June 4, 2018
This is a tough one, but having been asked by several clients to deconstruct the current exposure of widespread sexual harassment across a number of high-profile work environments, I want to look in depth at this issue and explain why it continues to be such a huge problem. Specifically: why it takes place, why it…
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June 1, 2018
In the modern age we can sometimes think we have left racism in the past, that we now live in a ‘post racial’ society. Tony Blair apologised for the slave trade in 2007. The US elected a black president in 2008. And just this year (2018) the Prime Minister appointed Sajid Javid to the post…
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May 25, 2018
The General Data Protection Regulation takes effect on 25 May, with new fines of up to £17m or 4 per cent of your global turnover applying for breaches of personal data. A lot has been said about this new regulation in the media, and there have been warnings that many businesses know very little or…
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May 17, 2018
In a second case coming before the Employment Tribunal to challenge the new Shared Parental Leave (SPL), a police officer has tested whether such a policy amounts to indirect discrimination against fathers when the employer has an enhanced Maternity Leave (ML) package. In essence, the case asks whether it is sex discrimination to not pay…
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May 10, 2018
As we approach Mental Health Awareness Week (14 to 20 May 2018) employers should be well aware that stress in the workplace can contribute to mental health problems in and outside of work – and these health issues can be costly to your business as well as your people. But how many employers think of…
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May 4, 2018
The European Court of Justice (CJEU) has ruled in a case where a pregnant employee was made redundant in a decision that supports the UK’s existing regulations governing such situations. Ms Guisado was a Bankia SA employee when they started a period of consultation with workers’ representatives in 2013, consulting on collective redundancy. An agreement…
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Disability discrimination can be a tricky subject, particularly the issue of what is and is not a disability and whether or not, you, as an employer, actually know about an employee’s disability. This is a case about whether or not the employer had “constructive knowledge” of an employee’s disability. The case started back in 2008 and…
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May 2, 2018
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” These poignant words are those of Annelies Marie ‘Anne’ Frank (1929–1945). She changed the world, but sadly did not live to see the impact. Anne talked about improving the world and there’s no doubt that almost every free-thinker,…
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April 25, 2018
The impending introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation on 25 May means the cost of poor cyber security is about to rocket, with lost, hacked, stolen and badly-managed data liable to cost your business up to £17 million (€20 million) or 4% of global turnover in fines. These are serious figures, but many in…
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April 24, 2018
Payroll is one of those essential business processes that add zero additional value to your business. In fact, the only outcome you can have from running your own payroll is neutral (when people get paid what they expect) and bad – when they don’t. With all the paperwork, pressure, and risks involved if things go…
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April 23, 2018
“They have been at a great feast of languages, and stol’n the scraps.” William Shakespeare – Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act 5, Scene 1, 32-39 The English language is the most spoken in the world, utilised by the United Nations as one of their two main languages, and more widespread than any language in history, including…
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April 19, 2018
We are heading towards wedding season again, with the Royal nuptials between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle set to herald the start of the season proper on 19 May. The UK has seen a rise of 1-in-3 couples choosing a mid-week wedding during the past seven years, with the most popular day being Thursday. Couples…
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