Employment Law Solicitors Leicester, Market Harborough And Uk Articles
Set to come into force on 6th April 2020, HMRC have released a raft of updated changes to the Off-Payroll Working rules and, in this article, we explore what these changes are and the affect they will have on businesses.
Employment tribunals can be unpleasant and uncomfortable and usually come at a time when an employee is already upset and worried.
14 June 2019 Employment Law event - Innovation Centre Market Harborough
Most employers understand that pregnant women have protected employee rights should an employer try to dismiss them whilst pregnant …so why do pregnancy discrimination cases still happen?
Lawson-West’s employment team of lawyers from the firm’s Market Harborough office is co-hosting with The Ink Group a workshop event at the Market Harborough Innovation Centre on 14 June 2019
In a landmark leap forward in equal rights, Swedish car manufacturer, Volvo, has launched a pilot gender-neutral parental leave policy for the entire European, Middle East and Africa sales teams.
Employment Appeal Tribunal sends case back to Employment Tribunal for further hearing. The case between Mr & Mrs Frupp and the Partington Group PLC, argues that the Claimants were paid less than minimum wage for a period of 7 years.
According to Ministry of Justice Figures, there were 6,550 disability discrimination claims at employment tribunals last year. This is a 37% increase on the year before, and represents a growth rate which is eight times faster than the increase in total claims over the same period.
EU-wide rules were recently approved by the European Parliament which, when ratified, will lay down new, EU-wide standards to protect whistleblowers. Recent scandals, such as Cambridge Analytica and the Panama Papers, have highlighted the importance of whistleblowers in helping to fight corruption and exposing unlawful activities that are damaging to public interests and our general welfare.
The Islamic tradition Ramadan will commence this Sunday 5th May for 30 days. During this time individuals observing Ramadan will fast between the hours of sunrise and sunset. As an employer it is important to be aware of anyone in your team who is observing Ramadan and ensure suitable provisions are in place for those individuals in order to support them. Fasting will take place mainly during working hours and it is important to be aware of the potential impact it can have in the workplace.
Flexible working is, perhaps, the panacea for many parents. In addition, manged in the correct manner, it may be a long-term solution for employers too, facing a skills gap, an issue with finding employees in a post-Brexit Britain and even to resource existing vacancies that require a particular skill or personality fit. So, what is the problem?
In October 2018, the government started a consultation into whether organisations should be required to report on the pay differentials between people from different ethnic backgrounds. This consultation was largely a response to a report by Baroness McGregor-Smith: ‘Race in the Workplace – The McGregor-Smith Review’.
As occurs every April, there are a number of changes to employment law, remuneration and workers’ rights which have been published and come into effect this month. This article covers the top six changes that all employers should be aware of.
A recent study has found that last year employees In the UK worked the equivalent of £32 billion worth of unpaid overtime. In working hours this equates to over 2 billion hours of overtime. Whilst sitting down to write this at home after a day at work, this is hardly surprising.
Employee wellbeing is not a new phenomenon, but the recent increase in awareness and publicity surrounding the matter has forced employers to act. The provision of rest breaks, flexible start and finish times and working environments are all under scrutiny but what does the law state?
Managers are often promoted because they are excelling in their role. It may be argued that excelling within a role does not automatically make you an excellent leader.
If you believe you are at the heart of an equal pay issue, in the first instance you need to determine whether the issue is in fact and equal pay or gender pay. These are two very different issues within the workplace, but both could be grounds to make a claim.
Employment Laws are in place to protect both employers and employees in the workplace. The laws govern what employers can expect from employees, what employers can ask employees to do and the employees’ rights at work.
With more snow and ice expected fall over the weekend, our Employment Team have looked at some of the questions frequently asked in relation to the impact the weather can have on getting to work.
A study by experts at the Centre for Social Investigation at Nuffield College, University of Oxford reviewed the applications of 3,200 individuals and compared call backs across a number of industries and application arenas.
‘It was just a bit of banter’ is a phrase often banded around the workplace, but when does a bit of banter become something more serious? Many people consider the term to imply that something offensive has been said or done whilst others consider it to be playful and jokey.
The recent #MeToo movement has exposed an ever-deepening headline of sexual harassment in the work place, spanning across all industries. Google announced recently it has sacked 48 people, including 13 senior managers, over sexual harassment claims in the past two years.
Whether a company is in the private or public sector, whistle-blowers are actively encouraged to speak out and expose organisations if they are acting in a way that is deemed either illegal or unethical.
We should all be aware what a letter of resignation is but are you aware of whether it is required or not? A letter of resignation is when an employee decides to terminate their contract of employment with their employer. There are no legal requirements setting out what a letter of resignation must or must not include, or if one is required to end employment but it is strongly advised that it is clear and unambiguous.
In 2017 the Government published a bill to offer two weeks’ paid leave for bereaved parents. And this week, the Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Act 2018, introduced by Kevin Hollinrake, MP, received royal assent.
Working in Britain compared to other countries typically means working long days, carrying out demanding tasks and taking breaks that are few and far between. Working life can be tough, often leaving us feeling exhausted, deflated and lacking in motivation.
The HMRC recently challenged the working status of around 60 top level football referees who officiate over the matches between professional teams playing in leagues below the English Premier League. These Level 1 referees typically receive match fees worth hundreds of pounds and in some cases, totalling an annual income around £10,000.
Defining the role of an au pair, should in theory be relatively easy. Au Pairs are usually individuals from another EU Country, who come to help with either the housework or childcare duties for a family, working between 25 to 30 hours a week in exchange for a live-in room and board, as well as “pocket money”.
Employers can dismiss people, however as the case in thisarticle shows, the employer must have strong evidence and reason before dismissing an employee, but how can you check if your dismissal was unfair?
Employment tribunal claims spike whilst refunds remain unpaid.
One year on from the Supreme Court ruling to scrap employment tribunal fees, the number of people considering bringing an employment issue to tribunal has risen by 30%, whilst 80% of tribunal fee refunds remain unpaid.
Following two European harassment cases that resulted in compensation being awarded, what constitutes as harassment in the work place?
All workers are entitled to take holiday and must be paid the same amount of pay whilst on holiday as they usually would, had they been at work. Holiday pay must include overtime, bonuses and commission if they usually make up part of someone’s normal weekly pay.
The government has published a whitepaper, entitled “the Future Relationship Between the UK and the European Union”, in which it is proposed that there be no regression in the UK’s employment laws following its exit from the European Union.
The Met Office has issued amber weather warnings for the end of this week with temperatures set to reach as high as 34 degrees celsius in some parts of the country. Unfortunately for those seeking a day off work because of the heat, there are no laws in the UK about when it is too hot to work.
It is common for elderly, disabled or vulnerable individuals to have care packages that require their carers to stay overnight at their home. The thought being that the carer can be called upon immediately should assistance be required throughout the night. Are these carers who are technically ‘on call’ therefore entitled to be paid national minimum wage whilst they sleep?
Employees are entitled to raise a grievance if they have a concern, problem or complaint at work. It could be the way the way a colleague or manager is treating them, concerns regarding a task they have been instructed to do or being subjected to unreasonable treatment.
An increasingly demanding work culture is creating a work/life imbalance. Gone are the days where working 9 till 5, 5 days a week is the norm. Expectations have evolved; individuals are working longer hours and spending more time working out of the office, at home. Advances in technology mean individuals have greater flexibility towards how, when and where they work.
The gender pay gap has been a discussion point, topic of debate and point of interest for decades. In an attempt to increase awareness and begin processes to address the issue, the UK government has introduced compulsory reporting of the gender pay gap for all businesses and organisations with more than 250 employees, with returns mandatory by the 5th April 2018. The report was based upon a snapshot of earnings for all employees for a given date at the start of April 2017.
A recent discrimination case ruling by an employment tribunal in the UK has overturned the dismissal of, and awarded damages to, a female court worker. This has added an interesting stance to our understanding of workplace discrimination, the Equality Act 2010 and to the growing debate on attitudes towards menopause in the workplace.
In February 2018, two new Orders were placed before Parliament which are set to change the requirements of information on payslips based on the contents of The Taylor Review, published in July 2017, in which recommendations were made to increase the rights of workers. The Orders placed before Parliament follow the recent response from the government to this Review, which, amongst other items, confirmed that they would be introducing legislation to extend the right to receive a payslip to all workers. This all-encompassing ‘workers’ umbrella includes those on casual and zero-hours contracts.
Major changes to employment status are imminent. It is time to review contracts and assess business position in terms of employment law.
In the requirement to review employment contracts for all, we have reached the next stage in plans for the major shake-up of employment law, which began with the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices- a review requested by the Prime Minister as a reaction, in part, to the growth of the UK’s gig economy.
The Government have recently stated that they will actively contact all potential claimants who are yet to request a refund on Employment Tribunal fees paid out during the 4-year period from July 2013.
The Employment Tribunal refund scheme opened on the 16th November 2017. The scheme enabled those who were charged fees to take a tribunal to court between the 29th July 2013 and 26th July 2017 to apply for a refund.
Dispelling the myth that Stress, Anxiety and Depression are all the same.
Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event held to raise the profile of mental health in an attempt to break the stigmas associated with the matter and encourage people to be more open about it.
This year’s focus is towards tackling stress. By tackling stress, we can go a long way to reduce mental health problems such as anxiety and depression and, in some instances, self-harm and suicide.
Is paying mothers and fathers different rates discrimination?
A recent UK court case has shone a light on the complexities of gender discrimination in the context of employment law. The Hextall v Leicestershire Police case arose when a police officer opted to take shared parental leave following the birth of his child, but was paid only the statutory rate, as opposed to the enhanced rate that a mother receives when taking maternity leave.
GDPR harmonises data protection legislation within Europe and will update the current regime, which is over 20 years old.
GDPR introduces new rights, larger penalties and new accountability, which means the data controller is responsible for and must be able to demonstrate that they have complied with the relevant processing principles. There are real consequences if it is wrong.
With the deadline for submitting gender pay gap reports fast approaching, stories relating to the gender pay gap are featuring heavily in the news, almost daily. For firms that meet the criteria, it is a legal requirement to submit the appropriate data in time. Lawson-West’s employment team can help to advise you on how to submit your data as well as advising on other areas of mandatory reporting you must carry out to protect your organisation against any unnecessary fines.
Approaching your employer when you have been suffering with endometriosis is a daunting prospect. Apart from coping with the pain itself, getting across what you are actually suffering from can be difficult, if not impossible.
Starting at the beginning is the best option so you understand the condition and can then help your employer to understand too.
Britain has been thrown into complete chaos as the 'Beast from the East' together with Storm Emma continues to cause havoc across much of the country. With many people unable to get to work, what impact does the adverse weather have on an employee's rights?
At Lawson-West our Employment team are extremely knowledgeable about employee's rights, so if you need advice about the disruptions the weather has caused you, contact us today and find out how we can help.
The annual update to employment tribunal limits has been released and from 6 April 2018 will increase.
Our employment team at Lawson-West have dealt with many employment tribunals in the past and have a vast amount of knowledge to be able to advise you on how to make a claim successfully.
