Staying Legal - the Guide that Every Human Resources Manager Needs

The Human Resources Department is an important aspect of any organisation. Businesses need to employ knowledgeable HR staff in order to keep the work force updated of any applicable legal changes. This will ensure that the business will avoid many common HR problems.

Employment law is frequently changing and it is every employer's responsibility to stay abreast of these changes but finding time to 'keep up' can often be an overwhelming challenge.

Employment law in the UK is vast and incredibly expansive therefore, Companies who fail to implement and inform their employees of up to date employment law could be leaving themselves open to legal action. A HR department should be knowledgeable regarding employment law and be able to provide this information to all employees.

One really good way to keep employees updated and abreast of the latest employment law is an employee handbook. An employee handbook should outline the policies and procedures of the business so employees know exactly what their legal rights and responsibilities are.  This document should be reviewed an updated on a regular basis to ensure any changes to the law are incorporated.

It is also important for HR professionals to regularly attend employment law updates and training courses to ensure that their knowledge of the law is accurate.  For example over the past twelve months there have been changes to employment law in the areas of the ACAS Code, increases in holiday entitlement and immigration changes to be aware of when recruiting. Following recent proposals it is also anticipated there will soon be changes to both maternity and paternity entitlement.

This is precisely why it is so incredibly important to make sure your HR documentation is up to date and that employees have the most up to date employment law data at their disposal. Also from a Company perspective it's incredibly important to remember that the Company does have a responsibility to ensure they are updating such documentation on a regular basis.  

It is also important for both a business and for the employees of the Company that the most up to date employment information is presented to them in a manner which is easily accessible, whether this is an employee handbook or the Company website/intranet where policies and procedures are held so employees can readily access the information.

The most important thing to remember is employment law is constantly being updated, amended and new laws brought in so it is important to ensure you do not forget to keep abreast of employment law updates, communicate these in a clear manner and circulate these to employees so they can access them at any time.