Employment Law Articles

Expert articles and practical legal guides on employment law for uk businesses.

Zero-Hours Contract Meaning: What UK Employers Need to Know

Zero-Hours Contract Meaning: What UK Employers Need to Know

If you’re running a small business, there are plenty of times when you need “hands on deck” without being able to guarantee steady hours every week. That’s where zero hour arrangements often...

14 January 2026
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Tronc Meaning in the UK: Tips, Service Charges and Payroll Compliance

Tronc Meaning in the UK: Tips, Service Charges and Payroll Compliance

If you run a restaurant, bar, hotel, café, salon, or any customer-facing business, you’ve probably dealt with tips in one form or another. And at some point, you’ll hear the phrase “tronc”...

13 January 2026
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UK Employee Reference Letters: What Employers Can and Can’t Say

UK Employee Reference Letters: What Employers Can and Can’t Say

When you’re running a small business, you’ll probably be asked to provide an employee reference letter sooner or later. It might be for a departing team member, a former intern, or an...

13 January 2026
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Grievance Procedure in the UK: Handling Formal Employee Grievances

Grievance Procedure in the UK: Handling Formal Employee Grievances

Even in a well-run small business, workplace issues can crop up. An employee might feel they’ve been treated unfairly, they may raise concerns about bullying or harassment, or there could be a...

13 January 2026
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Jury Service In The UK: Employer Obligations And Practical Steps

Jury Service In The UK: Employer Obligations And Practical Steps

If you run a small business, an employee being called up for jury service in the UK can quickly turn into a staffing headache. You might be thinking: can they refuse to...

13 January 2026
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What Does RIDDOR Stand For? Reporting Workplace Incidents in the UK

What Does RIDDOR Stand For? Reporting Workplace Incidents in the UK

If you run a small business, you’ll probably hear the word “RIDDOR” sooner or later - often after something has already gone wrong. Maybe an employee has had an accident, a customer...

13 January 2026
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Restrictive Covenants in Employment Contracts in the UK: What to Know

Restrictive Covenants in Employment Contracts in the UK: What to Know

If you’ve ever had a great employee leave and immediately start working for a competitor (or take your customers with them), you’ll know how quickly that can turn into a serious business...

13 January 2026
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UK Business Plan Template: Key Inclusions And Legal Considerations

UK Business Plan Template: Key Inclusions And Legal Considerations

When you’re starting (or growing) a small business, it’s easy to think a business plan is just for investors, banks, or “serious” startups. But in practice, a solid business plan is also...

13 January 2026
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IR35 Assessment: Check Contractor Status And Reduce Risk In The UK

IR35 Assessment: Check Contractor Status And Reduce Risk In The UK

If you hire contractors (especially for IT, marketing, design, construction, consultancy, or project work), IR35 can feel like one of those “we’ll deal with it later” issues. But the reality is: carrying...

12 January 2026
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Parental Leave in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

Parental Leave in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

When you’re running a small business, a team member going on parental leave can feel like a big life moment colliding with a very real operational challenge. You want to do right...

12 January 2026
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Pay Rise Rules In The UK: Employer Best Practice And Legal Risks

Pay Rise Rules In The UK: Employer Best Practice And Legal Risks

Giving a pay rise can be one of the best (and most commercially sensible) ways to keep good people in your business. It can also be a flashpoint for disputes if it’s...

12 January 2026
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Sick Leave In The UK: Employer Rights And Employee Entitlements

Sick Leave In The UK: Employer Rights And Employee Entitlements

Sick leave is one of those workplace issues that can feel straightforward right up until it isn’t. On a good week, it’s a quick message from an employee, a shift cover swap,...

12 January 2026
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Legal Working Temperature In The UK: When Can You Refuse To Work?

Legal Working Temperature In The UK: When Can You Refuse To Work?

If you run a small business, “working temperature” issues can sneak up on you fast. One week it’s an unexpected heatwave, the next it’s a boiler breakdown in the middle of winter...

12 January 2026
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EMI Share Options In The UK: A Practical Guide For Startups & SMEs

EMI Share Options In The UK: A Practical Guide For Startups & SMEs

If you’re building a UK startup or scaling an SME, you’ve probably had the same thought most founders eventually have: how do we attract and keep great people when cash is tight?...

12 January 2026
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How To Handle Flexible Working Requests Lawfully In The UK

How To Handle Flexible Working Requests Lawfully In The UK

Flexible working isn’t just a “big corporate” topic anymore. For small businesses, a flexible working request can land on your desk at any time - from a valued team member who needs...

12 January 2026
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Minimum Working Temperature In The UK: Employer Duties And Compliance Steps

Minimum Working Temperature In The UK: Employer Duties And Compliance Steps

If you run a small business, keeping your workplace safe and productive isn’t just good management - it’s a legal obligation. Temperature is one of those day-to-day issues that can quickly become...

12 January 2026
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Biometrics in the Workplace: UK Legal Risks and GDPR Compliance

Biometrics in the Workplace: UK Legal Risks and GDPR Compliance

Biometrics can feel like an easy win for a small business: faster clock-ins, fewer “buddy punches”, better building access control, and less admin for your team. But biometrics is also one of...

12 January 2026
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Marital Status: What UK Employers Can and Can’t Ask (and Why)

Marital Status: What UK Employers Can and Can’t Ask (and Why)

Hiring your first employees (or scaling a growing team) often means you’ll start collecting more personal information than you expected. One question that comes up surprisingly often is about marital status -...

12 January 2026
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How To Write A Job Description In the UK

How To Write A Job Description In the UK

Hiring in a small business is exciting - and a little risky. When you’re making your first (or fifth) hire, you’re not just adding another pair of hands. You’re setting expectations, shaping...

12 January 2026
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Fixed-Term Employment Contracts In The UK: Rights, Renewals And Ending Them

Fixed-Term Employment Contracts In The UK: Rights, Renewals And Ending Them

If you run a small business, there are plenty of reasons you might want to hire someone without committing to a permanent role straight away. Maybe you’ve landed a big project, you’re...

12 January 2026
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Payment in Lieu of Notice (PILON) in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

Payment in Lieu of Notice (PILON) in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

If you run a small business, there will probably come a time when an employee needs to leave quickly - whether that’s due to performance, misconduct concerns, redundancy, or simply a breakdown...

12 January 2026
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Notice Periods in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

Notice Periods in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

If you employ staff (or you’re about to hire your first employee), the “notice period” is one of those terms that comes up constantly - in resignations, performance management, redundancies, and even...

11 January 2026
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Secondment Meaning And How It Works For UK Employers

Secondment Meaning And How It Works For UK Employers

If you’re running a small business, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a point where you need extra capability - but not necessarily a permanent hire. Maybe you’ve won a short-term project,...

11 January 2026
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IR35 Explained: Who It Applies To And How To Stay Compliant In The UK

IR35 Explained: Who It Applies To And How To Stay Compliant In The UK

If you hire contractors (especially through personal service companies), IR35 can feel like one of those “tax things” you only deal with when something goes wrong. But in practice, IR35 is a...

11 January 2026
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