People Management

Employment law continues to impose huge burdens on employers within the drinks and brewing industry.

Discrimination laws are ever tighter, workers’ rights, when it comes to benefits such as parental leave, have increased, and a raft of case law sets precedents which often seems to weigh in favour of employees. And the rapid growth of areas such as social media provides new challenges when it comes to policing staff activity and setting policy.

Another complex area is that of recognising which casual staff actually qualify as employees and therefore gain statutory protection and benefits. New Agency Worker Regulations have changed the relationship employers have with workers supplied as ‘stop gaps’ by third parties, meaning that drinks companies can be liable for benefits such as holiday pay. Getting this right is essential to prevent expensive tribunal claims.

Without a doubt, it is increasingly difficult for employers to keep up to speed with their obligations, and our role is often one of an in-house HR capability, based out-house. We work closely with clients, assisting where required on HR strategy; part of this is putting into place procedures and policies which provide clear parameters for employees and prevent potential problems arising.

We can help you with:

• Handbook and contract review – review of existing employment handbooks, contracts and policies to ensure compliance with current law, or drafting new versions, as well as providing templates for standard documentation and policies.
• Dealing with and preventing discrimination claims – dcovering sex, race, disability, religion & belief or age.
• Disciplinary and grievance procedures
• Handling dismissals and redundancies
• Drafting compromise agreements and enforcement of restrictive covenants
• Handling Employment Tribunal claims

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