Protection from health and safety detriments and the right to PPE should cover ‘workers’ as well as employees, High Court rules....
2020 is likely to be a year of financial constraints for many businesses. Therefore, the recent Court of Appeal decision in Heskett v Secretary of State for Justice [2020] could be good news for employers seeking to justify indirect discrimination as a biproduct of a short-term need to reduce expenditure. ...
In light of the new social media guidance the BBC imposed on its own employees, employers should be carefully considering whether or not their own social media policy sufficiently protects their interests....
The first payment to include in a redundancy package is the statutory redundancy payment. This must be paid to all eligible employees and the amount is set by legislation. Other mandatory payments on termination would also include accrued but untaken annual leave and unpaid wages. Some employers, where the contract allows, may make a payment in lieu of notice....
When the UK went into lockdown in March, no one anticipated that we would be entering another in November. Again we have been told that those that can, must work from home. With the second lockdown starting today, many employees that had put-off purchasing home office equipment first time round, with the hope of returning to the office, may now be changing their minds....
The Government has injected further money into the Job Support Scheme (JSS) and modified the Scheme for businesses forced to close by under government lockdown orders (JSS closed) and for those still managing to operate but facing decreased demand (JSS Open)....
If it becomes law the new bill would require more employers to comply with gender pay gap reporting and report on ethnicity pay gaps for the first time. It could also give female and BME employees the right to know what their male or non BME colleagues are paid. ...
Following extensive consultation that began in December 2019, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has finally published their updated guidance on the Right of Access, namely the ability for an individual to submit a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) to a processor of their personal data. ...
The Chancellor has today announced welcome major changes to the Job Support Scheme (JSS). The changes mean the scheme is likely to be worth considering for many more employers....
Working from home is the new normal for many. Some employers have been flexible in their approach to what “at home” means in reality. As long as the job is being done, does is matter where it’s being done from?...
With the high and rising number of employees needing to self-isolate while awaiting coronavirus (COVID-19) test results, businesses need to understand their sick pay obligations....
The Employment Appeal Tribunal decision in Verizon European Works Council v Verizon Group highlights the risk of bypassing established statutory mechanisms for informing and consulting with the workforce. Where these arrangements are national works councils or European Works Councils (EWCs), this can lead to penalties of up to £75,000....
The employment tribunal also ordered Oxford to reinstate the professor after he won his claims for age discrimination and unfair dismissal. ...
The Job Support Scheme, initially announced on the 24th September, was expanded by the Chancellor on the 9th October 2020. The expanded scheme, formally known as the “Job Support Scheme Expansion for Closed Business Premises” is intended to support businesses that are legally required to close due to local or national coronavirus restrictions. As with the Job Support Scheme, the expanded scheme starts on November 1st and runs for 6 months....
At the end of October, the Confederation of British Industry will be launching a campaign to increase racial and ethnic participation in British businesses. Last week Legal and General Investment Manager (the UK’s biggest fund manager) warned FTSE 100 companies that it would openly vote against the re-election of a Board’s Chair if it failed to include at least one black, Asian or other ethnic minority (BME) member on its board by January 2022. Around 37% of FTSE 100 companies currently have all white boards....
A teacher who brought discrimination and harassment claims against her ex-employer has had her case rejected by the Bristol Employment Tribunal....
This month, the government has confirmed the details of the coronavirus job retention bonus (JRB) scheme. ...
The Equality Act 2010 was designed to simplify and strengthen protection from discrimination, and support progress towards equality. ...
Following an investigation by the Data Protection Authority of Hamburg, fashion retailer H&M has been fined the equivalent of £32.1m for illegally monitoring of its employees....
Having won her claims for harassment, direct discrimination and victimisation, non-binary ex-employee Rose Taylor was awarded £180,000 in damages at the remedy hearing which was held on Friday 2nd October....