Owners and managers of small businesses in the UK are urged to ensure they understand what can and can not legally ask a candidate during the process recruitment and how to stay on the right side of labor law.

Consumer group Which? has published a new manual to advise to potential job seekers in the type of questions is now considered discriminatory and about their rights when it comes to responding to these questions. Corporate recruiters smaller, which may not have the internal human resource departments therefore need to familiarize themselves with current legislation to keep on the right side of the law when interviewing applicants for employment.

Employment law has changed significantly in recent years and questions that may have been of candidates in the past are now against the law, according to the group. Ask someone in your family status, sexuality and their political and religious views is the recruitment of the "no-go" areas, the organization said. Discriminate against applicants on the basis of their responses can result in a fine for company in question, which could be disastrous for small businesses. Victoria Winkler of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (ICPD) was not only vital to comply with the law, access to a diverse range of people in the workforce may have a "positive impact" on business.

The issue of discrimination age is something that employers should also be aware of equality in employment since (Age) Regulations 2006 came into force in October 2006, which makes it illegal discriminate against someone because of his age – whatever that is. This means that companies can not force an applicant to supply their date of birth or age ask for an interview. Just as the recruitment, legislation applies to other work related situations such as professional associations and occupational pension plans.

Since April 2003, employers should also be aware of its responsibility to requests for flexible working. By law, companies must seriously consider the provision of flexible working for staff with children under six years of age or disabled children under 18. Legal Secretary Sharon Coleman recently made headlines for taking his former employer to court for constructive dismissal after she alleged that the company refused to let work flexible hours to care for her disabled son. The European Court of Justice, the Attorney General said that the employment discrimination law does not cover "associated" with a disabled person and the case is now considered by the judges.

A report by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform recently said, however, that companies in the UK in general have adopted legislation, with 92 percent of companies saying they would consider the calls to change work patterns or any of its employees. The remaining eight percent – in particular the small businesses – are encouraged to do so.

Disclaimer:
This article has been written for information and interest only. The information in this article is the opinion of the author only and should not be construed as advice or used to make financial decisions. Advice financial experts should always be sought and any links contained in this article are included for informational purposes only.

About the Author:

Victoria Cochrane is a freelance writer for both online and print media. She lives with her husband and son, and enjoys travelling when not writing.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Small Businesses Urged to Brush Up on Employment Law

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