The Suarez Incident
One of the standout stars of the 2014 World Cup, and the man responsible for the two goals which effectively ended England’s World Cup dream, Louis Suarez was last week banned for 9 football matches for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. The incident has caused a global storm, creating debate in all areas of […]
Top 10 Places to Work 2014
Google, The British Heart Foundation and Oxfam are named amongst the top ten companies to work for in terms of work-life balance, according to job search site indeed.com. In a time or austerity, where financial benefits are no longer the sole factor for those searching for jobs, companies who offer other employee benefits such as […]
Changes to Flexible Working Rules
We recently saw the announcement of new changes to flexible working rules, providing the opportunity for all UK employees to request different working patterns. This could have a dramatic effect on how we design our working lives, as well as affect our work/life balance. Many employers already offer flexible working for all staff as part […]
Zero Hours Contracts Bill 2014
The Zero Hours Contracts Bill will prohibit the use of zero hours employment contracts, particularly those requiring workers to be available for work but where there is no guarantee of work available. The Office of National Statistics estimates at least 200,000 people are employed on zero hours contracts in the UK, of which 75,000 are […]
How to deal with bullying in the workplace
A survey of over 2,000 UK employees found that more than a third (37%) have been victim to bullying in the workplace. While it’s a challenge to find up to date statistics on the state of bullying in the workplace in the UK, there is an interesting survey that was conducted for solicitors Slater and […]
US judge rules that employers banning dreadlocks is not discrimination
A judge in America has ruled that employers are allowed to ban dreadlocks in the workplace. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the EEOC) recently tried to widen the scope of race discrimination to incorporate dreadlocks. But their case was thrown out. The EEOC took on the case of African-American woman Chastity Jones, who saw […]
The EU Question
The UK will go to the polls on the 23rd of June to determine whether or not the country will stay in the European Union. Our membership of Europe impacts on every aspect of our lives, something which is sure to be examined in close detail as June comes closer. The threat of economic instability […]
Boardroom Diversity Boosts Performance
New research has found that company boards with women on them deliver a 36% better return on equity than those without. Stock market index company MSCI looked at over 1,600 companies for the report. Their research found that companies with ‘strong female leadership’, defined as a female CEO and at least one other woman on […]
Apprenticeship Levy Details Announced
Chancellor George Osbourne used last week’s Autumn Budget to go into greater detail about the apprenticeship levy, which is due to come into effect in April 2017. The levy, which will be an additional payroll tax, will be set at 0.5% of UK payroll and will affect all employers with an annual wage bill of […]
Legal Update: Changes to UK Company Information
This Saturday (10th October) the Companies House Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act will come into force. The Act amends the information that a business is legally required to give to Companies House, as well as the amount of time it takes to close defunct businesses. The amendments will affect every UK company. The Act is […]
Employment Law Update: October 2015
It’s almost October, which means that the annual employment law update is just around the corner. We’re taking a look at some of the more significant upcoming legislative changes and highlighting how these may have a direct impact upon your business. National Minimum Wage Increase The National Living Wage is due to come into effect next […]
Employees Still Fear Mental Health Stigma
Employees are more likely to lie about the reason for an absence if the cause is related to mental health, according to new research. Research by healthcare provider AXA has revealed that 77% of employees would tell their employer the truth if their absence was due to their physical health. However less than two in […]
Recruitment on the Rise
Increasing confidence in the economy is leading to a planned rise in recruitment for the rest of the year, according to a new survey. The 2015 Hiring Intentions Survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters found that over three quarters (76%) of hiring managers are planning to recruit by the end of the year. This is a […]
Employees Seeking a ‘Family Feel’ in Business
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Research by the CIPD has revealed that over 50% of employees would prefer to work in an organisation with a ‘family feel’. The CIPD published the findings of their Employee Outlook 2015 survey this June. More than 2,200 respondents from across a wide range of organisations and industries took part in the survey, which […]
Flexible Working Arrangements a Benefit to Business
More than half of UK HR directors surveyed believe that remote and flexible working arrangements have resulted in increased productivity in their organisation. A study conducted by Robert Half has found that nearly two-thirds of HR directors (63%) believe that a flexible working environment has a positive impact on their business. Over half of the respondents (51%) […]
‘Middle-Aged’ Employees Feeling the Pressure
Recent research by AXA PPP healthcare has shown that employees in the 30-49 age bracket struggle more with the demands of work than employees from any other age group. One of the headline findings from the research relates to the amount of sickness absence taken, with employees between the ages of 30-49 averaging 2.3 sick […]
Gender Equality and the EU
A House of Lords committee has called on the Government to block the introduction of a 40 percent quota for women on company boards by 2020. The House of Lords European Union sub-committee found the proposed requirements from the EU to be “misguided”, and advised the government to maintain its approach of self-regulation and talent […]
Stricter Visa Rules for UK Employers
The number of highly skilled migrant workers coming in to the UK has been steadily falling following the implementation of tighter visa rules in 2011 according to a new study by the Migration Observatory. UK employers are suffering from the effects of tighter visa restrictions shrinking the pool of available talent, according to a new study […]
Employment Tribunal Costs Unlawful?
Was the introduction of fees for Claimants to bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal unlawful? Not according to the High Court. Under new rules introduced in July 2013, workers in the UK are now charged a fee to bring a claim to an employment tribunal, a further fee if the claim is heard and […]
Who Owns the LinkedIn Contacts?
When an individual makes contacts on LinkedIn during the course of their work, is it reasonable for their company to ask for those contacts when they leave? This is a relatively new area of law but there has now been an interesting case (Whitmar Publications Ltd v Gamage and others) where the High Court has […]
