Opinion – Page 6
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OpinionRhiannon Barnsley: Auto-enrolment reform gives employees a choice
Nobody is thinking about pension auto-enrolment reform at the moment. Quite frankly, people are more concerned about how they are going to afford to put the heating on this winter, or how they are going to pay their mortgage. Understandably, of course. However, this should not be used as an ...
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OpinionHina Belitz: Are working mothers a symptom of economic downturn?
Fewer women are leaving work after having children. While some see this increased workforce participation as a step towards equality, as inflation surges, many mothers now work out of economic necessity.Although the Equality Act 2010 legally protects women from discrimination in the workplace, inequality and discrimination still remain far too ...
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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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OpinionSyma Spanjers: What support should employers provide for menopause in the workplace?
There is growing momentum among employers to support employees affected by the menopause in the workplace.In July 2022, the government produced its response to the Independent report on menopause and the workplace. For employers, the key recommendations include promoting open conversations and training line managers to recognise symptoms of the ...
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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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OpinionLee McIntyre-Hamilton: How to manage a globally remote workforce compliantly
The rise of globally remote workers and digital nomads is a lasting legacy of Covid-19 (Coronavirus). Employers are now grappling with how to embrace or at least accommodate the new landscape, not least in order to attract and retain scarce talent. The UK Office of Tax Simplification’s consultation on globally ...
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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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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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OpinionCharlie Thompson: Will there be more claims now Long Covid is recognised as disability?
Recently, an employment tribunal in Scotland held that an employee with Long Covid-19 (Coronavirus) was disabled under the Equality Act 2010. This is the first decision of its kind, and will not be the last.The tribunal’s decision is not surprising. It was only a matter of time until an employment ...
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OpinionKerry Garcia: Part-time workers set to see windfall of holiday pay
The Supreme Court has confirmed the finding of the Court of Appeal that part-year workers could be entitled to receive more holiday pay than colleagues who work throughout the year. The decision will come as a blow to employers with workers who work for only part of each year, such ...
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OpinionLauren Harkin: Employees’ health rights in high temperatures
With temperatures set to soar well over 30 degrees Celsius in parts of the UK this week, rumours often circulate about the rights of employees regarding the temperatures in which they can legally work. So, do employees have a right to stop working if a maximum temperature is exceeded?Somewhat surprisingly, ...
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OpinionSinead Cuthill and Emma Vennesson: Ethnicity pay gap reporting in the UK
In its Inclusive Britain policy paper, published on 17 March 2022, the government stated that it would not be mandating ethnicity pay gap reporting. One of the reasons for this is that it wanted to “avoid imposing new reporting burdens on businesses as they recover from the pandemic.”The government’s position ...
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OpinionStephen Morrall and Annabelle Woosnam: Pensions in the gig economy
An article published by the Financial Times on 14 June reported that the UK pensions regulator has conceded that not all gig economy employers have done 'the right thing' and offered pensions to staff. What does this mean?In recent years, vast numbers of people have entered the gig economy, working ...
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OpinionNeil Todd: Ineos case shows collective bargaining rights cannot be bypassed
Unite members’ victory at a recent employment appeal tribunal, which saw global chemical firm Ineos being ordered to compensate employees after they attempted to bypass agreed collective bargaining mechanisms, is a significant victory for the rights of trade union members.The decision strengthens the case law relating to what amounts to ...