An Employee’s Rights – When do these begin?

Posted on: 22 Apr 2016

As an employer, have you ever considered when an employee’s rights really begin?

Understandably, many people may believe that the HR processes start on a worker’s first day; however this can be a dangerous thought!

 In fact, your employment law obligations as an employer start on your very first interaction with a potential candidate.

 For example, the whole recruitment process must be conducted with an awareness of HR in order to ensure a fair recruitment selection procedure is achieved.

 What Should An Employer Think About?

• Consider your job description for the role – it is imperative not to appear discriminatory on the grounds of a protected characteristic which can include age, disability and race. So it is a good idea to make sure you check the wording of your job description so as not to suggest a certain type of candidate would be preferred on the basis of something like gender or age.
• Review your interview process – have you offered reasonable adjustments for all candidates to enable them to attend the interview? Have you got fair and robust interview questions that will enable you to evaluate all candidates equally?

 The above are just a few of the issues to be considered prior to even offering the successful candidate a position.

 If you want to discuss any of the above considerations, please feel free to contact Key Recruitment’s HR Advisor, Kay Donegan (Associate CIPD) on 0161 443 4983 / kayd@keyrecruitment.co.uk