Contracts & Handbooks: Recommended Protections, Remote Working Considerations & Regulatory Updates

When it comes to managing flexible working requests, absences, resignations and employee grievances, the first port of call before taking action is always to check the terms and guidance set out in employees’ contracts, handbooks or your company policies. These critical documents establish the terms of employment, and stipulate your procedures if contracts are breached or management instructions are ignored.

However, all too often these documents aren’t watertight, and processes aren’t followed to a tee, which consequently leaves employers exposed to unforeseen costs and potential claims. During this comprehensive webinar, we’ll share some of the key clauses that we always recommend employers include to protect themselves from a range of expensive pitfalls.

For example, when the pandemic hit, the government swooped in with the furlough scheme, saving many employers who may have otherwise been contractually bound to paying their employees full pay even if they couldn’t continue to operate. If there was another lockdown or an unforeseen event occurred that brought your business to a halt, would you feel confident that your contracts included indisputable clauses to protect your business financially?

We’ll also recap the changes to contractual terms and processes which the government released in April 2020 as part of the introduction of the Good Work Plan. Due to the disruptions of the pandemic, many businesses failed to update their documentation and processes in line with these new regulatory requirements.

And specifically for those who are moving to a completely remote or hybrid working model, we’ll also touch on what updates to contracts and policies you should consider rolling out across your organisation, and the factors you need to take into account when aligning these with current documentation and procedures.

So, to ensure your contracts and handbooks promote best practice and protect your organisation against all eventualities, join our Senior Employment Law Adviser, Rachel Holding, for a comprehensive session which will aim to break down the following areas into a series of real actions you can take now:

• Employment contracts: The different types of contracts, what you legally need to include, and what additional clauses we almost always recommend employers add in to ensure they are watertight.
• The Good Work Plan: Which changes to employment contracts and terms were all employers required to implement on 6 April 2020?
• Hybrid/homeworking: Do you need to update contracts or issue specific policies? And what considerations should be given to data security, health and safety and insurance?
• Employee handbooks: Are they a legal requirement, and what should they include?

At the end of the session, Rachel will be taking your questions on the topics discussed. In recognition of the limited time we have available, we recommend submitting your specific queries in advance via the registration form. All questions submitted before or during the webinar will be answered in a helpful FAQ which we’ll share with all registrants after the session.