“Can I read my employee’s personal emails if they come through his work account?”

Yes and no. You have to find the right balance between checking whether he’s using his work email account to perform his role and his right to privacy.

You can only check emails if you tell your employees in advance that your business monitors them. In any case, it’s likely that r... Read More

“My ex-employee wants to take me to an employment tribunal. He had less than two years’ service with me, so I’ve nothing to worry about, right?”

Maybe. He can’t claim unfair dismissal with less than two years’ service, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe.

There are still situations with less than two years’ service that can lead to tribunal—and it’s easier for em... Read More

“I told my employee she couldn’t book next Monday off as a holiday, but I’ve heard she’s going to call in sick. What can I do?”

If she’s off, process it as a sickness and carry out your normal return to work process, which should mean holding a meeting with her and discussing why she was off.

Then, if you still suspect she’s lying about her sickness, carry out... Read More

“Help! My employee told me he wouldn't work his notice. What do I do?”

Don’t pay him. If he refuses to work it, he’s breaching his contract of employment with your business.

If he can’t work his notice period because he’s on planned holiday leave or off sick, you must pay him as normal.

But if there’s been a fundamental breach of contract or you both agree to waive the no... Read More

My employee keeps going on gambling sites at work. I’m worried he has an addiction. What can I do?

Is it impacting his work? If so, hold a meeting with him and explain that he must spend time at work carrying out his duties and not gambling.

You can offer support by suggesting he seeks help or introduce an Employee Assistance Programme (also called an EAP), which offers confide... Read More

The top 3 employer tips you need to know this week:

How do I manage my underperforming employee?

First, it’s important to determine whether your employee’s underperformance is due to capability (can’t do the job) or conduct (won’t do it).

You can deal with the issue informally by asking if anything’s causing their poor work. But if there’s no improvement, hold a formal me... Read More

The employer advice you need to know this week:

I need to make five of my staff redundant. What do I do?

First, you must try to think of another way to continue without making redundancies. If not, can you make fewer than five?

When you have to make redundancies, make a detailed business plan setting out your plans. As you aim to make under 20 people redundant, you must c... Read More

My employee will be on maternity leave for this year’s bank holidays. Does she accrue holidays while she’s off?

She gets the same holiday leave as she would get while in work.

If she normally gets annual leave for bank holidays, don’t ignore it from holiday accruals while she’s on maternity leave or you risk facing a discrimination claim.

Can I change my staff’s terms an... Read More

Here's your latest update packed with free expert employer advice, keeping you prepared and your business protected for the months ahead. Let’s begin…

My employee, who has a minor disability, is off sick during his probation period. Can I dismiss him?

It depends on both his reason for being off sick and your reasons for wanting to dismiss him.

You have to be careful becau... Read More

Staff management problems always seem to crop up at the worst possible time.

That’s why we’re helping you stay prepared with free employer advice. Read on to get started…

I’m trying to work out holiday pay for my staff. Should I include all overtime worked in my calculation?

It’s a grey area. By law, you have to work out holiday pay based on your workers’ normal pay and c... Read More