Various draft bills related to employment are currently progressing through Parliament and could become law in 2023. One such bill is the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill known as the ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’ or ‘REUL Bill’ which the Government first presented to the House of Commons in September 2022. The aim of the […]
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 […]
The impact of Coronavirus on wages
Businesses are having to consider how to reduce their wage costs as the coronavirus pandemic starts to have an impact on business and the wider economy. This article sets out what Employers can do when faced with a downturn in business. Employers may be able to take advantage of contractual lay-off and short-time working provisions, […]
Employment Law Developments for 2020
As far as employment law changes are concerned April tends to be the busiest time of year and 2020 looks to be no different. April will be upon us before we know it and it is important for companies to prepare in advance for those changes which impact the way they run their businesses and […]
Post-Brexit immigration rules
Whether or not a deal is reached with the EU the fact remains that the UK will cease to be a member with effect from 29 March 2019, Article 50 triggered a formal legal process to this effect. This means that the rules regarding the employment of EU nationals look set to change as freedom […]
Do employees have to disclose an offence?
In a recent case, all the claimants were convicted or received cautions, for relatively minor offences and they were all ‘spent’. One of the offences was stealing a book worth 99 pence in 1999. However, their criminal records were disclosed when they applied for employment involving contact with children or vulnerable adults and the claimants […]
Whistleblowing reform on its way
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has recommended an extensive overhaul of whistleblowing legislation, including the creation of a legal definition for the term ‘whistleblower’. The APPG set out 10 recommendations for change, which experts said would impose significant obligations on organisations of all types. Whistleblowing claims can be complicated to defend and if your organisation […]
Covert Recordings
When advising on employment matters, we often encounter situations where an employee has secretly recorded a meeting or event at the workplace that they wish to use as evidence. A recent case has been considered by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) which has looked into the effect that the covert recordings could have on an […]
Take a break!
The Court of Appeal has brought some clarity in relation to whether compensatory rest breaks need to be an uninterrupted 20-minute period or can be made up of shorter breaks totalling 20 minutes or more. The judgment in Network Rail Infrastructure v Crawford [2019] EWCA Civ 269 confirms for employers within the exempt sectors, that […]
David Harris interviewed by BBC Radio about changes to Sick Pay
David Harris, Managing Partner at DPH Legal was interviewed by BBC Radio Berkshire to discuss the proposed changes to sick pay entitlement. You can listen to the interview here: Currently, employees must earn at least the equivalent of 14 hours on the minimum wage (at least £118 per week) to qualify for Statutory Sick Pay. […]
Taxing times
From April 2020, changes to the ‘IR35’ regulation will impact employers who engage contractors through Personal Service Companies (PSCs). These changes will expose businesses engaging contractors to significant tax risks. At the moment, where a person provides services to a business through a PSC, income tax and national insurance contributions (NIC) are paid if that […]
Employment Tribunal Time Limits
The usual time limit for a Claimant to issue a tribunal claim for unfair dismissal or constructive dismissal is three months less than one day from the termination of employment. This was tested recently at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Overview of Pora v Cape Industrial Services Ltd [2019] The decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal […]