The 18th October is World Menopause Day. Where did that come from and why is everyone suddenly talking about Menopause at work? Menopause has long been one of those ‘taboo’ subjects. With this comes a stigma, where no one talks about it and therefore there is a lot of misunderstanding, even amongst women, about the…

Continuing our series focussed on the employment tribunal process, we’re looking at how to write a good witness statement. At this stage of the employment tribunal process all the evidence has been disclosed and agreed within the Joint Bundle. We look at what’s involved in document disclosure here. What is the role of a witness…

Bullying and harassment, if you don’t hear these terms in the press on a regular basis, we’re pretty sure you will hear them around the office. In the world of HR these words amount to serious but very different allegations. You may have heard the phrase ‘all examples of harassment could also be bullying, but…

What a scorching summer it’s been! We hope everyone has enjoyed the weather and some well-deserved time off over the holiday season. It’s not been so rosy for the employment tribunals, who have been getting a little hot under the collar with ACAS reporting another huge increase in tribunal claims. Here’s a roundup of what’s…

Amongst social learning, digital learning and gamification, the next era of learning and development will need to address a pressing (and arguably less glitzy) challenge for UK employers – the ageing population. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that for the first time ever there are more than 10 million people aged over…

When preparing for an employment tribunal case, one of the most tedious tasks can be the process of disclosing documents and pulling together the hearing bundle. At first, this may seem like an administrative task and just a ‘box to tick’ exercise. However, there is more to document disclosure than meets the eye. Tribunals can…

In the year since the abolition of employment tribunal fees, the number of claims has risen significantly, and as a result some employers may find themselves becoming accustomed to the ‘thud’ of an ET1 form on their desk. An ET1 form is not something to be taken lightly and acting quickly can benefit an employer…

A preliminary hearing is one of the first critical steps an employer may have to take as part of the journey towards the employment tribunal. Here’s our round up of what a preliminary hearing is all about, who needs to be involved and why they exist. What is a preliminary hearing? The preliminary hearing addresses…

The increase in employment tribunal claims could mark the beginning of a new era for employee relations. With this, comes an increased pressure on organisations and HR teams to better manage grievance procedures from the word go. Here’s a 5-point plan for when a grievance, or any level of complaint is raised by an employee:…

Settlement agreements are useful tools to settle disputes quickly and bring a welcome finality to an often-uncomfortable situation for HR teams. Settlement agreement negotiations can be complicated, and when organisations are considering whether to settle a dispute in this way, plenty of questions arise. Claire Rosney, Senior Employment Lawyer at Vista discusses some important points…