Search site
Call our office
Make an enquiry
Our people
Search our people
The UK Government is considering reinstating modest Employment Tribunal fees, aiming to cut taxpayer costs and promote early dispute resolution. On 29 January 2024, the Government published its proposal to reintroduce ‘modest’ fees in the...
The Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act 2023 received royal assent on 18 September 2023. This new legislation proposes to amend the Pensions Act 2008 by allowing for the automatic enrolment regime to be extended. Under the new law, the...
Proposed amendments to the Equality Act 2010 have been progressing through Parliament. Under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill, the following changes are anticipated: A slightly varied defence for employers is expected to be...
In July 2019, the Government launched its consultation looking at the current arrangements for parental leave and pay with a view to achieving greater equality in parenting and at work. Under the current legislation, eligible employees have the right to...
A workation is a ‘working vacation’ which for many of us will seem like a contradiction in terms. The idea is that it provides an extension of the concept of hybrid working whereby employees can work from another location outside of their...
When a claimant goes to an employment tribunal they are usually looking for compensation from their employer and often include a request to that effect in their claim form. In preparation the claimant will ordinarily be required to prepare a document for...
The Women and Equalities Committee (the Committee) published its first report entitled “ Menopause and the workplace ” on 28 July 2022. Within the report, various recommendations were set out with the view to support women going through...
I have long been of the view that many organisations do not proactively manage employee absence (whether the absence is long or short). I am also of the view that a failure to proactively manage absence has the potential to equate to acceptance or condoning...
Over the weekend, a public holiday was announced for the King’s Coronation. The Coronation itself is taking place on 6 May 2023 and the bank holiday will fall on 8 May 2023 . This is an additional public holiday to the one that traditionally...
If, like me, you are a fan of TikTok, you may have seen the most recent trend in the workplace that has been doing the rounds recently: “quiet quitting”. Videos have been posted by workers about doing the bare minimum to complete tasks at...
Lots of organisations are accused of jumping on the bandwagon, ‘woke’ practices and ‘virtue signalling’ during awareness days, weeks and months and this undermines the hard work many individuals and organisations invest in to create...
The Minister for Work and Pensions (Lords) and Minister for Women has confirmed that the government is not currently planning to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 or to implement dual discrimination. The...
I am a Chartered Legal Executive, working within the private client department which covers wills, lasting powers of attorney, trusts and probate. I prepare lasting powers of attorney for my clients and can complete all necessary requirements...
This is the offer that Stephenson Harwood, an international law firm, made to its employees recently. The firm announced that employees who choose to work from home on a permanent, full-time basis, would be subject to a 20% pay cut and would be required to...
On Thursday 17 March 2022, P&O Ferries sacked 800 members of their crew on grounds of redundancy by way of a video message, in what they said was a “very difficult, but necessary decision to secure the viability of the business.” The...
In my blog dated 27 August 2021 , I wrote that the COVID-19 adjusted right to work check measures were being extended until 5 April 2022 inclusive. The Government announced on 24 February 2022 that these measures will now end on 30 September 2022 . ...
On 22 October 2021, a private members bill, which intended to legislate against ‘fire and rehire’ practices, was blocked by MPs. Fire and rehire is a controversial tactic that can be used by employers who wish to change their employee’s...
There are some useful learning points for employers to note following a recent tribunal, please see below: The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) heard the case of Stott v Ralli Ltd EA-2019-000772-VP on 16 June 2021 and It was published on 19 October...
A subject access request (SAR) is a mechanism under the data protection legislation (UK GDPR) to request all information that an organisation holds in relation to an individual. Over recent years, we have found a sharp increase in the number of SARs...
Nando’s is the latest well-known high-street group to be affected by what is being referred to as the “pingdemic” this summer. Disruption within the UK supply chain has led to a shortage of Nando’s famous Peri Peri Chicken,...
Employees who have been dismissed, discriminated against or who are in dispute with their employers may be able to make a claim in the Employment Tribunal. Tribunals were first established in the 1960’s to provide a forum for employers and employees...
On 19 February 2021, the long-awaited judgement in the case of Uber BV v Aslam was handed down by the Supreme Court. It was unanimously ruled that Uber drivers are not self-employed, as Uber themselves argued, but are workers and are therefore entitled to...
Michael Austin, a paint sprayer, has been awarded £28,560 after his dismissal from A1M Retro Classics (A1M) was ruled unfair. Mr Austin was employed by A1M for 5 years until he was summarily dismissed on 18th February 2020. On 13th February...
Roo Rawal, a postal worker, was employed by the Royal Mail for 17 years until his dismissal for Gross Misconduct in 2017. Prior to his dismissal, he had a clean disciplinary record. The reason for the dismissal The disciplinary allegations followed a...
In order to assist the rescue of failing businesses, the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations (TUPE) include specific insolvency provisions which allow transferees of insolvent businesses greater flexibility than would otherwise be the case. Where the...
Although the Coronavirus pandemic has restricted travel both within and outside of the UK, many employees have travelled abroad to visit family, either for the festive celebrations or for longer periods. Whilst this creates a range of potential...
With Boohoo purchasing some of the assets of department store Debenhams, it is believed that its stores will not reopen, except to sell off stock. So, what does this mean for Debenhams’ employees? In many cases, if business A buys the shares of...
Last year, in the case of Chief Constable of Leicestershire v Hextall, the Court of Appeal decided that it was not discriminatory to pay men on shared parental leave less than a woman received whilst on maternity leave. Hextall asked for permission to...
A Tribunal has determined that ethical veganism is a ‘philosophical belief’ and is capable of protection from discrimination. Jordi Casamitjana, an ethical vegan, claims that he was treated less favourably by his employer because of his...
