Opinion – Page 4
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OpinionSian McKinley and Joshua Peters: The impact of the metaverse on employment law
Employment laws on harassment, discrimination and privacy of workers are well established online and in the office, but applying these rules in the metaverse raises novel risks and challenges. In the employment sphere, an evolution of existing legal principles is more likely than a complete overhaul.The nascent metaverse has already ...
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OpinionCharles Cotton: 2023 will bring a focus on low-cost wellbeing support
In today’s volatile, uncertain and complex world, making predictions for the coming month is difficult enough, let alone making them for 2023. The cost-of-living crisis has had, and continues to have, a significant and widespread impact on the world of work. Next year, it is likely the UK will be ...
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OpinionBethan Jones: What do employers need to consider following the Forstater ruling?
In the Forstater v CGD Europe and ors case, the employment appeal tribunal (EAT) decided that gender-critical opinions amounted to a philosophical belief, and were worthy of protection from discrimination. Forstater openly communicated her belief that sex is immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity. She considered that ...
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OpinionJason Green: Employee data helps create a valuable benefits proposition
Data is now king.In a time where we are all struggling with gender pay gaps, pension shortfalls and a cost-of-living crisis, now more than ever employees should be fully utilising their benefits and reward packages to ensure they are getting the most from their employers. But are these benefits and ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Supporting staff through baby loss
This week marks Baby Loss Awareness Week, between 9-15 October. While other awareness days or weeks are widely discussed in the corporate space, this one appears to be less so. Baby or pregnancy loss is often a hidden subject in the workplace, with many employees perhaps preferring not to disclose ...
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OpinionLaura Tracey: How employers can support staff with the loss of a child
Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 October) is when many who are affected by the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or termination for medical reasons, come together in remembrance and support in both their personal and working lives.Employees who suffer from a miscarriage before 24 weeks do ...
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OpinionMartin Williams: Conservative plans would render strike action ineffective
Earlier this year, former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps expressed shock at how workers were treated by P and O Ferries, when the firm sacked hundreds of staff members without notice. The government had promised to introduce an employment bill to protect workers. Change was needed to prevent other mass sackings, ...
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OpinionYvonne Gallagher: Bumpy ride for Deliveroo in workers’ union challenge
The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) Union has announced plans to pursue claims previously made against Deliveroo on behalf of riders and drivers. These assert that the riders are workers for the purpose of a variety of employment statutory rights, in particular the right to union recognition, but also ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Supporting staff following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth
Credit: McCarthy's PhotoWorks / Shutterstock.comLast week, all of us at Employee Benefits were saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.As the nation now prepares for her funeral on Monday, many organisations have been working to plan for the event and the additional unexpected bank holiday. ...
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OpinionSarah Taylor: How can employers organise an unplanned bank holiday?
Following the announcement of Monday’s bank holiday earlier this week, businesses have been rushing to plan accordingly. There are no statutory rules that employers must follow for public holidays as every organisation will differ in its approach, influenced in a large part by the way in which its employment contracts ...
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OpinionJoe Aiston and Ruth Moffett: Uber's revenue increase could shift the gig economy's take on workers
In February 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers are workers and not independent contractors. This judgment has inevitably led to higher costs for Uber, with the ride share business now being required to ensure compliance with national minimum wage, holiday pay and put in place minimum pension contributions ...
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OpinionClaire Haworth: A remote working law may not solve the UK’s labour shortage
It is rumoured that the government is thinking of implementing a law extending the existing right to request flexible working. This would give employees greater flexibility in terms of how they work, including the right to remote working, as set out in the 2019 Employment Bill.At present, only employees with ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Should the UK move to a four-day week?
Last week, The Telegraph featured an article focusing on the experiences of several organisations currently participating in the UK’s pilot of a four-day working week.During the pilot, which is running between June and December 2022, more than 3,000 employees from 70 organisations across the UK will work 80% of their ...
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OpinionHelena Rosenstein: What’s next for gig economy workers and their benefits?
The tug of war between gig economy workers and their employers continues. The last round saw GMB, the union representing gig economy workers, their rights, and their benefits, take legal action against Uber and win. Now, the union has Bolt firmly in its sights. While the Supreme Court ruled in ...
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OpinionSamantha Dickinson: Will workers’ rights be eroded by government legislation?
As millions of public sector workers face below-inflation pay deals, the stage is set for a summer of continued discontent. So, how will the government’s decision to allow agency workers to cover in the event of further strike action affect the gathering storm clouds?Previously the Conduct of Employment Agencies and ...
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OpinionLee McIntyre-Hamilton: The tax impact of new employment status guidance
On 26 July 2022, the government published its response to a consultation on employment status, alongside associated guidance. The rules on employment status are important for both businesses and individuals, because they determine employment rights, such as entitlement to the national minimum wage and holiday pay, and whether a business ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Celebrating our 2022 Award winners
Today (Friday 24 June) marks one of my favourite days in the Employee Benefits calendar: the Employee Benefits Awards and Summer Party. Due to two maternity leaves and the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been five years since I last had the pleasure of introducing proceedings and welcoming guests to the ...
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OpinionTom Moyes: What is the potential impact of the rail strikes on pay and benefits?
While the new plans proposed by Transport Minister Grant Shapps to reduce the impact of industrial action following recent strikes look great on the surface, there is the potential for a significant negative impact on full-time workers. Whether it is the impact on pay, pensions or further employee benefits, there ...
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OpinionAfzal Rahman: Driving change with living wage accreditation
Low pay is endemic in our economy, and while the living wage is picking up in popularity, there are still millions of jobs that are not paid enough, and millions of people struggling to meet the cost of living. We need to get wages rising again, and to do that ...
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OpinionHollie Ryan: What does the GMB and Deliveroo voluntary partnership agreement mean for its workers?
Earlier this month, Deliveroo announced that it had signed a union recognition deal with the union GMB, which covers more than 90,000 self-employed riders. The voluntary partnership agreement gives GMB the rights to collective bargaining on pay and consultation rights on benefits, health and safety and wellbeing, as well as ...