Employment Relations Legislation: A Guide for Line Managers in UK

This report provides an overview of employment relations legislation in the UK, focusing on the responsibilities of line managers. It discusses the importance of maintaining positive employee relations, the essential legal provisions of employment contracts, and the various sources of employment relations legislation, including common law, statute, and European law. The report also highlights recent developments in employment relations legislation, such as fit note changes, the four-day week trial, changes to industrial action rules, and trade union recognition. It emphasizes the role of legislation in providing flexibility and security to employees, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and fostering a positive and productive work environment. Desklib offers a wealth of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to further support students in understanding employment law.

Contemporary developments in employment relations (DER)
assessment activity 2 template
Employment relations legislation
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Introduction
Employment relations legislation assist organisation in maintaining better and healthy
relationship among employers, employees and unions. It promotes fair practises so that
various problems of Employment relationship can be resolved in better manner. Collective
and individual relationships at work place results in better productivity which affect the
profitability and revenue generation in negative and positive manner (Ryu, 2018). HR
professionals of an organisation is responsible for maintaining healthy relationship by
implementing effective policies so that they can reduce negativity from their operations. This
report will include the introduction by line managers required to understand employment
relation legislations in an organisation. Legal requirements are explained in this report around
the context of employment which involves minimum requirements and other working
arrangements at workplace. Sources are mentioned in this report which identifies origins of
employment relations legislation in UK.
Contract of employment
It is important for line managers to maintain positive employee relation in an
organisation so that they can increase the engagement rate of their employees which affect
their productivity. Well-being and health of employees should be focused by managers so that
they can achieve positive outcomes which results in growth and development of business. It
is necessary to carry out important conversations among employers and employees on
regular basis so that they can understand thoughts and ideas of each other (Lee, 2021).
Communication plays important role in maintaining healthy relationship as it provides
opportunities in understanding thoughts, attitudes, culture and believes of diversified
employees so that they can maintain positive work environment. It assist organisations in
providing equality to their employees so that they can maintain proper work force which is
required for achievement of goals and targets. It increase the satisfaction level of employees
so that they can engage themselves in an organisation for longer period of time. It enhance
the loyalty and trust between employees and organisation so that they can achieve their
collective goals in desired manner.
Contract of employment includes various essential legal provisions which are salary,
confidentiality agreement, end and start date of contract, name and address of employee and
employer, medical aid benefits, contributions and rules, provident funds and pension benefits.
Employment contract should include clear job description so that employees can understand
their duties, roles and responsibilities which is essential for smooth operations. The binding
agreement between employee and employers are assist them in protecting the various rights
and intellectual resources so that misunderstandings can be easily eliminated. The

employment contract law assist employees in maintaining safe working environment so that
they can grow their career in effective and efficient manner (Chan and Selden, 2019). The
major types of legal requirements which most of the businesses includes in their employment
contract are tax obligations, financial regulations and employment laws which includes all
legal responsibilities in context to their employees. labour practices are assisted in desired
manner so that they increase the market share and revenue generation rate in effective and
efficient manner.
Sources of employment relations legislation
Legislation is the main source of employment law in UK which includes contract of
employment so that organisations can carry out operations according for them. It creates
differences between workers, employees and self employment according to their individual
rights. It is necessary to provides some kind of security and rights to the employees so that
they can feel satisfied (Rigel Hines, 2021). Government of UK formulated various laws
according to the business environment of an organisations so that employer and employee
can maintain better relationship with each other. It includes three major laws which are
Statute, The common law and European law. These laws can be explained as follows:
Common law: This law suggest that employees should work with their employers
under a particular contract of employment. It provides them legal basis of their respective
employment which establish formal relationship between employees and their organisation.
Protection rights are provided according to this law so that they can grow their career in
desired manner. This is usually provided in written form which is a legal document required by
employees so that they can commence operations in a smooth manner (Cetrulo, Cirillo and
Guarascio, 2019). Under this employment law, organisations become liable towards the
health and safety of their employees and provide compensation for work place injuries and
accidents.
Statute: A statute is a law which is passed by legislature and grant some power to
organisations by constitutions. It is specific statement which covers particular issue or
problem in an organisation. For example, organisations should provide benefits to their
employees if they have faced any physical health issues due to accidents by their machinery.
It is right of employees to get extra benefits so that they can easily recover by the accidental
issues. It helps employees in getting safety and security rights so that they can work with full
potential with out any sense of fear. Formal documents are provided to employees which
involve written rules and regulations (Frattaroli, 2020). Local government of UK is responsible
for passing the written laws in order to govern their employees and citizens working in an
organisation. Some of the employment statute acts are Equality act 2010, Human Rights Act
1998, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Employment Rights Act 1996, Employment Act
2002, and many more.
Recent developments in employment relations legislation
Employment laws provide flexibility and security to employees so that they can work
without any difficulties and maintain harmony at their workplace. Contracts of employment
include policies of data protection, sick pays, health and safety, anti discrimination including
religion, disability, gender and race (Setegn, 2020). Workmen compensation act is also
transformed into employee compensation act so that organisations can apply that law in their

operations. It is essential to implement laws so that proper work balance can be maintained in
order to achieve growth and success. It assist in gaining various competitive advantages and
opportunities. It provides healthy working environment to employees so that changes can be
carry out in positive manner. there are various employment relations legislation which are
recently developed are mentioned below:
Fit note changes: It is essential to focus on the health and safety of the employees
working in an organisation. Individuals can easily take off during their sick day for more than a
week i.e. 7 days. Physiotherapists, nurses and other occupational therapists can certify and
provide fit notes to the employees. this policy helps employees in working in flexible manner
during their sick days which maintain their productivity level in effective manner.
Four day week trial: Organisations allow employees to work in trial manner in their
first week and receive 100% of their salary during that week. They can work 5 days per week
so that they can maintain balance between their personal and professional life (Espi, Francis
and Valodia, 2019). They can explore their work environment and contribute their full potential
so that they can achieve goals and targets in effective manner. employees need some extra
time so that they can enjoy their duties and responsibilities in appropriate manner.
Changes to industrial actions rules: Irrelevant rules and regulations should be
eliminated from the organisation so that productivity can be maintained in effective manner.it
prevents strikes so that duties can be performed in desired manner. proper transparency can
be maintained among employees so that they can provides reviews and feedbacks on regular
basis.
Trade union recognition
Recognition of trade union refers to the agreement which employers follows in order
to negotiate with the respective union so that they can provide desired working conditions and
salaries to their workers. The process of negotiation refers to collective bargaining which
includes large number of workers which can be said as bargaining unit. Certain legal
obligations are involved in an organisation which managers agree in order to recognise the
trade unions. There are various categories which are involved in trade unions such as a right
of freedom of expression and a speech which allows employees in communicating their
thoughts and views in an organisation (Inshyn and et.al., 2021). Rights are imposed regarding
registration and formation of trade unions and recognition by the employers. It also includes
rights regarding collective actions and collective bargaining and functions of different trade
unions. Industrial relations should be maintained in effective manner so that day to day
problems can be eliminated.
It assist in carry out collective bargaining so that relationship can be maintained
between employees and employers. Rights can be reserved which assist in commencement
of better operations which is essential for growth and development. It engages employees in
an organisation by maintaining their interest in operations so that goals can be achieved in
appropriate manner (De Brito and Ventura, 2019). Legal rights are provided by organisations
so that employees can maintain legal provisions for their safety. Freedom can be enjoyed by
employees at work place so that they can freely communicate regarding their rights. It clarifies
all the doubts and problems faced by employees in their day to day operations. Legal
procedures are recognised with the help of voluntary recognition.
Conclusion
Employment regulation maintains a healthy relationship with their employees and
employers so that they can effectively perform operations at workplace. It is formulated
according to the business environment which includes nature of a business, its location,
number of employees and salaries and wages which organisation provides to their
employees. It may include various acts like factories act 1948, industrial dispute act 1947
shops and establishment act and many more. It helps employees in resolving different

employment relationship problems so that organisation can maintain harmony and peace.
This report included about employment relations legislation in context to line managers so
that organisation can maintain smooth operations. Legal requirements are discussed in order
to formulate the contract of employment which includes various factors like minimum
requirements, needs of employers and their contractual working arrangements. Sources of
legislations are mentioned in this report along with the recent development in individual rights
were also discussed. Statutory trade union recognition is discussed in this report and different
wants to recognise a trade unions.
References
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effects of temporary employment on new products. Applied Economics, 51(59),
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Chan, J. and Selden, M., 2019. Labor legislation, workers, and the Chinese state.
In Handbook of Protest and Resistance in China (pp. 105-118). Edward Elgar
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De Brito, E.S. and Ventura, C.A.A., 2019. Involuntary psychiatric admission: comparative
study of mental health legislation in Brazil and in England/Wales. International journal
of law and psychiatry, 64, pp.184-197.
Espi, G., Francis, D. and Valodia, I., 2019. Gender inequality in the South African labour
market: Insights from the Employment Equity Act data. Agenda, 33(4), pp.44-61.
Frattaroli, M., 2020. Does protectionist anti-takeover legislation lead to managerial
entrenchment?. Journal of financial economics, 136(1), pp.106-136.
Inshyn and et.al., 2021. Forms of Supervision and Control Over Compliance with Labor
Legislation and Labor Standards in Ukraine. Global Jurist, 21(1), pp.247-272.
Lee, N., 2021. Fairness for all–employee inventions between contract and legislation in Korea
and Japan. In Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Employment Law.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
Rigel Hines, T., 2021. Variables which influence the early state adoption of pro-LGBT
legislation. Journal of homosexuality, 68(3), pp.389-414.
Ryu, K., 2018. Labor market dualism and the wage penalty for temporary employment:
Evidence on the interplay of employment protection legislation and labor market
institutions from PIAAC data. Development and Society, 47(4), pp.535-562.
Setegn, M.T., 2020. Legislative inaction and judicial legislation under the Ethiopian private
international law regime: an analysis of selected decisions of the Federal Supreme
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