Onboarding Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha recruits? Make sure they vibe with your social media policy

As more individuals from Gen-Z and over the next few years Gen-Alpha take to the workplace, they bring with them increased knowledge and use of social media platforms.

While access to smartphones and the internet can be of value to your business – helping your staff work flexibly and communicate more efficiently – it can be a double-edged sword.

Without clear guidelines in place, employees may take to social media platforms to complain about a bad day at the office, post offensive comments, harass colleagues, discuss clients, or reveal confidential information.

Such information could be visible to clients, prospects, and the media, resulting in negative publicity for your business.

Here’s how to build an effective social media policy.

What is a social media policy and why is it important?

A social media policy provides clear guidelines for staff about their use of social media.

Inappropriate social media activity is a conduct issue, which should be dealt with via your disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Putting clear guidelines in place by way of your social media policy means that staff know what they can and cannot say about their colleagues, the business and its clients.

These guidelines should provide clarity about the personal views employees can express and how staff are expected to protect the reputation of the company.

Having a policy in place also helps manage performance effectively, outlines any monitoring of social media that the company carries out, and explains how breaches will be dealt with.

What should a policy contain?

Your policy should outline what constitutes acceptable social media behaviour and explain what disciplinary procedures are in place for staff who breach the policy guidelines. These should include sanctions for cyber-bullying and other forms of harassment.

Your policy should also clarify whether social media usage is being monitored, and if so, how this will take place. It is helpful to also specify whether social media searches are undertaken during the recruitment process.

Make sure you consult with your employees before implementing a new social media policy and be prepared to justify your guidelines.

You can also use the policy to require that your IT network is protected through controls on the downloading of software and appropriate firewalls if you do not have a separate IT policy addressing this.

Risks to be aware of

Protecting your company must not come into conflict with an employee’s right to privacy and freedom of expression, which are rights protected by the Human Rights Act 1998.

If staff breach your policy guidelines, make sure you act proportionately.

Any monitoring of internet usage and social media communications must comply with the Data Protection Act 2018.

For tailored advice on drafting social media policies, or any other employment law matter, please contact us.

When faced with the emotional trauma of losing a loved one or friend, the last things you may want to deal with at this time are the associated legal, tax and administrative issues.

If you are tasked with administering an estate, you will take on numerous obligations and duties and you may find yourself unfamiliar with some of the terms used by the various institutions you contact.

Here’s what you need to know about applying for a grant of probate.

What is probate?

Probate is the process of proving that a will is valid and confirming who has authority to administer the estate of the person who has died.

Before the next of kin or executor named in the will can claim, transfer, sell or distribute any of the deceased’s assets, they might have to apply for a grant of probate.

What is a grant of probate and when is it required?

If executors are appointed in a will, they will apply for a grant of probate. This is a legal document issued by the court to enable the executors to deal with administering the estate.

For example, a grant of probate is needed to access bank accounts, sell assets and settle debts after someone has died.

If someone dies intestate (i.e., they have not left a will), then you will need to apply for a similar but different legal document called a grant of letters of administration. This works in much the same way as a grant of probate, giving a named person legal authority to deal with the estate of the deceased.

If any of the following apply, then it is likely that a grant of probate is required:

1. The deceased held a property in their sole name.
2. The deceased held assets in their sole name with a value of more than £25,000 with any one or more financial institutions.
3. There are foreign assets, business assets or a trust involved.

How to apply for a grant of probate

Grief over the loss of a loved one, combined with confusion about their legal responsibilities, can lead to many families delaying probate because they don’t know where to start.

However, delaying probate can cause further complications, including lack of access to funds, property losing value, and increased stress.

The first step is to seek legal advice. Our expert solicitors can guide you through the probate process and help you avoid common problems.

The next step is to collect details of the deceased’s assets and liabilities as soon as possible, to determine the value of their estate.

Where IHT is payable, the deadline is six months from the end of the month of death. Probate cannot be issued until IHT is paid and acknowledged, and HMRC issues a code.

Once the above steps have been completed, you will be able to apply to the Probate Registry for a grant of probate.

Probate is typically granted within 16 weeks of an application, and often sooner in most cases.

However, the overall estate administration is likely to take one to two years to complete, so it is better to start early.

If you need help with probate, contact our expert team today. We can assist with everything from applying for probate to handling complex estates, ensuring the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible.

While many couples celebrated their love on Valentine’s Day, such jubilation will not have reached those going through the divorce process.

Even an amicable divorce process can be lengthy, expensive, and marred by tough moments and unexpected complications.

For this reason, more and more couples are turning to online divorce services, which offer seemingly quick, easy, and affordable solutions.

However, legal gaps and lack of thorough guidance means that online divorce services often leave families in dangerous positions without key financial arrangements.

Why online divorce services are risky

There are many potential hazards for couples seeking online divorce services:

• Many online divorce providers are not regulated and do not have Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII). This means that clients can be left without recourse if they receive poor advice or if errors occur in their divorce and financial documents.
• Online divorce providers often quote initial low fees, only to request an additional £593 court fee from clients to complete the application. Refunds are not usually offered, meaning individuals can find themselves trapped into proceeding with the service.
• The reason that online divorce providers can offer alarmingly quick dissolutions is because they overlook financial settlements. This can mean that divorces are finalised before a financial order has been put in place, leading to acute consequences (such as losing the right to share pensions or dispute another’s income claims).
• Online divorce providers usually do not provide proper legal advice or full disclosure, leaving clients uninformed and misled.
• Divorce law is designed to be flexible to accommodate the different needs of each couple. However, online divorce providers offer less tailored services and often fail to identify vulnerable clients and their needs.

How to counteract these risks

If you are considering using an online divorce provider, you should thoroughly research different options and consult reviews.

Undertake your due diligence:

• Read the terms and conditions carefully.
• Review the refund policy.
• Ensure that the provider has PII in place.
• Investigate the complaint handling process and what options are available if things go wrong.
• Check for any unfair limitations on compensation or damages.

Seek the advice of an expert family lawyer to evaluate any agreements that have been made and make sure that your financial affairs have been settled before you apply for the final divorce order.

Our family lawyers are highly experienced in helping clients navigate the difficulties of divorce. We provide independent, tailored legal advice necessary to protect your interests and ensure that you receive fair and considered outcomes.

For further advice on protecting your interests in the divorce process, please contact our team and find out how we can help.

Many couples find 14 February to be the perfect day for a romantic marriage proposal, so if you find yourself popping the question on Valentine’s Day, you’re not alone.

However, you cannot forget about the importance of protecting your assets just because love is in the air.

Although thinking about the possibility of divorce isn’t a particularly romantic activity, it is nevertheless a vital legal consideration.

What is a pre-nuptial agreement?

A pre-nuptial agreement is set up before a marriage is formalised. It is an agreement between the two partners, designed to set out financial arrangements and protect their separate property in the event of a permanent separation.

It is also possible to establish these arrangements after the marriage has taken place. This constitutes a post-nuptial agreement.

Such agreements are not currently legally binding in the UK but were given legal weight in certain circumstances by the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Radmacher v Granatino in October 2010.

This means that courts are increasingly accepting pre- or post-nuptial agreements as proof of a couple’s intentions should they wish to divorce.

Should I put a pre-nuptial agreement in place?

The decision to put a pre-nuptial agreement in place requires careful consideration by both parties.

For some couples, it would be a pragmatic piece of forward planning that removes potential areas of conflict. For others, setting up such an agreement would be unthinkable.

If there are children from a previous marriage or relationship, their parent may well want to ensure that any money or property that they have at the time of the marriage is preserved for those children, rather than going to their new partner.

What to consider when drawing up a pre-nuptial agreement

There are several factors for both partners to consider when drawing up a pre-nuptial agreement.

First and foremost, both partners should take independent legal advice (and, if necessary, accountancy advice) before entering into an agreement. This protects both partners against any future claim that they were pressurised into entering such an agreement

Couples should also ensure that they:

• Allow plenty of time (at least 28 days before a wedding) for the drawing up of an agreement.
• Are prepared to fully disclose all assets and financial circumstances.
• Make it clear in the agreement what happens to the assets belonging to each partner before the civil partnership or marriage, as well as those accumulated during the relationship (including what will happen to the couple’s home, in terms of who lives there and the division of proceeds if it must be sold).
• Include review clauses (for example, on the birth of a child or in case of an inheritance).

You should always seek professional advice tailored to your own circumstances before entering into any arrangements.

Our dedicated team of family lawyers can help you to ensure that your assets are protected, leaving you to enjoy your wedding day stress-free.

To find out more about how we can help you set up a pre-nuptial agreement, please get in touch.