You think you know employment law.....that everyone is due a redundancy payment, you can sack on the spot, you can dismiss someone for being 'too old', you can't dismiss an employee on maternity leave..........there are lots of employment law myths out there and so EMPLOYER BEWARE!

1. 3
Employment
Law
Myths
D o n ’ t b e f o o l e d
b y t h e s e
m i s c o n c e p t i o n s

2. They’re not needed and I can have the
freedom to do what I want
We don’t have
contracts of
employment1

3. Statutory and
implied terms
A w r i t t e n
c o n t ra c t i s n ’ t
n e e d e d f o r a
c o n t ra c t t o
e x i s t .
Yo u m a y b e
b r e a k i n g t h e
l a w w i t h o u t
e v e n k n o w i n g
i t .

4. Plan ahead: Limit
your risk!
E m p l o y e r s f a c e p o s s i b l e p e n a l t i e s f o r n o t
h a v i n g a n y t e r m s i n p l a c e a n d c o u l d f a c e
b r e a c h o f c o n t r a c t c l a i m s f o r u n k n o w i n g l y
b r e a c h i n g t e r m s .
A S 1 S t a t e m e n t i s r e q u i r e d
a s a m i n i m u m
Ke e p y o u r c o n t ra c t s l e a n
M a k e s u r e y o u h a v e a n u p -
t o - d a t e m e a t y h a n d b o o k

5. -Eleanor Roosevelt
“It takes as much
energy to wish as it
does to plan.”

6. They have to be employed for 2 years
first
A person not
employed by us
cannot claim
against us
2

7. Discrimination
J o b a p p l i c a n t s
c a n c l a i m
d i s c r i m i n a t i o n .
E m p l o y e e s w i t h
u n d e r 2 y e a r s ’
s e r v i c e c a n
a l s o m a k e t h i s
c l a i m t o g e t h e r
w i t h o t h e r
c l a i m s .

8. Never act
without thinking!
C a n i t b e d o n e a n o t h e r w a y ? W h a t a r e t h e
r i s k s t o t h e i n d i v i d u a l , c o m p a n y r e p u t a t i o n ,
f i n a n c e s e t c . i f y o u g o a h e a d ?
M a k e y o u r j o b a d v e r t s
d i s c r i m i n a t i o n f r e e
A l w a y s t h i n k a b o u t w h a t
y o u a r e d o i n g a n d w h y.
E n s u r e y o u t a k e n o t e s a n d
f o l l o w H R g u i d a n c e

9. -Dr Wayne Dyer
“The ultimate ignorance is
the rejection of something
you know nothing about
yet refuse to investigate.”

10. Without the need for notice
I can sack on the
spot for gross
misconduct3

11. Breach of contract
Unfair dismissal
Discrimination
N e v e r a c t i n
h a s t e a s y o u
c o u l d b e
p l a c i n g t h e
b u s i n e s s a t
r i s k o f t h e s e
c l a i m s .

12. Act objectively,
fairly & rationally
W h o t o l d y o u a b o u t t h e a c t o f g r o s s
m i s c o n d u c t ? W h a t e v i d e n c e d o y o u h a v e ? H o w
l o n g h a s t h e e m p l o y e e b e e n w i t h y o u ?
A l w a y s i n v e s t i g a t e a n y
p o t e n t i a l d i s c i p l i n a r y i s s u e
M a k e s u r e y o u h a v e a
d i s c i p l i n a r y p o l i c y i n p l a c e
N E V E R m a k e a s s u m p t i o n s

13. -B. C. Forbes
“Acting without thinking
is like shooting without
aiming.”

14. Contact us for a free
contract & handbook
review or to chat about
any employment law
queries you may have
Contact
Toni.sharp@standley.co.uk