Employers often get into trouble when required to undertake internal investigations. Such investigations often are necessary when one employee complains about another and particularly where that complaint concerns protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, such as sex, race etc. In such cases, whilst it…
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17 Feb Coming Soon: March Employment Law Update
Coming soon: March Employment Law Update for Managers, HR Teams and Business Owners On 31 March at midday, the team will squeeze lots of useful legal changes and guidance for employers into one hour, covering the following: – New law in 2022 including: –…
17 Feb When Are Your Independent Contractors Entitled to Backdated Holiday Pay?
Well, when they are able to argue that they are not, in fact, independent contractors and rather are ‘workers’ who are, thus, entitled to paid annual leave. What happened in this case? Mr Smith was a heating and plumbing engineer for Pimlico between 2005 to…
16 Feb Dismissing Employees under two years’ service: what to watch out for
We frequently hear employers stating, confidently, that you can dismiss anyone with under two years’ service. This stems from the requirement for an employee to have over two years’ continuous service in order to bring an unfair dismissal claim. However, it often overlooks other claims…
16 Feb Cutting Sick Pay for Unvaccinated Workers
The relatively new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, continues to cause disruption for businesses with many struggling with absences as a result of the variant. As a result, some organisations such as Ikea are taking action of their own. Typically, Ikea offers enhanced sick pay which,…
17 Jan Employment law changes: what to look out for in 2022
Holiday pay There are two significant case appeals outstanding. Both cases materially impact on the management of holiday pay for all employers, we will update soon. Flexible working The government’s planned implementation of the right to request flexible working from day one of employment may…
17 Jan Dismissal for attending work when a family member may have COVID held unfair: unusual times and an unusual case
The circumstances of this case are peculiar which, thankfully, means that the majority of employees will not face disciplinary action for turning up to work. Background Mr. D Lewis was a forklift driver who had been working for the Benriach Distillery company since 1998. On…
14 Jan Employee misuse of social media: how employers get it wrong and how you can get it right!
Can employees be disciplined or even fired for their on-line comments and behaviour? Yes, indeed they can, but employers must be aware that they need to take appropriate disciplinary steps with online behaviour too. Common examples of online misbehaviour include derogatory comments about the employer…
12 Jan Transgender Rights: Key Points for Employers in 2022
Recent social movements, such as LGBT+, BLM and Me Too, have led to a wider awareness of the prejudices and discrimination that certain groups face. This heightened awareness of discrimination, and the laws that seek to protect against it, have resulted in individuals feeling more…
12 Jan Managing Performance Whilst Remote Working: Part Two.
As discussed in December’s Legal Update, managing a remote team can be particularly challenging. This month we focus on ways to monitor both individual and team performances against measured objectives by enhancing communication and addressing problems early. See our useful tips below. Set clear expectations…