I’ve recently joined the UK Business Forum and commenting on various HR and employment questions.  Some come from employers but the majority come from employees. 

I commented on one post this morning which involved a query around minimum wage from an employee who felt they weren’t being treated fairly.  Someone had commented saying that it would depend on what their contract said and the employee responded saying they didn’t have one.  My response was that they were entitled to a written statement of the terms and conditions of their employment and that that should be given to them within the first 8 weeks of their employment with the company.  I also commented that it was a possibility that the employer did not even realise they were being unfair in their treatment and that a polite enquiry would be the first step. 

We can be quick to judge employers as unscrupulous and unfair.  The increase in tribunal claims over the last few years gives credence to our speed of judgement.  While I would be first to agree that there are unscrupulous employers out there, I think it’s also fair to say that some people don’t know they’re getting it wrong.  If the employer isn’t given an opportunity to correct their mistake, the employee is being just as unfair, in my opinion.  Ignorance is no excuse but neither is ignoring the opportunity to put it right.  That goes for employees as well as employers.