today's advice
Avoiding a mess from the recruitment process
Dear Auntie, my company has landed a large contract and I am now looking to recruit 50 new employees over the next few months.  I have never managed a large scale recruitment process before so I would like some best practice tips. Any help appreciated!.......  Dear Mrs Hyrer

Congratulations on landing the new contract! Candidates are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about their rights during the recruitment process and getting things wrong could lead to a complaint to the employment tribunal – the last thing you would want to be dealing with right now.

today's top tip
Agents : Workers in Disguise?
Can a Commercial Agent also be a worker?

A Commercial Agent is “a self employed intermediary who has continuing authority to negotiate the sale or purchase of goods on behalf of his Principal or to negotiate conclude such transaction on behalf of or in the name of that Principal”.  Commercial Agents generally have rights which are governed by the Commercial Agents Regulations (“CARs”), as amended.  It is clear from the definition of a Commercial Agent that they cannot be an employee (since they are “self employed”), but....

today's news
Key Cases for 2010
2009 saw several key developments which Hrlaw took a brief look at in December  (click here to view article). This article looks forward to 2010 and at further key cases which are likely to be decided in the new year.
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hr focus
Fighting for rights: new guidance on workplace harassment and violence
Workplace stress levels are possibly higher than ever in the current economic climate. Employees are concerned about possible redundancies, pay cuts, and having to work increasingly hard because of pressure from management.  It is at times like this that we tend to see a rise in the number of allegations of bullying and harassment: tempers fray and things are said and done in the heat of the moment. According to the 2006/07 British Crime Survey, there were an estimated 288,000 assaults and 397,000 threats of violence in the workplace. We would not be surprised if this number increases as a result of the credit-crunch.