I am looking for a good (hopefully free) web based source of
information on UK employment law. What can an employer legally do /
not do as regards an employee.
I am particulary interested the issue of grounds for dismissal and how
to avoid a claim of unfair dismissal. Also if an investigation is
carried out into an employee's alleged misconduct , how must it be
handled ? eg must the employee be notified of the investigation.
Finally what is the law as regards pre-employment checks ? Is it ok or
not ok to snoop - say obtain a credit reference.
I would also be interested in a general grounding in all the other UK
employment law from an employer's perspective.

Hello onetwothreefour-ga

I have not managed to find a single all-inclusive site with the
information you want, but quite a lot is available from the following
sites:

ACAS has a number of publications on disciplinary procedures, which
can be downloaded from
http://www.acas.org.uk/employment/et_pbiae.html  These include: 
Dealing with grievances (guide for small firms) 
Producing disciplinary and grievance procedures (self-help guide) 
Absence and labour turnover 
Redundancy handling 
Controlling labour turnover (guide for small firms) 
Tackling absence problems (guide for small firms) 
There is also a general FAQ on disciplinary procedure, grievances and
unfair dismissal at http://www.acas.org.uk/q_a/q_a3.html
And a publication “Discipline at Work” at
http://www.acas.org.uk/publications/h02.html
Publications and FAQs on other topics of employment law are also
available on this site. Publications are listed at
http://www.ecacas.co.uk/CGIBIN/PRIAMLNK.CGI?MP=GINT00&CNO=85&WHAT=Search

Employment-Solicitors claims to be directed at both employers and
employees in its information provision
http://www.employment-solicitors.co.uk/

Department of Trade and Industry has information on employment law,
with links at http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/regs.htm#a
This includes: 
Dismissal - fair and unfair : a guide for employers  (PL714 Rev 10)
http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/individual/fair-pl714.htm

Emplaw is mainly a subscription site on employment law, but a free
section  is available at http://www.emplaw.co.uk/free/index.htm  This
gives VERY brief details of court cases concerning employment law. 
More detailed information and updates are available only to
subscribers.

With respect to pre-employment background checks: “At present,
employers are not allowed to check whether job applicants have a
criminal record, with the exception of those involved in work with
children or with national security implications. When fully
implemented in Autumn 2002 the Police Act (1997) will give all
employers access to the criminal records of all job applicants. The
legislation also extends the access of employers working with children
and vulnerable adults to full police records on job applicants,
including spent convictions, cautions and warnings.”
http://www.workplacelaw.net/display.php?resource_id=1529


Otherwise, surveillance of employees and the workplace, and the
gathering of personal information, is covered by the Data Protection
Act.  A short summary of activities that are covered by this Act is
available at: http://www.fedee.com/pmguide.html

The Act itself is at:
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980029.htm

The EU Directive on the processing of personal data and on the free
movement of such data can be downloaded in rtf format from
http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk/dpr/dpdoc.nsf
 
An explanation of how the Data Protection Act operates in recruitment
and selection is at http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk/dpr/dpdoc.nsf/ed1e7ff5aa6def30802566360045bf4d/6a185350ccdea4f680256b7b0056f37e?OpenDocument

The UK Code of Practice on privacy at work is at
http://www.fedee.com/dpcp.html

In case you might want to get some books on employment law for further
reference, a list of title available at Amazon.co.uk is at
http://www.fairness.freeserve.co.uk/books/bk-emp-law.html

Search strategy on Google: guide, employers, UK, law,

thanks that's great and very quick ! regards JD