Employer's Charter launched

A new Employer’s Charter was launched by Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, yesterday (27th January). The Charter “aims to dispel many of the myths about what an employer can and can't do in managing their staff reasonably, fairly and lawfully” and aims to “provide clarity for employers on what steps they can take when handling workplace issues with staff”.

You can view the Charter here.

Among the “entitlements” covered by the Charter are:

• Asking an employee to take a pay cut
• Dismissing an employee for poor performance
• Asking an employee about their future plans, including retirement

However while the Charter covers the “what you can do”, it makes no reference to the “how you do it” – and employers will know that almost all the employer “entitlements” come with a procedure attached, and getting that wrong leads to tribunal claims.

It’s also worth noting that the Charter does not give employers any new rights, and there is no relaxation of existing rules and procedures.

What the Charter does

• The Charter sets out many of the rights employers already have to manage workers in the workplace

What the Charter does not do

• The Charter does not give employers any new or additional rights
• The Charter does not take away the requirement to follow the correct procedures where these exist

What employers should do

• Employers are still bound to follow appropriate procedures when dealing with employment matters, including those mentioned in the Charter.
• Always take advice from the Mentor Employment Law & HR Advice Service before taking any action.