News

There will be new rules for EU citizens visiting the UK post-Brexit if they are given approval by parliament. It is envisaged  that visitors will need to give at least three days’ notice before arriving in the UK and have had to fill in an on-line form – the Electronic Travel Authorisation in addition to …
Read the full Story “Major Changes For EU Citizens Visiting The UK Post-Brexit”

There has been considerable publicity around the issue of confidentiality agreements – so called “gagging orders” with employers unsure of their position. Recently a former employee who was dismissed after refusing to sign such an agreement brought a case to an employment tribunal claiming discrimination. However, her case was dismissed. The former employee had claimed …
Read the full Story “Worker Fired For Refusing To Sign Confidentiality Agreement Loses Discrimination Case”

With a recent survey showing that nine in ten care chiefs are worried about how they will cope over the winter attention is again focussed for many families on the issue of long term care for elderly relatives. The  Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has said they “are desperately lacking the sustainable long-term …
Read the full Story “Care Chiefs’ Worry Is Our Worry!”

You may have noticed that the winter months take a heavy toll on people’s mood and well-being. Well, there’s a reason why. It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, and it causes the winter blues between October and March. Around 20% of people in the UK suffer from winter blues each year, which leads to …
Read the full Story “Are your domestic staff “sad”?”

As an employer of domestic/household staff you will undoubtedly pay considerably more than either the National Minimum Wage or the Living Wage. However, it can be useful to know what is happening in both regimes as it gives an indication of whether wage trends for staff are stagnating or on the rise. There are two …
Read the full Story “Keeping In Touch With Staff UK Wage Trends”

A recent case which came before an Employment Tribunal illustrates how careful employers of all staff – including household and domestic – have to be in assessing if a person’s age is potentially an issue when their future employment is being considered. In the case in question an 89 year old former medical secretary was …
Read the full Story “Nowadays Age Is No Barrier To Keeping Your Staff”

Public Holidays 2019 And 2020 In The UK. Note Change In May The thing about public holidays is that they don’t always remain the same. And in this coming year, there is an additional difference as it is a Leap Year, which means the calender has an additional day. Some days remain the same of …
Read the full Story “Public Holidays in December & 2020. ‘Note Change In May’”

Do you have a legal obligation to give your domestic staff time off and pay them? Contrary to what some believe, you do NOT have to give staff paid leave on Bank or Public Holidays. You can choose to include them as part of their statutory annual leave. Their entitlements should be specified in their …
Read the full Story “What Is Your Obligation To Pay Or Not To Pay Staff & Give Time Off On Public Holidays.”

What are their rights to time off to deal with it? First of all, let us  be clear on what constitutes a “dependant.”A dependant could be a spouse, partner, child, grandchild, parent, or someone who depends on you for care. Employees are allowed a reasonable amount of time off to deal with the emergency, but …
Read the full Story “There Is An Emergency Involving A Domestic Staff Dependant….”

If any of your domestic and household staff who are EU citizens and have already been granted Pre-settled status it is vital they understand  the differences and the future actions they need to take. Those who have been in the country for less than five years or have not proved definitively that they have been …
Read the full Story “Brexit ~ Pre-settled Or Settled Status, Ensure Your Concerned Staff Know The Difference.”