The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that a one-off act of discrimination does not limit tribunals to making an award in the lower Vento band for injury to feelings compensation.
Landmark ruling confirms previous case law by concluding ‘sufficiently regular and settled overtime’ should be considered part of ‘normal remuneration’ for the purposes of calculating holiday pay.
Balancing work and family commitments, BAME employees being asked to use more 'western' sounding names at work and the nurse who was fairly dismissed after discussing religion with patients
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a nurse was fairly dismissed on allegations she had engaged in inappropriate discussions with patients about religion.
New research shows that a number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees have directly, or indirectly, been told to use more ‘western’ sounding names in the workplace.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled in this case that there was no causal connection between an employee’s mistaken belief and her disability in order to prove discrimination arising from a disability, although this may not always be the case.
Last Sunday (5 May 2019) signified the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of the Islamic calendar in which Muslims often commit to a period of fasting during daylight hours. Here are some tips for organisations, unfamiliar with the practice, to help them support their staff during this time:
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that a person who was otherwise a suitable comparator in a direct discrimination claim was not rendered unsuitable merely because a different decision maker was involved.
Latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show there was a 37 per cent increase in claims in 2018 which, according to law firm Fox & Partners, relates to the impact of stress in the workplace.
Whether it’s the right to a day off, double pay, or time off in lieu there are a number of common misconceptions when it comes to bank holiday working. As we approach the Easter weekend, let’s get some things ironed out.
Also, latest employment tribunal statistics and case law - automatic unfair dismissal.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has outlined that the ‘reason why’ an organisation committed an act must be considered when establishing a claim for pregnancy discrimination.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled protection against unfair dismissal following the assertion of a statutory right requires an allegation of an actual breach.
Judge finds that a policy which instructed employees on ‘restricted duties’ to be transferred to a desk-based role indirectly discriminated against pregnant women.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the decision to suspend an employee will not necessarily amount to a breach of implied mutual trust and confidence depending on the facts of each case.
Handling long-term sickness absence is a delicate matter for a business: the illness may be serious, it may involve surgery and recovery time, or it could be a mental health problem. Managing such issues requires a sympathetic approach but you may also find yourself in the situation where you suspect an illness is being deliberately drawn out to delay a return to work.
The Court of Appeal (CA) has dismissed Uber’s appeal against the employment tribunal (ET) and Employment Appeal Tribunal’s (EAT) decision that drivers engaged by Uber were not self-employed contractors, but fell squarely within the legal definition of ‘worker’ under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Working Time Regulations 1998 and the National Minimum Wage Act 1998.
It’s the start of a New Year, and moving on from reflecting on your business challenges in 2018, it’s time to review with renewed passion and zest the Challenges facing your business and what you need to achieve in 2019.
Employment tribunal failed to consider employer’s breach of contractual obligation to provide a trial period when determining fairness of redundancy dismissal.
The Court of Appeal have overturned the High Court’s decision that an employer was not vicariously liable for an assault carried out by the organisation’s Managing Director at an impromptu drinking session after the company Christmas party.
Consultations will focus on the transparency of parental pay and implementing a duty to advertise if a job can be worked flexibly from the application stage
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that the intentions behind a letter of resignation should be clarified to correctly confirm if the employee does intend to leave the company.
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy has released an eye-opening report containing details of the government’s enforcement of minimum wage underpayments.
The latest tribunal statistics for April to June 2018 have been released by the Ministry of Justice, revealing a consistent increase in the number of tribunal claims.
Recent survey shows that 46% of workers over 50 believe their age disadvantages them and nearly one in five have considered hiding it in job applications.
New provisions come in light of the claim that despite record levels of employment many employees state they are unhappy, trapped in jobs below their skillset and under considerable work-related pressure.
This case examined whether an individual can be unfairly dismissed, having been denied the opportunity to postpone their disciplinary hearing, despite the fact that their conduct could potentially justify a dismissal.
The Government has set out the consequences, in respect of employment rights, of being unable to agree a Brexit deal when the UK leaves the EU; a BEIS Committee suggests employers with 50 or more employees should be drafted into the requirement to report on their gender pay gap and the Employment Appeal Tribunal declares a refusal to postpone a disciplinary hearing rendered a dismissal unfair.
Commuters are spending so much time on work emails that this should be factored into working time, according to a study by the University of the West of England (UWE)
67 year-old has claimed the University’s Employment Justified Retirement Age (EJRA) policy was discriminatory and is seeking damages at an ongoing tribunal.
Recent inquiry evaluates the adequacy and effectiveness of the gender pay gap reporting system, welcoming the current initiative but recommending several areas for improvement.
The Court of Appeal (COA) has ruled that a care worker who performed ‘sleep in’ shifts was ‘available for work’ and not 'actually working’ and so was not entitled to the national minimum wage (NMW) for the time spent asleep.
The Court of Appeal (COA) has reinforced the notion that the successful appeal of a dismissal means that continuality of employment is preserved, thereby meaning the employee's dismissal is considered to have 'vanished'.
Report by law firm Slater and Gordon outlines that one in three SME leaders asked would reject a candidate if they believed she would soon start a family.
The Court of Appeal decides that sleep in workers are not entitled to the national minimum wage when asleep, and more employers have been named and shamed for failing to pay the minimum hourly rates to their staff.
In other case law, the Court of Appeal also confirmed the position of the ‘interim period’ between an employee’s dismissal and his successful appeal.
The Labour leader has vowed to end the “scourge of sexual harassment” in the workplace in a bid to prevent situations such as the Presidents Club scandal in January.
The EAT has ruled that an employer’s belief that an appeal would make no difference in a right to work dismissal was incorrect. The appeal could have provided opportunity for key evidence against the dismissal, not readily available at the time, to be submitted.
The EAT has ruled that lower annual leave and rest break allowances for agency workers, in comparison to directly employed workers, cannot be compensated by an increased hourly rate of pay, however there is no requirement to provide agency workers with the same number of working hours as the directly employed workers.
Recently published Ministry of Justice statistics show a continual increase in the number of employment tribunal claims made since fees were abolished almost a year ago.
The long anticipated Supreme Court ruling in a long-running gig economy case has been published, confirming the Court’s agreement with previous decisions that a “self-employed” plumber was in fact a worker.
As Britain continues to bask in the glow of a mid-summer heat wave, the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) have released several top tips designed to help organisations manage the workplace challenges that can occur during hot weather
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have won the opportunity to challenge a previous ruling on the employment status of Deliveroo couriers.
The EAT has ruled that it was not religious harassment for an employee to ask a Muslim colleague if they were a supporter of Islamic State (IS) because the context of these remarks was not related to the individual’s religion.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that it was disability discrimination to dismiss an employee for gross misconduct because his conduct was a consequence of his disability
GDPR comes into force on 25 May 2018. The new rules are intended to meet the needs of a digital age, and require a change in organisational attitude towards data privacy.
With only a few weeks to go here’s our top tips for how you can make sure you’re ready.
A French waiter in Canada who had his contract of employment terminated for being “aggressive, rude and disrespectful” has filed a complaint of cultural discrimination against his employer
The new national minimum wage rates are now in operation, as are the new rates for statutory maternity pay and other family friendly rates. Other changes will also take place this month.
Also, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the number of employment tribunal claims has increased by 90% in the last year.
Organisations and employees have been invited to take part in a consultation on parental bereavement leave as the government look to better define certain aspects of the new right
Alongside minimum wage increases, uplifts to statutory payments and the increase in auto-enrolment contributions, changes to the rules on taxation of termination payments will be introduced in April 2018.
Court decision means employees may be entitled to compensation if organisation's negligence leads to a symptomless medical condition which results in dismissal.
The Government has revealed the new maximum employment tribunal awards to take effect from 6 April 2018, and the Supreme Court hears Pimlico Plumbers’ latest appeal in its long-running employment status case.
Vast weather warnings across the UK have been announced as a blast of cold air from the east is set to bring snow to many parts of the country. Adverse weather, and the knock-on effects, can cause significant disruption to organisations' business operations and affect staffs' ability to safely travel to work.
Speaking ahead of last week’s landmark case the chief executive of Pimlico Plumbers, Charlie Mullins, has asked the Supreme Court to provide clarity on the employment rights of the growing number of people involved in the gig economy.
Following the release of the government’s response to the Taylor Review of modern working practices, steps have already been taken to stop the illegal use of unpaid internships.
As a study reveals mental health conditions are increasing, organisations are encouraged to take proactive actions such as encouraging mindfulness practices at work.
A report by the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) found the current Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme available to UK employees to be manifestly inadequate and not keeping up with the requirements of EU law.
Stonewall urges organisations to adopt a zero tolerance position towards gender reassignment discrimination or harassment after a report found many transgender employees hide their gender identity.
In case law, the European Court of Human Rights finds an organisation’s covert surveillance at work infringed employees’ privacy rights.
Leading LGBT charity Stonewall is calling for organisations to change their workplace culture to prevent discrimination against transgender individuals
The government revealed last year that changes would be introduced to the way organisations can obtain a basic disclosure. These are set to come into force in January 2018
Latest statistics show huge increase in Employment Tribunal claims and yet another holiday pay decision
As expected, new Ministry of Justice figures show a significant increase in the number of claims made to the employment tribunal since fees were abolished.
In recent case law, a worker was able to claim holiday pay arrears continuing over 13 years.
In his Autumn Budget, the Chancellor confirmed the national minimum wage increases which will take effect from April 2018. Also, a new scheme has been announced affecting care sector employers who may have underpaid their workers.
In case law, we have seen conflicting gig economy employment status judgments involving Uber and Deliveroo and a timely Bill has been published to offer further protection to these atypical workers.
Government launches Employment Tribunal fee reimbursement scheme
Claimants who paid an employment tribunal fee can now start to reclaim their money under a scheme recently launched by the Government.
Also, details on the new right to parental bereavement leave have been published, and the EAT looks at whether a disciplinary investigation can be too wide.
Court rules email monitoring breached human rights
An employer breached an employee’s human rights when it read personal emails sent from the employee’s work email account, says the ECtHR. Also, new legislation is in force from October and, in case law, the EAT departs from the traditional approach to the burden of proof in discrimination cases.
In a surprise decision, the UK’s highest court has overruled government policy on tribunal fees and quashed the 2013 regulations, thereby raising the prospect of a rise in claims. At the same time, the government-commissioned Taylor report has suggested ways to shape employment law for the future
The Supreme Court has allowed the appeal by Unison against the legality of the current system of employment tribunal fees, holding that the fees regime introduced in 2013 is unlawful.
The General Data Protection Regulation will alter the way employers approach automated decision making in recruitment, respond to subject access requests, and obtain consent from employees to their personal data being processed.
Psychometric testing challenge by an Asperger’s job candidate, NHS whistleblowing protection extended, Lidl supermarket has collective bargaining imposed on a regional distribution centre, and the Supreme Court decides on “a day’s pay”
The Supreme Court restores the balance in indirect discrimination cases, the Court of Appeal confirms an appeal procedure can rectify a flawed disciplinary procedure, and the EAT identifies factors for deciding whether ‘sleeping-in’ on-call night workers are due the national minimum wage
With the new tax year on the horizon, the government has announced increases to statutory rates, tribunal award caps, and NI thresholds. In the courts, a self-employed plumber has been found to be a worker, and an appeal to the Supreme Court in the Lock holiday pay case is rejected.
An Employment Tribunal has, this afternoon, ruled that two drivers who provide services to gig economy stalwart Uber are 'workers' within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
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