“Many UNISON branches employ staff to support the work of the voluntary branch officers. Branch employed staff do a great job ensuring that the branch can function effectively, organise workplaces and offer the best service to our members. But for most new branch secretaries, becoming “an employer” is not the first thing on their minds. Yet branches that employ staff have legal responsibilities, just as branch employed staff have employment rights, and so our natural objective is that branches that employ staff are good employers. It’s for this reason that we’ve decided to work closely with XpertHR to help and support you all as good employers.”
Dave Prentis, General Secretary
To find out more information on how you can ensure legal compliance please click on the links below, alternatively you can sign up now and your dedicated account manager will be in touch.
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XpertHR is an online HR resource for compliance, good practice and benchmarking. XpertHR provides access to all the employment law and HR information you need, in one convenient place, which can be located at anytime. UNISON has been working with XpertHR over the past 3 years, to develop a scheme to support branches that employ staff. During that time we have listened to the needs of branches and have made some major revisions to the way we can offer a service to branches. The revised scheme is in three parts – a Compliance Check; support and advice to address any shortcomings; on going support and advice to you as an employer (along with loads of guidance useful to you as a union branch involved in collective bargaining on behalf of your members). |
| > | What are the Compliance Checks? The Compliance Checks are an easy and hassle free way of making sure that your Branch has confidence that you’re meeting your legal responsibilities as an employer. It is a review of all your current practices and documentation to help you become compliant with the relevant employment law and good practice. The Compliance Check covers areas such as ensuring you have accurate employment contracts for all your employees, understanding the specific details of your contracts and ensuring that you know where all your contracts are located, to ensure you are legally compliant with relevant legislation. The Compliance Check will also highlight documentation that is missing. Should any documentation be missing our legal team will work with your Branch to produce the correct documentation. |
| > | How do you complete a Compliance Check?
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| > | What information do you have access to? By subscribing to XpertHR you will also have access to information on how to keep up-to-date with current changes in employment legislation, industrial relations procedures, bargaining support information, and aiding branch negotiators involved in local bargaining. Included are the UNISON bargaining factsheets, UNISON Guides, sector specific intelligence and The Green Book. |
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Should you have additional legal questions you will have access to the XpertHR legal advice line, where your call will be answered by an employment lawyer and is available 24/7. [Note. This scheme does not include representing the branch in the event of any legal action against the branch. UNISON will continue to instruct Thompsons Solicitors. |
| > | How will you and your Branch benefit? By signing up to XpertHR you will have the peace of mind knowing that contracts, policies and procedures all adhere to current good practice and legislative requirements. You can also ensure that the following are compliant:
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If you sign up before August 2011 you will gain XpertHR’s full benefits for only £950 for the first user and £300 for each subsequent user for a 12 month contract. Thereafter, once the branch has become compliant you will qualify for the service at the reduced rate of just £550 for the first user and £300 for all subsequent users for a 12 month contract. If you have already signed up, but haven’t completed the Compliance Check, when you next renew your subscription, you will receive the same discount until August 2011. After August 2011, the introductory price will increase to £1300 for the first user and £450 for each subsequent user for a 12 month contract falling commensurately in the second year once your branch has become compliant. |
