Brands such as WH Smiths, Argos and Marks & Spencer were included in the list but say that "the breaches were unintentional and had been swiftly remedied"
Aside from remuneration, there are other ways employees cost a business money:
Recruitment
Training
Welfare
Severance
Contact of employment
a legally binding agreement between the employer and the employee.
What would be included in a “contract of employment”?
Location
Working hours
Job title
Salary/ wages
Star/ end date
Holiday entitlement
Duties/ responsibilities
Sick pay
Dismissal
Dismissal happens if an employee has breached their contract of employment often informally called being ‘fired’ or ‘sacked’.
It is the employer’s decision to end the contract, not the employees.
Some legal reasons for dismissal:
An employee is notcapable of doing their job e.g. poor performance
An employee has behavedbadly (misconduct) e.g. violent or criminal activity
A reason why an employer can’t keep an employee on e.g. lost the right to work in the UK
Businesses must ensure that dismissal is a fair procedure e.g. they have tried to overcome issues and have investigated problems thoroughly.
The reasons for dismissal must not be linked to any form of discrimination!
Redundancy
Occurs when the employee’s job role is no longer required
Why might a business make redundancies?
Reducing the number of staff employed
Business is closing down
Relocation of the business
Increase in the use of technology
Redundancies cost money because the business needs to pay a minimum redundancy payment to employees that have been with the firm for at least two years. There can also be implications on business reputation and future recruitment.
How to choose?
Last in, first out
Asking for volunteers
Disciplinary records
Staff appraisal markings, skills, qualifications and experience
Where possible, asking employees if they want to take voluntary redundancy is a common procedure before choosing who will lose their job.
Flexibility in a workplace
means that a business can match the work done by employees to the needs of the business.
Flexibility in the workplace could refer to the different ways that employees work, contract types that can be offered or employees being multiskilled so that they can complete a wider variety of tasks.
Which methods can a business use to allow flexible working?
Full time/ part time contracts
Outsourcing
Home working
Flexible hours
Shift work
Zero hour contracts
Permanent/ temporary contracts
Full time contract
Employees that work at least 35 hours a week
Part time contract
Less than ‘standard’ hours which can mean more flexibility in terms of covering absent employees.
Permanent contract
A contract which has no end date and provides more financial security.
Shift work
Used when a job role needs filling for more hours in a day than can be completed by a single worker so the hours are split up.
Home working
Employees can work from home some or all days of the week.
Flexible hours (flexitime)
Employees complete a set number of daily/weekly/monthly hours at times that suit them.
Zero hour contract
A business employs a worker but does not offer them guaranteed hours.
Outsourcing
When a business hires out some activities to other businesses rather than doing them in house.
Ex: hiring them to produce marketing materials or assemble a certain product.