Employment Law Update: Holiday Pay
A court case concluded this week that could have lasting ramifications on UK employment law, as an Employment Tribunal ruled that overtime, commission and other additional payments may now need to factored into employee holiday pay. It is important to note that exactly how employers will be required to enforce this decision has not yet […]
Changes to Paternal Antenatal Rights
This October will see a change to paternal rights as the Government passes legislation granting expectant fathers up to two periods of unpaid leave for antenatal visits. The Government has introduced the changes to paternal antenatal rights as part of their scheme to involve both parents from the start of the pregnancy, which forms part […]
Tribunal Fees Under Criticism
Legal experts and union leaders have called for a review of the Employment Tribunal process following the release of new Ministry of Justice figures. The number of single Employment Tribunal claims has fallen by 70 percent in the year since July 2013, when fees for raising a Tribunal claim were first introduced. “This is the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Employment Tribunals – Who Pays?
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has recently published a study on the ‘Payment of Tribunal Awards’ (Making the Labour Market more Flexible, Efficient and Fair). The report summarises the findings of a study of people who made successful claims to an Employment Tribunal and were awarded a sum of money by the […]
Service Contracts – The End of TUPE?
It has often been said that the provisions set out in the TUPE Regulations (Transfer of Undertakings [Protection of Employment] Regulations) are some of the most complex out there. Over the last year the Government has been consulting on the introduction of amendments to the Regulations with a view to simplification. The problem is that […]
Pension Auto-Enrolment: Avoiding the Pitfalls
The Government is aiming to head-off a future savings crisis with a pension auto-enrolment scheme for employees – and HR departments need to be aware of the potential pitfalls that this new legislation could bring. The latest development that employers need to know about when enrolling staff is new regulations banning consultancy charges. The regulations came into force […]
Proposed TUPE Changes
In response to consultation on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) the changes that are due in January 2014 are to make sure both employers and employees are treated fairly when a transfer takes place. The driving force behind the planned change is to help smaller firms that have been put […]
BBC Payouts: Lessons for HR Managers
The BBC payouts furore has highlighted the importance of ensuring that severance payments remain within contractual terms. The broadcaster’s Trust Chairman Lord Patten and Director General Lord Hall were called before the Public Accounts Committee because of widespread concerns that more than £25m was paid to 150 people leaving the corporation.It follows a critical report […]
Woolworths Collective Redundancy Outcomes
The Government has been given leave to appeal against an Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling that has moved the goalposts for employers planning company-wide redundancies. The tribunal found in the Usdaw v Woolworths case that administrators Deloitte had not followed the correct consultation procedures when closing the UK’s 800-plus Woolworths stores in late 2008/early 2009. In […]