EARN WHILE YOU LEARN AND MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.

Become a police o cer in London’s Met. With a starting salary of c.£33.5k.

Ready for a new challenge? Looking for a career that o ers a competitive salary from day one, whilst supporting you to build skills for life and make a positive di erence? A career in policing could be the answer.

Whether it’s working with local communities, keeping the peace at major events, or patrolling the Thames, being a police o cer in the Met means discovering a satisfying career with roles and opportunities as diverse as our Capital.

We’ll help you build on your skills and discover new strengths, while providing the support and training you need to prepare you for policing in London through one of our entry routes, including the opportunity to gain a fully funded degree through our Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship programme.

Meet your local o cers at one of our upcoming recruitment events to learn more about the Met, the role, and even get some help with your application.

26-29 January 12pm-4pm

Southside Shopping Centre, Wandsworth, SW18 4TF

4-5 February 10am-2pm

Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Prince Charles Drive, Brent Cross, NW4 3FP

For more recruitment events, or to speak to a member of the outreach team visit www.met.police.uk/meet-our-recruitment-teams or scan the QR code.

matters by Graeme Bellenger

My position is going to be made redundant. Am I entitled to redundancy pay and compensation? Why might my employer offer me a settlement agreement?

There is a possibility the UK will be in recession during the course of 2023. Although there is currently high employment and staff are in demand, it is likely some employers will need to consider headcount and make redundancies.

Unless the employer acts in accordance with good employment practice and legislation, it risks terminating staff in breach of contract and potentially unlawfully. It’s a given that any termination will be unsettling for an employee. But will an affected employee also be able to assert that they are entitled to be compensated by their employer? The answer is – possibly.

If an employer wants to make a person redundant (there are extended consultation periods when an employer makes more than 20 people redundant at once), then it must act in accordance with their contract of employment and ensure that it terminates it “fairly” under the Employment Rights Act 1996.

The contract will set out how much notice an employee is entitled to receive. Further to statute, an employee is entitled to receive a week’s notice for each continuous year of service, subject to a maximum of 12 weeks’ notice. Many employers issue contracts of employment that provide for a longer period of notice and, if so, then that period must be given.

Contract aside, an employer must have fair reasons for terminating an employee’s employment (eg redundancy) and adopt a fair procedure.

If a redundancy is imposed, then the affected individual may be entitled to redundancy pay. There is no entitlement if the employee has less than two years’ continuous service. Redundancy pay is determined by reference to a week’s pay (currently capped by statute at £571) and multiplied by the number of years’ service (subject to a maximum of 20) and further influenced by the age of the employee. Statutory redundancy pay is not generous.

A significant number of employers, when imposing terminations offer settlement agreements – a full and final agreement that seeks to compromise any potential claim against an employer. Why? Some employers are genuinely trying to be generous but others simply don’t want the potential hassle of claims. If you think your employer has acted unlawfully, it may give you an angle to help negotiate better settlement terms and a solicitor can assist. You need an angle, otherwise you are merely saying “Please Sir, can I have some more?”.