What are terms & conditions of employment?
There may come a time when legislation or your business has changed significantly and your current Contracts of Employment, Staff Handbook and policies need reviewing or updating. We are experienced in identifying what changes are required and rolling this out in line with legislation. We can advise and update the documentation and support you in consulting your staff whether this is walking you through the steps or being on site to manage the process ourselves.
Why does changing terms & conditions of employment matter?
If the contractual agreement between the employer and employee is not up to date then this will result in the Contract of Employment not being enforceable. This could result in an employee raising a grievance or making a claim to a Tribunal.
If an employer amends an employee’s contract without their consent or agreement then this will be a breach of contract and can also lead to claims such as constructive dismissal and/or unlawful deductions from wages if the employee has suffered loss as a result of the change.
It is important to follow a fair process for changing terms and conditions of employment and ensure the employee is advised and offered their rights and kept informed to mitigate any risk of unfair dismissal claims to an Employment Tribunal.
How can we help you with changing terms & conditions of employment?
Our team can review all of your documentation to ensure it is compliant with current legislation and let you know if there are any items that require review and updating. We also believe in ensuring policies and procedures are tailored to your business. Some contractual policies are a requirement by UK employment law, however those are not legally required but will ease the management process for the employee and suit your cultural needs.
If terms and conditions of employment do require updating then these may need to be rolled out to the workforce. Terms and conditions of employment must be mutually agreed by both parties so it is important to communicate the provisional changes and business reasons behind this to seek the employees consent to make the changes. Employees will be more likely to buy in to the changes if they understand why they are being suggested. This is a consultation process and we can provide the relevant documentation, tools and templates to assist you consult your team. If you do not have the resources in house to manage this change, we can be available to come to your business and talk to your staff about the changes, what it means, any impact to them and answer any questions throughout the consultation process.
There are different methods to changing terms and conditions and we will advise you the best options with the least risks based on your workforce to ensure both parties come to a mutual agreement.