Opinion – Page 4
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OpinionBeth Brown: High Court calls into question amendments to contracted out pension schemes
Anyone involved with pension schemes which contracted out on a salary-related basis after 1997 will want to be aware of a recent High Court ruling which could impact their scheme.In Virgin Media v NTL Trustees and others, the High Court held that the absence of a Section 37 certificate invalidated ...
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OpinionChris Kisby: Key considerations around overseas working
For many, the idea of working from another country, be that permanently or for a short period, is a very tempting one, but there are considerations for when an employee makes a request to move abroad.It might be that an employer already has an office in the country where an ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Should the Flexible Working Bill go further?
When the Flexible Working Bill received Royal Assent last week, many commentators, particularly parental rights campaigners, hailed this as a huge step forward.In a nutshell, the new legislation makes several changes to the way flexible working requests will work in practice, including:Giving employees the right to make two flexible working ...
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OpinionNeha Lugg and David Lorimer: How to make work events that involve alcohol more inclusive
Alcohol-free is fast becoming not only a religious or cultural choice, but a lifestyle choice. There have also been a significant number of alarming headlines demonstrating the role that alcohol has played at workplace events, resulting in harassment or other inappropriate behaviour, and significant reputational harm.Employers should look at workplace ...
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OpinionPaula Squire: The issues surrounding work-from-anywhere policies
With flexible, remote and hybrid working now the norm within many UK businesses, the concept of work from anywhere has begun to take off, with employers fielding increasing requests from workers who want to pack up their laptop and log on from a tropical beach or a new bustling city.This ...
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OpinionStephen Morrall: How flexible working trends have developed since lockdown
With the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill moving closer to becoming law, employees are set to benefit from a positive reform of employment rules which reflect growing trends toward flexible working across the UK.Under current legislation, a person who has 26 weeks of continuous service with their employer can request ...
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OpinionLaura Tracey: New guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health
Mental health problems are and continue to be a significant concern and employers have not only a moral, but a legal obligation to help protect and support employees who may be suffering from such issues.Employees may find mental health conditions difficult to talk about and even try to conceal them, ...
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OpinionMartin Williams: Amazon’s term-time contracts come with a new set of problems
The idea proposed by Amazon to offer contracts that revolve around term-time working is an interesting one. At first glance it can seem generous, allowing a degree of flexibility for workers who find school holidays a difficult time to balance work and childcare.However, Amazon is not being totally altruistic. It ...
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OpinionKatie Ash: Can a flexible-working request be reversed?
For many, the Covid-19 crisis is starting to feel like a distant memory. However, there are still changes to the way we live and work today that were influenced by the restrictions that were put in place. The biggest example in employment law is the shift to working from home.Employers ...
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OpinionKeely Rushmore: Proposed changes to holiday pay for temporary workers
In a bid to reduce the administrative burden on employers, the government has announced plans to allow rolled-up holiday pay. The plans were set out in the Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy policy paper published in May 2023 and are one of a number of changes proposed to the ...
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OpinionYvonne Gallagher: Deliveroo rider worker status appealed at Supreme Court
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents a number of riders working for the app-based delivery service Deliveroo, has appealed to the Supreme Court seeking support for its claim that it should be entitled to be recognised by Deliveroo for the purposes of collective bargaining rights for ...
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OpinionSusannah Bottriell: Will government guidance on ethnicity pay reporting create more equal workplaces?
Following the UK government's commitment in March 2022, on 17 April this year it published its guidance on ethnicity pay gap reporting. Unlike gender pay gap reporting, ethnicity pay reporting is voluntary. Many elements of the government’s guidance align with gender pay gap reporting guidance, particularly the calculations. The guidance ...
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OpinionSubecca Sheikh: How can employers support staff going through a divorce?
A year has passed since the introduction of the no-fault divorce. The idea behind it was to pave the way for amicable collaboration, easing negotiations and overall reducing the mental health impact of divorce. It was a way to make the process manageable and approachable.The law was set to forge ...
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OpinionJoanna Powis and Alison Heaton: Is a four-day week the future of work?
Coming out of the pandemic, there has been an increased focus on work-life balance, mental health and wellbeing, and employers’ roles in supporting staff on these fronts. Employers in some industries have also seen a talent war emerge as they find it harder to recruit and retain the best employees.These ...
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OpinionMichelle Hobbs: Maternity protections are on their way
The Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill is expected to receive its final reading in the House of Lords imminently, and should be passed into law soon.The bill aims to extend current protections from redundancy for expectant and new mothers, and introduce new protections for those taking and returning from ...
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OpinionShireen Shaikh: The right to request predictable work patterns
Casual, temporary and agency workers will have new rights and protections if a government-backed private member's bill, the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, becomes law. In particular, the right to request a more predictable working pattern might relate to the number of hours they work in a week, the ...
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OpinionPaul Reeves and Leanne Raven: Are employees entitled to the King's Coronation bank holiday?
It has been announced that there will be an extra bank holiday to celebrate the King's Coronation on Monday 8 May, which will form a special three-day weekend for many, but not all, employees.Whether an employee is legally entitled to this extra bank holiday depends on the wording of their ...
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OpinionNicholas Jervis: The rise of unfair dismissals and impact on employee benefits
The ongoing economic uncertainty and evolving labour market conditions caused by the pandemic have increased pressure on businesses to cut costs and adapt to a rapidly changing business landscape. To address financial strain, some employers might resort to dismissals that are unjust or not in compliance with UK employment laws. ...
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OpinionAlexandra Farmer: Further protections needed for pregnant employees
The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill is well on its way through the House of Lords. Currently at committee stage - at which point every clause of the bill has to be agreed and votes on amendments can take place - the bill will give further protections ...
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OpinionHolly Navarro: Supporting Muslim staff during Ramadan
In today’s richly diverse society, employers must demonstrate an understanding of the cultural variances of employees, and foster an inclusive working environment, ensuring multi-faith workforces are listened to and respected. An openness to making reasonable adjustments during this time will help improve employee satisfaction and embed inclusivity and diversity within ...