The temporary adjustments to right-to-work checks due to COVID-19 are ending. When will the original right-to-work checks be reinstated in the UK? From 1 September 2021, employers must either check the original documents of applicants or check online if applicants have been given the ‘share code’ that gives them the right to work. Why were […]
Employee benefits in a post-pandemic world
The sweeping impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted how, when and where millions of people work. Firms that previously did not allow remote working under any circumstances changed their tune and offered flexible working options. As part of this broader change, companies also altered the benefits they offered to newly hired and existing workers. […]
What UK employers need to know about the vaccination programme
Employers are facing a surprising number of difficult and untested employment law issues as the UK rolls out its Covid-19 vaccination programme. Many are asking if vaccination can be made compulsory for employees. There are also questions about alternatives to a mandatory requirement, time off for vaccine appointments, and how vaccine objectors should be dealt with […]
What are the implications of remote working from overseas?
COVID-19 has made remote working the ‘new normal for many employees across the UK and some are even working remotely from other countries. At first, glance, working from abroad seems harmless. However, there are complicated issues that both employers and employees should seriously consider when it comes to working remotely from other nations. These include […]
How fair to employees is firing and rehiring?
It goes without saying that the unparalleled impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has placed enormous financial pressure on countless companies throughout the UK. Faced with these challenges, a large number of employers have changed the terms and conditions of their employees’ contracts, possibly in an effort to benefit from the furlough scheme or to keep […]
Could long COVID be classified as a disability?
It is now well over a year since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the UK on 29 January 2020. Among the many issues thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic are questions relating to how employers should treat those employees affected by it. Not least the looming long-term consequences around what is being […]
COVID-19 rapid workplace testing
Alongside the rollout of the vaccination programme and the continued focus on ‘Hands, Face, Space’, regular testing is a vital tool to stop the transmission of COVID-19 as sections of society are reopened. Around 1 in 3 people with coronavirus don’t have symptoms, which means they could be spreading the virus in workplaces without knowing […]
Recent UK National Minimum Wage and statutory pay increases
It is likely that the Covid-19 pandemic will permanently alter the way we do business, with many companies opting to implement a work from home policy that will continue beyond the pandemic.
Mark Laffery speaks on BBC Radio about the rights of employees to continue working from home
Listen to the interview here: If you would like to find out more about this, call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete the Contact Form on our website to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. You can read Mark’s bio by clicking on Our Team Mark LaffertyMark Lafferty […]
Religion and belief in the workplace
It is likely that the Covid-19 pandemic will permanently alter the way we do business, with many companies opting to implement a work from home policy that will continue beyond the pandemic.
Should interim relief be available in discrimination cases?
It is likely that the Covid-19 pandemic will permanently alter the way we do business, with many companies opting to implement a work from home policy that will continue beyond the pandemic.
David Harris speaks on the Breakfast Show about vaccine passports
You can listen to the interview here: For further information, you can call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising […]
Implementing a work from home policy for employees
It is likely that the Covid-19 pandemic will permanently alter the way we do business, with many companies opting to implement a work from home policy that will continue beyond the pandemic.
“No Jab no Job” Listen to David P Harris speaking about this on BBC Radio Berkshire
Listen to the interview here: If you need more information about this, call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete the Contact Form on our website to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience […]
David P Harris discusses the rights of UK employees to work from home on BBC Radio Berkshire with Phil Kennedy
Listen to the interview here: If you are an employee needing legal advice about your right to work from home during the lockdown, call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised […]
UK Government considers reforms that could affect non-compete clauses in employment contracts
At the end of 2020, the UK Government launched a consultation aimed at reforming non-compete clauses that place restrictions on ex-employees after the termination of their employment contracts. The consultation (which is due to close in February 2021) is driven by the need to “unleash innovation, create the conditions for new jobs and increase competition,” […]
David P Harris speaks to Phil Kennedy on BBC Berkshire about the rights of working parents facing redundancy
David Harris speaks to Phil Kennedy on BBC Radio Berkshire about redundancy rights during the pandemic and the impact, in particular, on working parents. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment law matters. He is a frequent contributor to […]
Can employers dismiss employees who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine?
The COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available to the entire UK population but not everyone wants to be vaccinated. Employers should consider very carefully how they will approach a vaccination policy for their employees. The COVID-19 vaccination programme in the UK is now well underway. With the vaccine being offered first to the most vulnerable […]
David P Harris speaks to Phil Kennedy on BBC Berkshire about the potential impact of the recently announced national lockdown
David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment law matters. He is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio Berkshire and People Management Magazine. David has represented individual and corporate clients in the employment tribunal as well as the High Court […]
Could employers dismiss employees fairly based on reputational risk?
Earlier this month, in K v L, the Employment Appeal Tribunal found that a school was not entitled to dismiss K, a teacher of 20 years, on grounds of reputation risk after K was charged but not prosecuted for possessing indecent images of children. The Employment Appeal Tribunal’s view that it would not have been […]
COVID-19: UK Government guidance on business operations and working from home
With the end of the national lockdown and the introduction of the tier system that started on 2 December 2020, the UK Government has reiterated that employees in England who can work effectively from home should do so over the winter. [In Scotland employees should only go to work if it is essential for them […]
New Tribunal Procedure Rules
A new statutory instrument was brought before parliament on 17 September 2020 to amend the tribunal procedural rules. The rules were changed to make the following allowances: More flexibility to be permitted over virtual hearings due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As Covid-19 has created a significant backlog of problems in the Employment Tribunal, if certain […]
Disability Discrimination Update
The EAT in Sullivan v Bury Street Capital Ltd UKEAT/0317/19/BA recently held that an employee who suffered from paranoid delusions was not disabled because although these had a substantial adverse effect, they were not long-term or likely to recur. The Employment Tribunal rejected the Claimant’s evidence and found that his condition did not have a […]
David P Harris discusses the latest updates from Rishi Sunak with Andrew Peach on BBC Radio Berkshire
Listen to the interview here: For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment […]
David P Harris discusses the latest update from Rishi Sunak on BBC Radio Berkshire with Phil Kennedy
Listen to the interview here: For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment […]
Calculation of CJRS grants: disclosure of mistakes to HMRC
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme comes to an end at the end of October. Whilst the scheme has been widely welcomed by employers, it is not without its complexities, not least as guidance on the application of the scheme and the calculation of grants has been updated on a frequent basis. Given the changes in […]
David P Harris discusses the latest expansion to the Job Support Scheme on BBC Radio Berkshire with Phil Kennedy
Listen to the interview here: For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment […]
David P Harris discusses the latest Government updates on BBC Radio Berkshire with Bill Buckley
Listen to the interview here: For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment […]
Test and trace scheme: considerations for employers
The NHS Test and Trace service are intended to form a central part of the government’s coronavirus recovery strategy, with those who have tested positive for COVID-19 asked to register via the NHS Test and Trace website and identify any individuals that they have recently been in close contact with. The intention is that contact […]
Coronavirus: managing return to work for shielding UK employees
Now that shielding has come to an end in the UK, employees who were previously in this position are reporting feelings of anxiety. At the same time, as the seasons change and schools return across the UK, there is a sense that businesses will also be starting to return to ‘normal’ with more employers taking […]
David P Harris discusses the announcement of the ‘Jobs Support Scheme’ on BBC Radio Berkshire
Listen to the interview here: For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment […]
David P Harris discusses the changes to the furlough scheme from the 1 September on BBC Radio Berkshire
For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment law matters. He is a […]
Changes to Employment Tribunal Fees
Over the last decade, we have seen the employment tribunal fee regime completely overhauled. Most recently all fees were scrapped and no fee is currently required to submit a claim. However, recent information has shown that this may still change. In July 2013 the government made the decision to introduce fees for bringing a claim […]
The right to refuse work?
Some of the most common queries received in recent weeks have related to whether employers are able to force employees to return to work and, conversely, whether employees can refuse to return to work. Prior to the current pandemic queries of this nature were virtually unheard of; in the majority of cases, an employer is […]
David P Harris discusses the changes to the Furlough scheme from 1 August on BBC Radio Berkshire
Listen to the interview here: For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment […]
David P Harris discusses employees rights on quarantine on BBC Radio Berkshire
Listen to the interview here: For further information call us on 0118 914 5622 or complete our Contact Us Form to arrange a confidential call back from a qualified solicitor without charge. David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment […]
Coronavirus: managing the return to work in the UK
As the UK government begin to lift lockdown restrictions, employers in the UK should begin planning for staff to be able to return to their places of work. Many UK businesses have had to take steps to either limit or entirely reduce the number of employees on their premises during the lockdown period through a […]
David P Harris discusses Redundancy rights for employees on BBC Radio Berkshire
David Harris, the Managing Partner at DPH Legal, was interviewed on Thursday 2 July on BBC Radio Berkshire. As the furlough scheme is gradually coming to an end a lot of businesses are faced with difficult decisions if they can’t afford to keep their current workforce. Some employees will find they are at risk of […]
Criminal investigations. The risk for UK employers furloughing staff
UK employers who are furloughing staff as a result of the coronavirus pandemic could face a criminal investigation from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if complicit managers are dishonestly facilitating claims under the coronavirus job retention scheme whilst simultaneously requiring employees to work. Under the current criteria for the coronavirus job retention scheme, employers may […]
Holiday during furlough
Employees on furlough leave continue to accrue statutory holidays and any additional holiday entitlement under their contract of employment. Furloughed employees may take holiday without it disrupting their furlough leave. An employer may, subject to the usual notice requirements, require employees to take holiday whether or not the employee is on furlough leave. However, before […]
David P Harris discusses the updated Flexible Furlough Scheme on BBC Radio Berkshire
David Harris, the Managing Partner at DPH Legal, was interviewed on Wednesday 1 July on BBC Radio Berkshire. The government have announced a change to the current Furlough scheme, making it more flexible to assist companies in bringing back employees over the next three months. These changes include: Employers can bring back workers on a […]
David P Harris discusses the latest changes to the Furlough Scheme on BBC Radio Berkshire
David Harris, the Managing Partner at DPH Legal, was interviewed on Friday 29 May on BBC Radio Berkshire to discuss the changes to the Furlough Scheme which will be implemented in the next few months. These changes include: Employers will be able to bring back furloughed staff part-time from 1 July Employers will have to […]
David P Harris discusses the latest changes from the Government on BBC Radio Berkshire
After Boris Johnson’s speech on Sunday, DPH Legal has been working hard to decipher what this means for the UK workforce. David Harris, the Managing Partner, was interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire to discuss these changes. Listen to the interview here: If you have any questions or need any legal advice give us a […]
Mark Lafferty discusses the changes to workplaces post lock down
Interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire, Mark Lafferty, Associate at DPH Legal, looks at the changes to working life as discussions on relaxing lockdown have begun. Listen to the interview here: David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment law […]
David P Harris explains pay on furlough for employees on BBC Radio Berkshire
As payday arrives, many may be wondering how they are to be paid. David Harris, Managing Partner at DPH Legal explains all with Andrew Peach on BBC Radio Berkshire. Listen to the interview here: David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and […]
David P Harris discusses the latest Furlough updates on BBC Radio Berkshire
David Harris, Managing Partner at DPH Legal discussed the latest updates on Furlough with Sarah Walker at BBC Radio Berkshire. Listen to the interview here: David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers on employment law matters. He is a frequent […]
David Harris discusses Furlough leave on BBC Radio Berkshire with Phil Kennedy
David Harris, Managing Partner at DPH Legal was interviewed by Phil Kennedy on BBC Radio Berkshire. Discussing what is Furlough leave, whether can you work during furlough leave and many more important questions. You can listen to the interview here: David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of […]
David Harris discusses the latest announcement on BBC Hereford Radio with Toni McDonald
David Harris, Managing Partner at DPH Legal was interviewed by Toni McDonald on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester about the government’s latest announcement for self-employed workers. You can listen to the interview here: David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising employees and employers […]
David Harris discusses employment rights on BBC Berkshire Radio
David Harris, Managing Partner at DPH Legal was interviewed by Andrew Peach of BBC Radio Berkshire about the latest updates to workers’ rights after the recent government announcements. You can listen to the interview here: David Philip HarrisDavid Philip Harris is a recognised employment solicitor with over 10 years of experience in advising […]
Covid 19 – Coronavirus and home working
Given the ever-increasing number of cases in the UK and recent announcements by the Government, Employers should now be thinking about whether they need to take any steps to facilitate home working, and encouraging employees to ensure that they have the correct set-up at home to be able to work there if required to do […]