Next week is Mental Health Awareness week (14 – 20 May 2018) so what better time to reflect on the last 12 months which have seen much positive activity in the field of supporting mental health in the workplace. October 2017 saw two comprehensive publications issued: the ACAS guidance “Promoting positive mental health in the workplace” and the Stevenson / Farmer review of mental health and employers, “Thriving at work”. ...
It is not protests in the streets and the overturning of our Government by violence we fear, at least not yet anyway. However, there is a quiet and transformational revolution going on that will deeply affect just about everyone over time....
An employee can be unfairly dismissed if they resign as a result of an employer’s repudiatory breach, known as ‘constructive dismissal’. ...
According to a letter from the Lord Chancellor to the Justice Committee last month, a large number of eligible people have failed to apply for a refund of tribunal fees paid. The Ministry of Justice is sending letters to those affected to try to raise awareness in this regard. ...
The employees in Abrahall v Nottingham City Council received incremental annual pay rises until March 2011, when the council imposed a two-year pay freeze. The council said that the only alternative was additional redundancies. ...
The Supreme Court has recently confirmed in Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v Haywood that in the absence of any express provision in an employment contract, written notice of termination from an employer does not take effect until the employee has read it, or had a reasonable opportunity of doing so....
The view that full-time employment is in retreat and will be subsumed by the gig economy is not borne out by the facts, Matthew Taylor argued at a recent conference. Cath Everett listened in and gauged reactions to his ideas....
In the recent case of Luton Borough Council v Haque (“Haque”) the EAT has clarified that the two sub-sections for extending limitation periods through Acas early conciliation apply sequentially, and not as alternatives....
The EAT have held that an employer’s failure to pay enhanced shared parental leave (SPL) to a male employee when it did pay enhanced maternity leave to female employees was not direct sex discrimination (our blog on the Tribunal’s earlier decision can be found here). ...
After much press coverage in the build up to the reporting deadline of 4 April 2018, organisations employing more than 250 employees have now published their gender pay gap data and the results are now available for all to see. While the BBC reported that around 1,500 organisations missed the deadline to report, the results that are in make for tough reading....
The Tier 2 visa cap has been reached for the fourth month in a row resulting in sponsors being unable to employ workers under the Tier 2 General category from overseas. UKVI data shows that the minimum points required to be successful was 56 – a stark contrast to the usual 21. Many businesses have been trying to secure Restricted CoS since December....
In SoS BEIS v Parry and The Trustees of the Williams Jones’s School Foundation, the Court of Appeal (overturning the EAT’s decision) confirmed that even if a claim form has no particulars attached, in some circumstances a Respondent can still respond to the claim....
In the wake of various high profile sexual harassment stories in both the UK and the US, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have taken several steps to improve the situation for employees in the UK. This has led to them publishing a report in March this year entitled “Turning the tables: ending sexual harassment at work”....
Further to our previous blog on the tribunals issuing a response to the Vento band consultation for cases presented from 11 September 2017, the Presidents of the Employment Tribunals in England, Wales and Scotland have now issued updated joint guidance increasing the Vento bands used to calculate awards for injury to feelings (most commonly seen in discrimination and whistleblowing claims)....
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its interim report on its assessment of the UK labour market after the UK leaves the EU. Whilst the final report is expected to be published in September, the interim report summarises over 400 responses from businesses, industry bodies and government departments. ...
Childcare voucher schemes were due to close to new entrants on 5th April this year, however, the Government has now announced plans to keep this open for a further 6 months. ...
In Pets at Home Ltd v MacKenzie, the EAT held that if a breach of contract has been affirmed by an employee, a further breach by the employer cannot revive the earlier breach. ...
Business leaders must understand the enabling power of technology and get the right people on board in order to stay ahead of the game...
New fees for immigration and nationality are to come into effect on 6 April 2018. The changes include increases to Tier 2 work visa fees, indefinite leave to remain and naturalisation applications. ...
According to the ACAS quarterly stats, between April – July 2017 ACAS received around 1,700 notifications a week. This increased by 500 per week following the Supreme Court judgment in R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51 handed down on 26th July 2017 abolishing Tribunal Fees....