Whilst thankfully not something one comes across every day, I do have personal experience of acting for an employer client who faced one such serial litigant in their recruitment agency business. The individual in question was an applicant for a job never having worked for the respondent or the other dozen or so respondents against whom […]
Flexible working in action
Many employers are reluctant to embrace flexible working even despite the technological advances in recent years. There are many roles where bodies are required to be in situ but many roles particularly in the legal sector where you can work anywhere and anytime within reason. Over the years, I have helped many employers with their […]
New limits on Unfair Dismissal
The Order dealing with the variation to the limit in Unfair Dismissal Claims has been laid before Parliament. If made, the Order will limit Unfair Dismissal claims to 52 week’s pay or £74,200, whichever is the lowest. It will apply to any dismissals after the Order is made, which the Government expects to be July. […]
NHS spends £2m on confidentiality
The NHS has certainly been in the spotlight over recent weeks. There has been much said about the state of A&E and the 111 helpline service with several whistleblowers coming forward to give an insider’s view. The Telegraph blog has reported today that the NHS has spent £2m on gagging clauses. I have seen in […]
Pension Confusion
It has been reported that employers are confused about compliance and administration for automatic enrolment, the Government’s scheme to move all workers into a pension plan. The Pensions Regulator has issued guidance and a plan to help employers understand what is required of them and importantly when it is required. This is being phased in […]
National Minimum Wage fines by HMRC
HMRC has fined 708 employers with fines of up to £5,000 following 1.693 complaints about workers not receiving the national minimum wage in 2012-13. 26,000 workers have received £4m between them. The employers in question have not been named and shamed but included a major fashion chain who was forced to pay their 90 unpaid interns […]
Consultation on Equal Pay Audits
The Government has launched another consultation on equal pay which is open until the 18th July 2013. This is a further opportunity to provide comment on the details of equal pay audits and detail of the forthcoming regulations expected to come into force in 2014. You can participate in the consultation here.
Whistleblowing – the inside story
The Public Concern at Work (PCAW) Organisation has presented a report giving the low down into whistleblowing from the calls it has received to its hotline over a twelve month period. The report entitled “Whistleblowing the inside story” has been published in conjunction with the University of Greenwich and can be found here. Ethical and […]
Warnings and dismissal
For many years the fact that an employee had a final written warning which was live and then committed a further act of misconduct meant that dismissal was fair if a proper procedure was followed. There were rare circumstances where a Tribunal would look further at the position. I recall many a case when acting […]
Surrendering employment rights for shares
You will no doubt have read in the press about the Government legislation currently going through Parliament for employees to give up their employment rights in return for shares. The House of Lords twice rejected the bill but the Government recently amended the bill to include the need for employees to take independent legal advice […]