Opinion
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OpinionKeely Rushmore: What can employers learn from the Next employment tribunal judgment?
Keely Rushmore Source: From Keystone Law Keely Rushmore, employment partner at Keystone Law The employment tribunal judgment in the case of high street retailer Next serves as a reminder that roles that may seem very different can be compared against each other under the equality legislation, to ...
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OpinionAnn Frances Cooney: Potential impact of the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill
The draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill was announced in the King’s Speech in July. The new Labour government confirmed that the draft bill delivers its manifesto commitments to enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people, and to introduce ...
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OpinionNick Le Riche: Flexible working changes and a four-day week
The Labour government’s planned changes to give employees the right to request a four-day working week under plans to increase flexible working have hit the headlines. According to reports, the government is proposing to make it easier for employees to request compressed hours, whereby employees work their ...
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OpinionElouisa Crichton: What to expect from a right to disconnect
The UK government is exploring how to implement the new right to disconnect in practice. This follows moves by countries including France, Spain and Australia where similar policies have already been introduced. This proposed right is unlikely to become law in the statutory sense, but rather a ...
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OpinionLouise Lawrence: Legal implications and requirements of managing sickness absence
Managing sickness absence can be a daunting task for many employers to handle, as it often requires striking a fine balance of having a delicate approach in supporting employees, while considering business needs of minimising business disruption and costs. An October 2023 report from the Chartered Institute ...
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OpinionThe Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill and the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024
On 6 December 2023, the Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons as a Private Member’s Bill by Chris Elmore, a Labour MP, with support from Darren Henry, a Conservative MP. It enjoyed the support of the government and across ...
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OpinionAmanda Glover: Impact of new flexible working laws on employees
The employment law changes that came into effect in April 2024 are likely to have been overshadowed for many by the general election and the multitude of proposed employment law changes that have been put on the table by the Labour party.The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which came ...
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OpinionSarah Tahamtani: Supporting and celebrating neurodiversity in the workplace
The Buckland Review of Autism Employment, published in February 2024, identified that autistic jobseekers often struggled due to generic job descriptions which they could not satisfy, interview questions and approaches which were not adapted to fit their needs and challenging sensory environments.What is clear, is that there is a significant ...
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OpinionJemma Forrest: Domestic violence leave and why it is not coming to the UK
Ireland has introduced the right to five days of paid domestic violence leave annually, to help those affected by abuse access the medical visits, legal advice and counselling they may need.It is unusual for Ireland to lead the UK on employment law, but the UK government has since confirmed it ...
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OpinionPatrick Glencross: Reforms to employee holiday rights
Calculating annual leave and holiday pay for employees can be challenging, particularly for those who work irregular hours. The government has this year introduced significant changes to simplify the rules on holiday rights as part of its reforms to a range of employment rights that have developed from years of ...
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OpinionPaul McGrath: Understanding employment law reforms
The King’s Speech on 17 July saw the new UK government reaffirm its commitment to introduce new employment legislation in Parliament within its first 100 days in office. The government plans to do this with a new Employment Rights Bill, that is intended to deliver on the wide range of ...
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OpinionMerrill April: What employers need to know about changes to Tupe Regulations 2006
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (Tupe), the UK law which implemented the Acquired Rights Directive into UK law, require that an employer acquiring the employees and possibly workers of another must honour their terms and conditions, including holiday, pay and other benefits, with very limited exceptions.While ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Watching the Labour government bed in
We are now just over a week on from the Labour party storming to victory in the UK’s general election. The last time the UK moved to a Labour government after a period of Conservative rule, I was still at school and remember teachers trying to explain the significance of ...
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OpinionKevin Gude: Why should employers consider a corporate healthcare trust?
Employer-funded healthcare trusts are an established, tax-efficient way to deliver the benefit of medical treatment to employees without having to buy employer-paid health insurance.Traditional insurance involves paying an insurance firm a premium, including 12% in tax, that reflects the insurer’s prediction that claims will be made by employees, as well ...
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OpinionDebbie Coyne: Managing Euro 2024 and staff leave
With Euro 2024 football fever sweeping the country, employers are once again facing the age-old conundrum of balancing productivity and business operations with giving their staff the chance to watch their nation at a major summer tournament.Legally, employers are not obliged to provide time off for employees to watch Euro ...
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OpinionDeborah Warren: Supporting employees' mental health in the workplace
Employers have not only recognised the importance of employee wellbeing and mental health, but have begun to put it at the top of their people priorities list.All employers have a general, common-law duty to take reasonable care for the safety of their employees, including providing a safe place of work, ...
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OpinionAndrew Rhodes: How to establish policies on belief and expression to avoid claims
With general election campaigning getting underway in the UK and US, as well as the continued culture wars all feeding into increased political polarisation, there is a considerable risk of disagreements spilling into the workplace.In response to this risk, employers should establish or review their internal policies on political beliefs ...
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OpinionVicky Schollar: What is the potential impact of changes to the fit note system?
It was announced in April that GPs may no longer be required to sign off fit notes and that responsibility will be passed to an unspecified healthcare specialist. What do the possible legal implications of this look like and what will be the impact on employees?A sick note, or fitness ...
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OpinionHelen Watson: BBC equal pay case: implications for settlement agreements and discrimination claims
The BBC once again made the HR headlines following the news that four female presenters have lost their bid to take legal action against the corporation on grounds of equal pay. For employment law professionals, the case certainly poses an interesting challenge, with it being revealed that equal pay issues ...
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OpinionRena Magdani: How does flexibility help with recruitment and retention in a challenging climate?
With recruitment difficulties set to continue, businesses need to attract applicants and retain staff as best they can. Embracing flexible working could make a business more attractive in a difficult climate. Flexible working is one element employers can control in terms of the talent pool; the time to act is ...