While employers seek numerical and functional flexibility from the workforce, the power of employers to rewrite the terms of the contract unilaterally and to offer only precarious work packages undermines job security and economic security. The law provides little protection for employees, though continuity of employment and a permanent job can sometimes be established through statutory measures. Legislation may grant employees a right to more predictable work.

Based on international standards, the EU Directive on Working Time, implemented in the Working Time Regulations, places limits on the working week, mandates rest periods each day and each week, and provides for paid annual leave. These rights are subject to various exclusions for certain types of employment, permit some opt-outs by terms in the contract of employment, and also permit collective agreements to modify the rights. The chapter considers these various matters, and concludes by examining the weak remedies provided by health and safety inspectors and some civil claims.

Basic polymeric chemistry discussed in this chapter includes polymerization processes as well as understanding that the molecular weight of polymers is determined using different ways of calculating averages. Factors influencing polymeric properties, such as chemical elements, structure, and their physical states are also discussed. Polymers most often used as biomaterials are similar to those widely used in everyday life, and this chapter includes various types of non-degradable and degradable polymers that have been explored for a variety of applications in biomedicine.

Employees who have been dismissed may bring a claim under the common law for wrongful dismissal where the dismissal was a breach of contract. Compensation for wrongful dismissal is usually limited to compensation for a period of reasonable notice of dismissal. Statute provides minimum periods of notice that must be given. Compensation for failure to give proper notice can be avoided if the employer can demonstrate that the employee committed a repudiatory breach of contract. Claims for compensation for other kinds of breach of the terms of the contract may be available, but there can be no compensation for breach of the implied term of mutual trust and confidence in the context of dismissal. Nor can damages be obtained for breach of a contractualdisciplinary procedure; an employee can only obtain an injunction to require the employer to follow the correct procedure. In general, however, injunctions against dismissal are unavailable because of the breakdown of mutual trust and confidence between employer and employee.

This chapter provides the definition of a general ceramic as well as the classification and properties of various ceramics. Ceramics discussed include biodegradable, surface reactive, and nano-sized ceramics used in biomedical applications.

Childhood is an important time for cognitive development, during which time many factors can influence the development of complex functions like decision-making. The relationship between the HPA axis and stress reactions is of particular relevance in the development of decision-making. Fear signals activate the HPA axis, which results in cortisol production. Cortisol acts with adrenaline to form memories associated with emotional responses. This system develops early on and is dependent on exposure to stressful situations. Over activation during development, such as in cases of overexposure to stress, can result in elevated cortisol. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are understood to impact a range of cognitive function; however, the relationship between negative childhood experiences and decision-making is not a linear one; research is ongoing to unravel the complexities of this relationship.

Different natural polymers that have applications in medicine are discussed in this chapter. Classified as protein-based or polysaccharide-based, these natural materials perform diverse functions in their natural environments such as intracellular communications, providing structure, storage, and acting as catalysts. In addition to natural polymers, other natural materials such as corals are also discussed.

Statutory employment rights have traditionally been confined to employees, excluding independent contractors. Courts resist the use of misleading terms in contracts in order to create the appearance that many employees are independent contractors. Recent legislation has extended some statutory protections to some economically dependent independent contractors known as ’limb b workers’. Triangular relations where the function of employer is distributed between two or more businesses create the problem for agency workers and platform workers that it is unclear which, if any, business bears the responsibility of conforming to employment rights.

EU law has developed mandatory requirements for employers to inform and consult employee representatives. These various provisions remain in force in British law post-Brexit, though Brexit will clearly have implications for their future development. In this chapter, we consider information and consultation obligations relating to collective redundancies, as well as the more wide ranging provisions in the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004, and the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 1999, as amended in 2010.

Long assumed to have no real function, we now understand the importance of the prefrontal cortex for a wide range of cognitive functions, including decision-making. Some of the earliest understanding of the role of the prefrontal cortex came from the famous case study of Phineas Gage. Through a mining accident, Gage’s prefrontal cortex was extensively damaged. He showed no observable impairments in motor, sensory or memory skills. He however did show marked differences in personality and planning. Over the following decades, research built upon understanding of the role of the prefrontal cortex. Today, the prefrontal cortex as a region is recognised across many species and is considered the most evolutionarily advanced in humans. The current consensus is that prefrontal cortex is an integration area, integrating information from all over the brain.

This chapter provides an array of different characterization techniques that are used to determine the surface and bulk properties of biomaterials. Principles underlying the various instruments that are typically used for characterization of biomaterials and their limitations are presented.

The chapter examines statutory entitlements to caring leave and flexible working. The statutory right to paid maternity leave on the birth of a child has been extended to paid paternity leave, shared parental leave and shared parental pay. There are also rights to paid neonatal care leave and parental bereavement leave, and rights to unpaid leave to deal with family care emergencies. More generally, all employees have the right to request flexible work arrangements involving changes in their hours and location of work. There is also protection from discrimination against part-time workers in comparison to full-time workers.