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Employment

Employment policies and handbooks

Operational rules, policies and procedures set the framework for the way a business operates. This framework can be set out in a staff handbook, and in some cases, with more complex issues, exist in separate policy documents.

The key considerations in making sure these documents are effective are to ensure they are legally compliant, that they protect the business, they are easy-to-understand and they give useful practical guidance to employees and managers alike. It is also crucial for employers to determine the status of their policies and clauses in the staff handbook, i.e. are they contractual or not? Equally once staff handbooks and policies are in place, they must be communicated properly through induction and other means and reviewed regularly to make sure they remain legally compliant and suit business needs. For these purposes it is vital that flexibility is built into matters that are contractual.

The team regularly assist employers with:

• Conducting policy and handbooks audits
• Advising on the legal status of policies, procedures and handbook clauses
• Amending existing policies, procedures and handbooks
• Drafting new policies, procedures and handbook clauses
• Advising on introducing change as a result of new or amended contractual provisions

Members of the team have assisted organisations such as BAA, British Transport Police, Barclays, Cancer Research UK, Crown Prosecution Service, West Yorkshire Police, the RNID, Century Life Insurance, PwC, Hackney Council, Newham Council, Legal Services Commission, and the Financial Ombudsman Service, with policy and handbook reviews.

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Makbool Javaid
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