Employment Law and Health & Safety Live Q&A: Exclusively for South West Businesses

Employment Law Update

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 can leave employers exposed to unforeseen costs and potential claims.

During this session, South West based Employment Law Head of Team and solicitor, David Eastwood, will cover:

• Employment contracts: What are the different types of contracts? What do you legally need to include? And what additional clauses do we almost always recommend employers add in to ensure they are watertight?
• 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?

Health & Safety Update

The pandemic has changed both employers’ and employees’ attitudes towards workplace health and safety. For many businesses, health and safety is no longer seen as a box-ticking exercise, and employees have higher expectations that safety issues will be taken seriously. With many workplaces that were previously considered low risk now trying to grapple with the safety requirements of environments they can’t control, such as remote working, we discuss what’s legally required – and what’s realistic.

But getting to grips with the regulations that govern specific activities and understanding if you have the right control measures in place to manage risk appropriately can be both confusing and time-consuming. To help you understand your responsibilities in this area, our Regional Health & Safety Consultant, James Stowe, will walk you through:

• Employers’ legal obligations: What does the law demand of all employers when it comes to managing health and safety risks?
• Hybrid/homeworking: What specific policies and procedures do you need in place for remote workers?
• Mitigating risk: What common issues should businesses be alert to, and how can you proactively manage these risks?

At the end of the session, our hosts 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.