Is Dismissal for Persistent Lateness Fair?
Can you dismiss an employee for persistent lateness? You can as long as you show that you followed procedure, ruled the Employment Tribunal. The case of Ghartey v Royal Museums Greenwich recently asked the Employment Tribunal to resolve this question after Mr Ghartey, a former visitor assistant at the museum, was dismissed from his role […]
Work travelling time should count as working time
The recent European Court of Justice judgement ruled those without a fixed or habitual office should consider the travelling time they spend between their homes and the premises of their first and last jobs as part of their hours for the day. The ruling relates to the Working Time Directive – the European initiative which […]
Recruitment agency criticised for sexist job adverts
A London-based recruitment agency has found itself under fire for advertising sexist job adverts that not only state that just “beautiful” women should apply, but some adverts even go as far as requesting specific bra sizes. Matching Models posted sexist job adverts on their website looking for a flight attendant and PA, stating that applicants […]
UK Unemployment Hits Decade Low
UK unemployment held at 5.1% over the three months from November to January, the lowest rate since 2006. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that weekly earnings grew at a faster pace than expected. Meanwhile job creation slowed over the same period. The number of unemployed fell by 28,000 from the last quarter to […]
Campaign to ban sexist language at work
A new campaign is claiming that pet names and sexist language can hold women back at work and should be banned. A nationwide poll asked more than 2,000 women to share the pet names that they would like to see banned from the workplace. The survey by Kellogg’s cereal Special K, found that at the […]
Nicknames and Discrimination in the Workplace
An Employment Tribunal has awarded more than £63,000 to a salesperson nicknamed “Gramps” by his colleagues. The Tribunal found that Mr Dove suffered discrimination in the workplace and was ultimately dismissed because of his age. Mr Dove was a long-serving salesperson for a jewellery manufacturer before his dismissal at age 60. The Head of Sales […]
Off-Payroll Workers Facing Crackdown
A Government clampdown on ‘off-payroll’ workers could change the way that companies use freelance workers and contractors. According to leaked reports, chancellor George Osborne is due to outline plans to reduce tax avoidance in this month’s Autumn Statement. The measures, which have not been officially confirmed, are expected to result in a heavy clampdown on […]
How to Investigate a Workplace Grievance
The dictionary definition of a grievance is “an actual or supposed circumstance regarded as just cause for complaint”. In the workplace this is any concern, problem or complaint that an employee raises with you. This could be about the conduct of a manager or colleague, about a third party such as a client or a […]
Acas Updates Guidelines on Right to be Accompanied
Acas have issued an updated Code of Practice following an appeal hearing about a worker’s right to be accompanied. The ACAS Code of Practice March (2015) was released after an appeal determined that if an employee makes a reasonable request to be accompanied to a disciplinary or grievance hearing, their choice of who they take does […]
Family Businesses Need More Ambition
A PwC study has concluded that UK family businesses will need to ‘toughen up’, and show greater ambition in order to survive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. The report, entitled ‘The Family Factor: Professionalising the UK Family Firm’, surveyed decision makers from family businesses in over 40 countries, including nearly 400 firms from the […]
Employee health and wellbeing: managing absence and lateness
Let’s discuss employee health and wellbeing in relation to absence as well as lateness. What are the effects that absence and lateness can have on your business, and what are the most effective ways to manage them? Absent and constantly late employees don’t just affect your organisation’s productivity; they can also have a negative impact […]
Planning the Christmas Party
The Christmas party is a great opportunity to thank staff for their efforts over the last year, relax a little and get to know people outside of work. However, it’s always a concern when the alcohol starts to flow and your employees let their hair down. Romances, punch-ups and offensive jokes can be par for […]
Father denied full pay during shared parental leave
A father in Glasgow is celebrating a £30,000 tribunal win for sex discrimination, after his employer would only pay him statutory pay during shared parental leave, although mothers receive full pay. The employment tribunal heard that the Network Rail employee David Snell and his wife, wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of shared parental […]
Morrisons Vicariously Liable for Assault
The Supreme Court has ruled that supermarket chain Morrisons is vicariously liable for an employee’s physical assault on a customer. The ruling has not changed the law, but it does indicate that there is now a broader definition of an employer’s accountability for their employee’s actions. Mr Amjid Khan, at the time an employee at […]
New Penalties for the National Minimum Wage
The Government has published new legislation regarding the forthcoming amendments to the National Minimum Wage. There will be tougher penalties in place for employers who fail to pay the National Minimum Wage. These include doubling the penalty for non-payment and disqualifying guilty employers from holding a directorship for up to 15 years. The legislation will […]
UK Workers Drinking Midweek Due to Stress
Over 50% of British employees are drinking midweek to cope with the stress of life, research by vouchercloud.com has found. The study by the leading discount website also found that almost a quarter (24%) of those who admitted to drinking during the week have called in sick to work on at least one occasion due […]
Living Wage Foundation Announces New Rates
The Living Wage Foundation has announced the voluntary Living Wage rates for the next twelve months. For all areas of the UK outside of London the rate has increased from £7.85 to £8.25 per hour. The London Living Wage, which reflects the higher price of living in the capital, has risen from £9.15 to £9.40. […]
One in Five Commute for Over Two Hours a Day
One in five British workers commute for more than two hours every day according to research by recruitment website Monster. 11% of workers travel for up to 90 minutes each way, whilst 9% commute for even longer than that. Monster polled nearly 500 respondents about the duration of their commute and found the following results: Andy Sumner, […]
Aldi to Pay More than Voluntary Living Wage
German supermarket chain Aldi has committed to pay its UK employees more than the voluntary living wage set by the Living Wage Foundation. The supermarket will pay at least £8.40 an hour (£9.45 an hour in London) from February 2016, which is higher than most other UK supermarkets and higher than the Living Wage. This […]
Lidl the Latest Retailer to Pay Living Wage
German retail chain Lidl will become the first UK supermarket to pay the Living Wage. The pay hike will equate to an average wage increase of £1,200 per year for about 9,000 Lidl employees, or just over half of the supermarket’s UK workforce. The increase is due this October, and means that Lidl employees across […]
