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As many as one in five Guernsey businesses still do not have a maternity policy in place, despite statutory requirements coming into force on 1st April 2016. The statistic comes from the results of a survey carried out by law firm Mourant Ozannes following an employment contracts workshop held at the OGH in Guernsey earlier this month.
The event, which was packed out, attracted attendees from a wide cross-section of Guernsey’s business community and was designed to raise awareness of the common pitfalls and consequences of not keeping employment contracts up to date. A fifth of those surveyed said they had not reviewed their employment contracts in the last five years, while a quarter admitted they had no equal opportunities policy in place.
The Masterclass on Employment Contracts revealed potential areas of risk for Guernsey businesses that do not stay up to date with changes in Employment Law and best practice, as well as highlighting a number of ways in which local employers are providing good employment terms for their staff.
Jessica Roland, Managing Partner, Mourant Ozannes Guernsey said: “The workshop was a very interactive event and we conducted the survey as a means of gauging general awareness of employers’ obligations towards their employees. It was also an opportunity for attendees to carry out a mental health check of their existing policies and contracts and I have to say we were quite surprised by the results. Given that 90% of respondents said that they know exactly what rights and obligations are contained in their employment contracts and have read their company's employment-related policies and procedures, we are confident that the results are an accurate reflection of how things really stand".
Senior Associate Carly Parrott commented: "I would repeat what we said at the workshop: it pays to regularly review your contracts of employment to make sure they are fit for purpose, rather than face potentially costly consequences in the event of the employee relationship turning sour.”
