August 8, 2017
The government has lost a landmark ruling on tribunal fees, putting employers at risk of a rise in malicious or vexatious claims as employees regain “access to justice”. Employers face what some commentators are calling ‘a massive surge’ in employment tribunals as a result of the Supreme Court decision in UNISON v The Lord Chancellor…
View Post
July 17, 2017
We’re about to hit peak holiday season in the UK, so how can employers manage an influx of holiday requests to minimise the risk of disgruntled employees? Understanding leave entitlement In most cases employees are entitled to 28 days holiday a year, often referred to as annual leave, details of which are specified in the…
View Post
July 7, 2017
The UK’s care home sector has faced renewed criticism after a report found that up to 1-in-3 care homes are unsafe with staffing issues, resident falls and medication errors amongst the top issues. In a recent report featured in the likes of the BBC, Guardian, and the Telegraph, the Care Quality Council (CQC) announced “some…
View PostJuly 6, 2017
The Sentencing Council’s recent announcement of consultation on its proposals for how offenders convicted of manslaughter should be sentenced in England and Wales may have raised concerns amongst employers. In this special blog post we explore why the consultation has been called and the responsibilities of employers to protect all staff. Understanding the need for…
View Post
June 27, 2017
Charlie Dimmock was famous for it. And while her gardening skills and engaging on-screen persona ensured her enduring fame and goodwill from the British public, she is perhaps as well-known for being the ‘bra-less’ TV personality. And while being bra-less was no problem for the producers of late 90s TV hit Ground Force, a recent…
View Post
June 26, 2017
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is rolling out spot checks across the country to ensure employers are complying with their auto enrolment (AE) duties. In a series of announcements over the past week TPR has deployed flying squads to London, Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester to carry out short-notice inspections. And they go on to say they…
View Post
June 2, 2017
Scrolling through social media and coming across a photo of a colleague out socialising is fairly common in this digital age. But when that colleague or employee is signed off as unfit for work it can throw up some difficult questions and challenging situations. In this blog we look at how employers can monitor and…
View Post
May 7, 2017
When we think about working at height we think of dizzying towers and neck-straining altitudes but, officially, ‘work at height’ means any work that is carried out above or below ground where someone could fall and be injured. Even a height as minimal as the bottom rung of a ladder is deemed to be working…
View Post
May 3, 2017
It’s been a whole year since we brought you the story of Nicola Thorp, the receptionist on a temporary contract whose refusal to change her flat work shoes for high heels caused a furore. In this update, we look at the results of that incident and provide you with the HR guidance on office dress…
View Post
April 21, 2017
A utilities company has been fined £1.8 million following the death of a man in a water filtration tank in a case that should serve as a stark reminder for companies with lone workers on or off site. The father-of two died in December 2013 when he fell into six and a half feet of…
View Post
March 20, 2017
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has said a workplace headscarf ban is legal, but what does this mean for UK employers? We’ve covered the case on this blog previously (catch up on the background here), but in brief: Ms. Achbita worked for Belgian-based G4S Secure Solutions who operated a policy not to allow employees…
View Post
March 1, 2017
A former flight attendant for budget airline Easyjet reached a settlement with her previous employer after instigating proceedings in the employment tribunal for unfair dismissal. Here’s the facts of the case: Shannon Gleeson, 22, had worked for Easyjet for three years at the time and was given a bacon baguette by her manager whilst on…
View Post