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General news
Employment law experts are now debating the long-term importance of a Supreme Court ruling relating to a discriminatory equal pay issue. Birmingham City Council was appealing against a decision which said that women previously employed by the council could make an equal pay claim in relation to bonuses awarded to male employees. Equal pay claims … Read more
The Government have announced their intention to introduce a system of “flexible parental leave” which will allow fathers to take time off work and claim benefits if the mother chooses to return to employment. This new system would work well for families where the mother was the main breadwinner, as she would be able to … Read more
One of the options pursuant to an unfair dismissal claim is reinstatement or re-engagement of the claimant within the company. In the period 2011-2012, only 5 orders for reinstatement or re-engagement were given by employment tribunals. Re-engagement might work well in a large limited company or plc, which has a number of separate and diversified … Read more
George Osborne resurrected controversial plans to dilute workers’ rights by announcing at the Conservative Party Conference that employees can give up some of their legal rights at work in return for shares in the company. Already being called “Beecroft by the back door”, referring to the divisive report on employment legislation by venture capitalist and … Read more
The Default Retirement Age was abolished in October 2011, but today, 5 October 2012, is the final say upon which anyone could effectively be forced to retire at the age of 65, which could result in age discrimination. Whereas many employers used the DRA as a means of removing “older” employees and re-employing younger, cheaper … Read more
A “crew member” is taking the fast-food giant McDonalds to an employment tribunal, claiming unfair dismissal after she was sacked for sprinkling too many pieces of chocolate on a McFlurry dessert. Sarah Finch, aged 19 from Carmarthenshire, says that a colleague, who was purchasing the dessert, had asked her to “make it a nice one”. … Read more
Developed under the previous Labour Government, the Equality Act 2010 brought together all UK discrimination legislation in one place, and has been in force since October 2010. However, the Coalition has decided not to implement certain elements of the Act, including the allowance of claims based on a combination of protected characteristics, and delayed the … Read more
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced today new steps to give firms greater flexibility and confidence in managing their staff, and also to reduce the burden of red tape for businesses. The changes, which echo proposals announced earlier this year, are most likely to benefit small businesses. It should be said that there … Read more
The boss of a £1 million-a-year Coventry refuse business who sacked his nephew will not have to pay him compensation, a tribunal has ruled. Anthony Lakin – nephew of Kevin Kennell, boss of family-run firm Budget Skips Services – won his case for unfair dismissal at Birmingham employment tribunal on a technicality, because the firm … Read more
Employers have over recent years, found innumerate ways of benefitting from someone’s work, whilst endeavouring to avoid the rights and responsibilities which come with having an actual “employee”. We have seen contracts for casual workers, as well as “arms-length” relationships with contractors and sub-contractors. One of the most popular recent mechanisms for “taking someone on” … Read more