UK Employment Law and Corporate Social Responsibility: An Evaluation

This report delves into the structure of UK employment law, examining its key components and the balance it strikes between the rights of employers and employees. It explores legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Employment Rights Act 1996, and analyzes the impact of the European Union's influence on worker's rights. Furthermore, the report investigates the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), its ethical and strategic importance, and the extent to which corporations integrate CSR into their business models. It highlights how CSR initiatives, such as environmental protection, societal contributions, and stakeholder engagement, are employed by businesses to enhance their brand image, attract investors, and foster employee satisfaction. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of both legal compliance and ethical practices in the contemporary business environment, underscoring the importance of a sustainable and socially responsible approach.

UK Employment Law
and Corporate Social
Responsibility

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................4
Explain broad structure of UK Employment Law and indicate who you think UK Employment
Law favours – either employers or employees................................................................................4
Discuss the extent to which corporations take Corporate Social Responsibility ............................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The UK legal system is unique and diversified. It covers range of legislation that aims to
ensure effective running of an organisation. Business law is a wide concept which includes
company law, employment law, health and safety legislation etc. as it facilitates strong relation
among employees and employers. There are various theories and principles that had been laid
down under UK business law to operate a business. The legal compliances are binding upon the
industries to bring transparency in their working system (Barnard, 2020). The safety and security
of all employees are the paramount objective of every organisation. An organisation owes
several duties towards the society, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Society needs
and public goods are the compulsory obligation of an industry to gain brand value in the market.
It must be ensure that employees should not be discriminated on the basis of caste, sex, origin,
wages, paternity leaves etc. This report will cover basic structure of employment law and
importance of CSR policy of an organisation.
TASK
Explain broad structure of UK Employment Law and indicate who you think UK
Employment Law favours – either employers or employees.
The UK employment law is complex as it provide equal protection to all the employees and
employers and build strong relation among them. The UK common law is based on the principle
of equity and has uncodified law. The different sources of law such as Convention, Treaties,
custom, tradition etc. plays crucial role in English legal system. The employment contract
between the employees and employers binds the parties from certain terms and conditions. It
enhance the overall performance of an organisation and encourage their efforts and contribution
they made towards the goal and success of a business. The Equality Act of 2010, Employment
Rights Act of 1996, Paternity and Maternity Leave Regulation of 1999, National Minimum
Wages Act of 1998 etc. safeguards the legal and fundamental right of an individual. It ensure
fair and equal treatment of employees at workplace. The business is succeed because of its
internal policies that plays significant role in enhancing the profitability of an organisation. The
motivated and high skilled employees are the great asset that adds value in the business
(Countouris and De Stefano, 2019). The employment law imposes certain obligation over the

employers in regards to maintenance of peaceful and harmonise working condition to satisfy the
employee. It is important for the employees to remain satisfied at workplace in regards to
effective plans and polices that meet the desired goal of an organisation. It reduces the stress and
conflict among the employees and employers. It prevent employment turnover and
dissatisfaction at workplace. It encourage the employees to take part in the decision making of an
organisation. The membership of European Union (EU) influences the workers to get benefit of
paid annual holidays, improved healthy and safety measures, right to get off on emergency,
family reasons. Right of equal treatment for part-time workers etc. The average working hours in
UK is 48 hours. This duration is decided to promote healthy and livelihood of employees and
average time is reasonable so that their efficiency remain constant at workplace. The working
condition of organisation is important where they can work with full energy is known as
“working time directives”. The standards and regulation are binding upon the employees to
maintain the disciplined and result oriented approach in the organisation. The International
Labour Law outlines the set of rules and regulations concerning the labour laws that was
developed with the purpose of raising standards of living of employees working in an
organisation (Haines, 2018). The Declaration was made to enhance the dignity, integrity and
respect of employees at workplace to self recognition their personality so that they can contribute
highly towards the success of an organisation. The initiative and training programmes are
designed to increase the skills and knowledge of employees at workplace so, that they can easily
the process and method of doing business. However, the legal framework of employment law is
most common for enforcing the legal terms and condition between the contracting parties.
Discuss the extent to which corporations take Corporate Social Responsibility
The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility is unique and one of the modern
approach that are used by various organisation. It is an ethical duty of a business to serve the
benefits to the society. The natural resources and success of an organisation is achieved because
of society and public relation. The sustainable use of resources and contributing in the societal
growth, environmental protection are some of the leading example of CSR. It is a corporate
strategy that targets the moral issues and perform ethical responsibilities to establish brand image
in the market. The production of environment friendly products and reduction in use of chemical
substance is avoid the pollution in the society (Lister, James and Hassan, 2020). It is generally
used by large scale businesses to attract the stakeholders such as investors, suppliers, customers

etc. to gain competitive advantage in the market. It encourage the employees and bring
satisfaction among them as they are one of the important part of CSR strategy that boost their
morale. There are various organisation that focus on the charitable initiatives and donation
programmes to assist the society and needy people. The sponsored events aims to collect funds to
contribute their parts towards the society. For instance: The CSR strategy use by the Google to
build brand recognition in the market by covering comprehensive areas of sustainability,
education, health etc. In the year 2017, Google had announced the total grant of $ 1 billion
towards the commitment of improving health infrastructure, increase in economic opportunity
etc.
Another company is BMW, a luxurious automotive industry who contributes in societal
development in the year 2020 and designed the Schools Environmental Education Development
projects where they reached the thousand of students all around the world. The great business
model was adopted by them and aligning with the CSR strategy ensure the brand image in the
market.
The third most well reputed coffee industry is Starbucks that prioritise their social responsibility
by initiating a C.A.F.E programmes where they partnered with an organisation to provide pure
and clean drinking water to I billion people who have insufficient drinking system in their area.
However, it is an effective strategy that bring transparency in the working system and gives
positive impact in a society. The principle of sustainability is concerning with the sustainable use
of resources that will reduce the cost and maximise the profit without causing any harm to the
environment. It is a voluntary effort that works responsibly and morally use to meet the purpose
of effective decision making to improves public image. It gains customers trust who is the
ultimate king of the market. According to World Business Council for Sustainable development,
“ Corporate Social responsibility” is an integrated efforts that contributes in the economic
development and enhance the quality of life of the workers as well as society at large. There is
no specified definition of CSR but many authors has identified in different ways. With the
emergence of globalisation and industrialisation, the demand of CSR strategy is important to
survive in the competitive market (Rowe, Karg and Sherry, 2019). The Companies Act of 2006,
also highlights the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility to sustain long term growth of
a business. CSR rules and standards has been made to assist the companies in dynamic business
culture that tends to change time by time.

CONCLUSION
From this above report, it has been concluded that the UK legal system is unique and
based on the principle of natural justice. It gives equal protection to all the individual and secure
their general interest so that they can live freely without any harm and injury. The employment
law of England and Wales is vast and includes all the rights that are important for the betterment
of their livelihood. It improves the interaction between the employees and employers. The
multiple rights and obligation laid down under the UK employment law enhances the overall
performance of employees at workplace. The CSR strategy is also one of the ethical
responsibility of an organisation that aims to attract the investors and other stakeholders who
contribute in sustaining ultimate growth of an organisation at international level. It is a social
responsibility towards the public to contribute in their growth and development of nation. It
facilitates reduction in risk, effective recruitment of employee, ensuring safety, security of
employees and optimal use of resources without any wastage. The resources available through
society must be used in effective and efficient way so that the ecological balance can be
maintained which is one of the important factor of CSR.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barnard, C., 2020. EU ‘Social’Policy From Employment Law to Labour Market Reform.
Countouris, N. and De Stefano, V., 2019. Executive summary of the report ‘New trade union
strategies for new forms of employment’. European Labour Law Journal, 10(3),
pp.183-186.
Freedland, M. and Dhorajiwala, H., 2019. UK response to new trade Union strategies for new
forms of employment. European Labour Law Journal, 10(3), pp.281-290.
Haines, A., 2018. UK considers closer links between employment and tax rules. International
Tax Review.
Hejase, H.J., 2020. Corporate Social Responsibility amid COVID-19. Journal of Economics and
Economic Education Research, pp.1-3.
Lister, E., James, K. and Hassan, A., 2020. An analysis of corporate social responsibility within
the Big Four accountancy firms in the UK: Has there been continuous
improvement?. International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance
Evaluation, 16(4), pp.307-338.
Maali, K., Rakia, R. and Khaireddine, M., 2021. How corporate social responsibility mediates
the relationship between corporate governance and sustainability performance in UK: a
multiple mediator analysis. Society and Business Review.
Neugebauer, M., 2021. Socio-legal perspectives on agency work: Liminal employment,
innovation and the crisis of UK labour law (Doctoral dissertation, University of Kent).
Rowe, K., Karg, A. and Sherry, E., 2019. Community-oriented practice: Examining corporate
social responsibility and development activities in professional sport. Sport
Management Review, 22(3), pp.363-378.
Themistocleous, C., 2019. Employment status in the UK: implications for business
owners. Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, 8(2), pp.92-94.