There has been a lot of coverage of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill since it received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023, indeed in a press release from the Department for Business and Trade, it was hailed that ‘millions of British workers will have more flexibility…

There are two striking elements to the Court of Appeal’s decision in the case ofJump Trading International v Couture.
First, the case is an important challenge to the ubiquitous urban myth that a court will never uphold a restrictive covenant which lasts over 12 months…

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that a record number of people in the UK (2.55 million) are not working due to long-term sickness. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of…

The CBI has hit the headlines recently amid serious allegations of rape and sexual misconduct at the organisation.
Tony Danker was the Director General at the organisation from November 2020 and has informed the media that his dismissal has left his reputation in tatters…

Baby Loss Awareness Week this year runs from Sunday 9th to Saturday 15th October. Last Autumn, as part of our series of lunchtime webinars around Equality in the Workplace we included a webinar on Baby Loss. This is too large a topic to cover fully in a short article…

The case of Kong v Gulf International is a potentially useful case for employers who are considering dismissing a whistleblower.

As you will be aware, a dismissal on the grounds of…

Holiday pay has long been a tricky issue for workers who do not work ‘typical’ hours, by which we mean workers who have no set pattern of work; this could include zero hours workers and term time workers.
On 20 July 2022, the Supreme Court issued an important…

July 15 2022 is World Youth Skills Day. The theme this year is transforming youth skills for the future, with a particular focus on equipping those groups of young people who, because of socio-economic and other reasons…

As the UK basks in the latest heatwave, employees at UK Plc are increasingly asking at what point it becomes so hot that they have a legal right not to attend work….

There’s often bad feeling from business leaders and and management towards whistle blowers.

Jes Staley the former CEO of Barclays was famously fined £642,430 by the FCA, and reportedly had to forfeit £500,000 of his bonus, following his attempts to identify an anonymous whistle blower in 2016.

So what happens when the whistle blower’s identity is known? Quite often…

Salary Exchange (also known as Salary Sacrifice) is a feature of many employment packages in the UK. Many employers use it for things like employer pension contributions, cycle to work and childcare vouchers. In effect an employee gives up their contractual right to pay in return for an employer provided benefit, saving tax and national insurance in the process...

How have we got to a situation where Azeem Rafiq, a former professional cricketer, was left close to taking his own life after being subjected to racism during his time at Yorkshire County Cricket Club?

How did the Club, which launched a formal investigation into Rafiq's allegations in 2020, conclude that Rafiq had been subjected to only "inappropriate behaviour" but not (initially) uphold his allegations of racism?

How should employers tackle sexual harassment at work?

The problems caused by sexual harassment at work are numerous; for the employee who considers that they are being harassed, it can cause significant distress and it can sometimes lead to periods of absence and/or under performance.

What can employers do to attract and retain Black and ethnic minority graduates?

October is Black history month where there is an annual celebration of the history, achievements and contributions of Black people in the UK.

Given the restrictions forced upon all of us during the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home suddenly and rapidly became “the new normal” for many…

We are delighted that Paul Briers has joined our team as Marketing Manager.

A 2019 survey conducted by BUPA and the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that three in five menopausal women (usually aged between 45 and 55) were negatively affected at work and that almost 900,000 women in the U.K. left their jobs over an undefined period of time because of menopausal symptoms.

An interesting week for all things IR35! Two rather large settlements announced – firstly the Department for Work and Pensions have been handed a hefty tax bill of £87.9 million for the incorrect determination of the IR35 tax status between 2017 and 2021. Then hot on the heels, the Home office have also been hit with a £33.5million fine.

Covid-19 is a new virus and the long-term effects of it on individuals are yet to be seen. For those that were infected with the virus, a growing number have reported post Covid conditions which have been named “Long Covid”. Ongoing symptoms can include:

• Lung disease

• Blood clots

• Breathlessness

• Extreme fatigue

• Memory loss

• Brain fog

• Protracted loss of taste and smell

• Skin rashes

The mood in the country feels cautiously optimistic; we are now able to start planning and are looking forward to some semblance of normality following the turbulence of the last 14 months.

That said, we are not yet out of the woods; whilst the current guidance is for those who can work from home to continue to do so, it is hoped that by the 21 June 2021 we will be free from much of the tighter restrictions, including the requirement to work from home where we can.