Acquisition by Marlowe plc
We are pleased to announce that HR Solutions (including Essential Safety) has been acquired by Marlowe plc, the UK leader in business-critical services and software which assure safety and regulatory compliance. Marlowe plc is an ambitious company listed on the London Stock Exchange. HR Solutions, and its subsidiaries including Essential Safety, will integrate into Marlowe’s WorkNest […]
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 […]
Reduced National Insurance Contributions for Employees Under 21
This April sees the abolition of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for employees under the age of 21. Chancellor George Osborne announced the changes as part of a Government initiative to reduce unemployment levels amongst young people. The scheme looks set to reduce employee contributions for as many as 340,000 employers across the country, and […]
£3.2 Million Awarded for Workplace Harassment
A former banker at the London office of a major Russian bank has won significant damages at an Employment Tribunal following ongoing discrimination and harassment in her role. Svetlana Lokhova worked for Sberbank CIB (UK) Ltd until she resigned claiming constructive dismissal in 2012. Ms Lokhova, a Cambridge graduate, joined the bank in 2008. […]
Anti-Avoidance Measures & Zero Hours Contracts
The Government last week published new legislation to protect employees from exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts. These exclusivity clauses prevent employees from taking on secondary jobs to supplement their income. The proposals outline the consequences for any employer found to be enforcing exclusivity clauses, which include the right for the affected employee to seek […]
ECJ Rules on Holiday Pay & Commission Case
The Employment Tribunal in the case of Lock v British Gas ruled that any employee who receives commission should receive varied holiday pay to reflect their normal income. Mr Lock was a salesman for British Gas on a basic salary with variable commission paid in arrears. His commission depended upon sales achieved and could not […]
End of the Road for Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC?
How would you manage an employee like the outspoken Top Gear presenter? UPDATED 25/03/2015 The Daily Telegraph last night reported that Jeremy Clarkson is going to be sacked by the BBC following an internal investigation into an alleged incident earlier this month. If the purported facts of the incident are true then the BBC would […]
Ban on Exclusivity Clauses in Zero-Hours Contracts
A ban on exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts is now in effect following the introduction of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. The introduction of the legislation means that an estimated 150,000 workers are now legally entitled to take work from more than one employer at a time. However the new legislation offers […]
Keeping HR costs down in the modern workplace
Outsourcing HR projects to consultancies when needed is growing in popularity as a practical method of keeping staff costs down and ensuring that HR problems are managed by the experts. Costs and savings HR can be a complex function and is something of a minefield due to the frequent changes in employment law and compliance requirements. […]
Employers Limited by Pension Compliance
A report has found that the rate of changes to pension compliance over the last five years has caused organisations to lose focus on their retirement objectives. “Fit for Retirement”, a report by Towers Watson, found that 56% of UK businesses believe they have to prioritise compliance above any other factor when managing pension […]
Effects of Aggression in the Workplace
New research suggests that even just witnessing aggression in the workplace can have a negative effect on individual performance. Research carried out at Sheffield University investigated the impact of workplace factors on employee levels of depression, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. Dr Sprigg and her colleagues first surveyed 127 employees immediately after they had witnessed aggression […]
Updated Drug-Driving Laws Incoming
On 2nd March 2015 new legislation comes into effect in England and Wales that will make it illegal to drive whilst under the influence of a wider range of substances than at present. The new ‘drug-driving’ law will encompass both illegal drugs and some prescription medicines. Anyone found to be driving whilst over the limit […]
Government to Tackle Zero Hours Contracts
Tougher action will be taken against businesses who abuse zero hours contracts thanks to new legislation introduced during this year’s Queen’s Speech. Just last month the business secretary Vince Cable outlined the government’s plans to tackle zero hours contracts due to alarming figures from the Office for National Statistics, which revealed that there are approximately 1.4m […]
Record Number of New Business Start-Ups
A record number of new businesses registered in the UK in 2014 – and even more are set to start up this year. There were 581,173 new businesses registered with Companies House last year, up from 526,446 in 2013. That figure is expected to break the record again this year as national enterprise campaign StartUp […]
Windsor Castle Staff Voting on Industrial Action
The Royal Family are facing the prospect of staff at Windsor Castle taking independent industrial action for the first time. Around 120 of the castle’s visitor staff are balloting over whether or not to take action over unpaid additional duties such as giving guided tours, acting as interpreters or providing first aid. The castle […]
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 […]
The 10 Year Rise of Flexible Working
The last decade has seen an increase in the number of employees working from home with 4.2 million people now taking advantage of flexible working regulations. The TUC found that whilst the number of people in employment has increased over the last ten years, that growth has been exceeded by the number of people working […]
Record Number of People in Employment
The new Conservative government has received a post-election boost as figures show the number of people in employment is at a record high. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that the number of people categorised as employed hit a high of 73.5% in March, the highest comparable rate to the […]