2 women conducting an appraisal

Staff appraisals – more than a box-ticking exercise?

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Not all churches or Christian organisations have a formal review system in place for employees. Often it is felt that matters can be raised as and when they come to light without a formal meeting on … Read more …

Woman sitting on suitcase in airport

Supreme Court decision on holiday pay

Some employees and workers have contracts that cover the whole holiday year, but they are only required to work part of the year. For example, someone who has a zero hours contract may end up working and be paid for just a few weeks over the year, or someone may be engaged long term in … Read more …

First Day In Office. Black Woman Trainee Sitting At Desk At Workplace

Taking on staff for the first time

“The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it.” Genesis 2:15 (NCV) This article is aimed at churches and other organisations who are engaging staff for the first time. It sets out the key basic areas you need to be on top of when engaging someone … Read more …

COVID test

An end to the Statutory Sick Pay COVID-19 amendment

As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government amended the rules relating to Statutory Sick Pay, so that individuals who were self-isolating or shielding were automatically deemed to be incapable of work and therefore entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The 3 “waiting days” before someone would be eligible for SSP … Read more …

Charity emails – 6 common issues trustees should be aware of

Despite the availability of many other forms of electronic communication, email usage has never been higher, and it remains a key way of conducting business for charities. There are a number of risks and pitfalls to be aware of though when it comes to using email in your trustee duties for your church or charitable … Read more …

carers leave

Caring for the carers – a new statutory right for unpaid carers

The government has published its response to the 2020 consultation on carer’s leave, confirming its intention to introduce a new statutory right for unpaid carers to take up to one week (five working days) of unpaid leave per year when Parliamentary time allows. The right will apply in England, Wales and Scotland. Caring for the … Read more …

Data Protection Law and Your Church

Since May 2018 it’s been a legal requirement for every church to conform to the General Data Protection Regulation, which dictates how you can use people’s personal data. Our Data Protections experts have explored all the ins and outs of GDPR so that you don’t have to. GDPR in practice… It’s the first morning of … Read more …

person working at home desk

The highs and lows of homeworking

The last couple of years has seen a huge increase in the number of staff working from home. For some, it has been a blessing; flexibility, no commute, no distractions. For others, it has been a headache: managing the employment relationship at a distance, monitoring productivity, learning how to use Zoom, and balancing working from … Read more …

An end to the Furlough scheme – what now?

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the ‘furlough scheme’) ended on 30 September 2021. What happens next? The furlough scheme supported many organisations through the Coronavirus pandemic. Now that it has finished, employers need to make the difficult decision on whether they can bring back workers onto their full hours, or if redundancies need to be … Read more …

Uber

Uber Decision: Protecting the Powerless

For many years, when considering the question of someone’s employment status, judges would give the example that a chauffeur was an employee and a taxi driver was self-employed. These days, things are no longer that simple. Many of us have followed the recent discussions in the newspapers about Uber drivers and their battle in the … Read more …