you deem necessary, from email advice to onsite conduct of interviews.
The support will include:
- Preparing a job description
- Checking candidates credentials
- On the job training
- Employee engagement
- Handling interviews fairly
- Successful inductions
- Pay, promotion and appraisals
- Personnel files
Social Media at Work
There can be confusion over what is acceptable behaviour regarding the use of social media in the workplace.
The HR issues that can arise in connection with social media are endless, as are the benefits of having an effective policy in place setting out clear guidance for employees and managers on usage, ownership and consequences of any abuse.
From detrimental comments on Facebook, inappropriate videos on YouTube to ownership of business connections on LinkedIn the potential HR issues that arise are endless.
Assistance can include:
- The risk of social media in the workplace
- Social media policy and what to include
- Linkedin – contact ownership and safeguarding the business
- Training
- Effective use of social media for employees and your business
- Social media and recruitment: The Risks
- Social media dismissals and employment tribunal approach
Contact Us
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Our normal office hours are Monday to Friday, 7.30 am to 5.30 pm.
For urgent matters, the phone line is monitored 24 hours a day.
