A survey by Protecting.co.uk asked 1,000 employees all over the UK if they had ever read their contract in full.

•              Only six said they had – 0.6%.

•              93 said they had read part of it, or had skim-read it.

•              901, had not read their contract, or had no memory of doing so.

•              56% said they had no idea where their contract currently is.

The figures support the view that a significant proportion of misconduct issues arise because employees do not read their contract and had no idea of appropriate behaviour at the time of the incident. To head off problems for the employer and the employee, these figures demonstrate the importance of highlighting to new staff, and indeed existing staff, that the contract governs the employment relationship and needs to be read in full.

NICE consult on draft guidance to protect the health and wellbeing of older employees

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are consulting on new recommendationswithin their guidance on improving the health and wellbeing of employees, which specifically address the needs of employees aged 50 and over. The recommendations include:

§  avoid making stereotypical assumptions, e.g. not assuming that an older employee may find learning new tasks difficult;

§  encourage older employees who have few qualifications, or who may have received education and training some years ago, to make the most of learning and development opportunities; and

§  address the needs of older employees by recognizing key life stages and life events, including the shifting of caring responsibilities from care of children to care of grandchildren, or more elderly parents.

Content Note

The aim is to provide summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. In particular, where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out full details of all the facts, the legal arguments presented by the parties and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Click on the links provided to access full details. If no link is provided contact us for further information. Employment law is subject to constant change either by statute or by interpretation by the courts. While every care has been taken in compiling this information, SM&B cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Specialist legal advice must be taken on any legal issues that may arise before embarking upon any formal course of action.