As many of us will experience every day the UK`s train stations are getting busier. With more people using the often creaking infrastructure every year the result is that there is a consistent annual increase in footfall at all of the major train stations in the UK. According to Network Rail more than a staggering one billion people, on average, pass through one of their 19 managed stations every year....
The EAT has found that there was no disability discrimination based on a failure to make reasonable adjustments and that it was fair to dismiss a disabled employee who had received a final written warning for repeated absences and where the absence was unlikely to improve. In General Dynamics Information Technology Ltd v Carranza UKEAT/0107/14, the employee had received a final written warning fo...
The parties to any contract can deal with the effects of breach of contract claim in a number of ways. For example, the contract may leave the issue of the determination of damages for breach of contract to the court. Alternatively, parties may choose to clarify, restrict or fix losses. They are common in construction and engineering contracts to cover the issue of delays. This avoids the need for complicated and lengthy court proceedings and allows the damages to be paid and contact to continue. Payment may be by deduction from the contract sum....
The Information Commissioner`s Office (ICO) has published an updated code of practice for CCTV and other types of surveillance cameras. It provides best practice advice, for those involved in operating CCTV and surveillance cameras that view or record individuals` information, on how to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. The code now provides specific guidance on particularly intrusive te...
The case of Sugar Hut Group v AJ Insurance put an interesting slant on the question of how loss of profits should be calculated. A nightclub in Essex was damaged by a serious fire. Its owner (Sugar Hut) failed in its claim under its insurance policy because its insurance brokers (AJ Insurance) had negligently failed...
The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced plans to equalise parental leave and pay arrangements for members of the civil service. Female civil servants can currently take maternity leave at full pay, but partners would not receive full pay if they choose to take time off as shared parental leave with their partner. From April 2015, civil servants taking shared parental leave will be enti...
On 16 October 2014, Bruce Carr QC`s report setting out the findings of his Independent Review into the Law Governing Industrial Disputes was published. The review was launched following allegations of intimidation of managers by union representatives during the Grangemouth oil refinery dispute. The scope of the review was scaled back in April 2014 due to concerns on the part of Bruce Carr that it...
The EAT has provided some guidance on making "Polkey" deductions. This is the deduction in compensation a tribunal will make in an unfair dismissal claim if it finds that the employee would have been dismissed in any event even if a fair procedure been followed. In Contract Bottling Ltd v Cave and another UKEAT/0100/14, the EAT overturned an employment tribunal`s assessment of a 20% Polkey deduc...
Acas has published Shared parental leave: a good practice guide for employers and employees....
The government has published new regulations to extend parental leave to parents of children aged between five and 18. This is due to come into force on 5 April 2015. At present, with the exception of parents of disabled children, only parents of children aged five and under can take such leave, which is currently a maximum of 18 weeks that is limited to four weeks per year....
The recent case of Martin Retail Group Limited v Crawley Borough Council has indicated how the requirements of competition law may be applied by courts to retail leases which include provisions that restrict the use of a property....
Employers are increasingly asking for "BIM" to be included in the services provided by consultants and contractors, but very few of them know what they are asking for and very few consultants and contractors can actually provide it! The problem arises out of defining exactly what "BIM" is for the purposes of the project in question....
A brief look at the commercial requirements and the legal aspects a pop-up tenant looks for and needs to consider when choosing premises....
Business Secretary Vince Cable has launched this week an ambitious sounding wide-ranging employment review to help clarify and potentially strengthen the employment status of up to a million British workers. This follows the recent review and upcoming legislation of zero hours contracts. It is considered that an increasing number of people in the UK are on ‘worker` employment contracts which hav...
At the Conservative Party`s recent annual conference, the Prime Minister David Cameron proposed several reforms which affect employment law. Introduction of a British Bill of Rights. If elected in 2015, the Conservatives will pass a new British Bill of Rights, which Mr Cameron suggested would replace the Human Rights Act 1998. In response, the Law Society has commented that the Human Rights Ac...
Employers should be mindful of the need to conduct right to work checks when acquiring staff through a TUPE transfer. Employers cannot rely on previous checks! Since the May 2014 changes, the UKVI has allowed employers a grace period of 60 days from the date of transfer to carry out the appropriate document checks. Previously, employers were only allowed 28 days, and as such should you fail to co...
A significant feature of the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993 (the "Regulations") is that they only apply to agents who sell "goods". Agents who sell services are excluded and do not enjoy any protection....
BIS has published an Employers` Technical Guide to Shared Parental Leave and Pay The technical guide summarises the operation of the shared parental leave and pay scheme, considers a number of frequently asked questions and sets out worked examples. It covers some of the more technical aspects of the scheme that are not dealt with in detail in the main Shared parental leave and pay: employer guide on the GOV.UK site, such as the maternity leave curtailment rules.....
The Court of Appeal has restored an employment judge`s decision that the tribunal did not have jurisdiction to hear claims for unfair dismissal and breach of the right to be accompanied at a disciplinary hearing where the claims were brought by an employee of a British company who had moved to work in Dubai ( Creditsights Ltd v Dhunna [2014]). CSL had an office in London and in New York. About 1...
With effect from 1 October 2014, where an employee is dismissed exclusively (or mainly) because he or she is a member of reserve force, the normal two-year service requirement for bringing an unfair dismissal claim will not apply....