News: Contract Law
Employment law training: Firms must make bank holiday position clear
13 May 2009
Employment law training should emphasise the need to inform staff that recent changes to statutory annual leave do not necessarily mean they are entitled to have bank holidays off, an expert asserts.
Yvonne Gallagher, partner and head of the employment and pensions group at Lawrence Graham, emphasises the risks that failing to make this clear can create, People Management reports.
She says it is important for companies that expect their employees to work on public holidays to make this clear in contracts and letters.
"They should also set out their position on pay so that employees do not expect enhanced payment or time off in lieu for working during bank holidays if this is not the employer's intention," she tells the news provider.
Ms Gallagher says it is important for contract law training to advise human relations staff to make this clear as early as possible.
The need for coaching in this area was recently highlighted by Halliwells' employment partner Michael Bell, who told People that that nicknames can present discrimination difficulties in the workplace.
