With years of employment relations experience in the fashion and textile industry at local and national level, UKFT can provide guidance on a range of issues including:

• Employment Contracts both new and updating existing contracts
• Company Handbooks with all Policies, Procedures and Company Rules
• Company Disciplinary and Grievance matters including warnings and dismissals
• Discrimination issues in relation to recruitment, employment and redundancy
• Employment Tribunal Claims and ACS conciliation
• Trade Union matters covering recognition and pay negotiations

UKFT has considerable experience with regard to advising members on:

1. What to consider before employing someone
2. How to ensure you effectively manage your relationship with your staff
3. How to handle redundancy.

Members are able to access the following UKFT employment guides:

• Guide to Employment
• Draft Contract of Employment for Homeworkers
• Draft Contract of Employment
• Draft Grievance Procedure
• Draft Disciplinary Procedure
• Draft Redundancy Procedure
• Redundancy Checklist
• Redundancy Ready Reckoner

UKFT also provides its members with a series of draft policies to help ensure companies keep up to date with HR issues. UKFT draft policies are available on:

• Parental Leave
• Equal Opportunities
• Harassment
• Bullying
• Training & Development.

Employment Tribunal Service

If you find yourself facing an Employment Tribunal, UKFT offers a special service to members. Our employment specialist will assist with any aspect of the procedure, including preparing initial documentation, taking witness statements and representation at the Tribunal. This service is chargeable in addition to your membership fee.

Company Handbooks

UKFT will also help members to write their own Company Handbook, geared specifically to their own circumstances and covering all the areas they deem important.

Interns

Historically, the industry has relied heavily on recruiting unpaid interns. However, the legal position concerning interns has now changed. It is the view of HMRC that an intern, over the age of 21, must be paid at least the national living wage.

It is therefore essential that if you are offering internships, you are aware of your legal obligations to your interns. UKFT’s sister organisation the British Fashion Council has produced a best practice guide on employing interns.

National Agreements

The National Agreement between UKFT and GMB and the sister one between UKFT and Community have been the cornerstone of industrial relations harmony in the industry for the best part of 100 years.

The Agreements are widely used also in non-unionised companies and also figure prominently in individual contracts of employment and statements of terms and conditions.