News: 1/3 of workers fiddle travel expenses to top up pay
Nearly one in three staff regularly top up their monthly pay by fiddling travel expenses, adding extra to taxi fares or claiming for non-business-related trips. According to a survey of 1,000 UK employees undertaken by expense management software provider, Spendvision, about 23% routinely ask for a blank receipt in order to add a few extra […]
Blog: Family-friendly law – The debate continues
Earlier this month we saw a shock announcement from Sheila Lawlor, director of Politeia, stating that paid maternity leave creates a “great burden” for women and has stunted their growth up the career ladder to the boardroom. With current legislation allowing women to take time off following the birth of their children and recent developments […]
Legal Insight: Working with the Working Time Regulations
The coalition government has expressed its commitment to “deregulating” employment law. As part of this approach, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, is specifically targeting European Directives and has pledged the government’s commitment to negotiate UK domestic law out of these obligations. Her concern is that directives passed down from Europe, which must subsequently be […]
Ask the Expert: Can I offer a candidate for one job a different post?
The question If I find an excellent candidate that I would like to appoint for job B when interviewing for job A, could I withdraw the advert for job B and give the post to the person on the job A list? Both jobs offer the same salary, have the same requirements and are […]
News: Dyson sues Bosch after discovering ‘spy’ on its staff
Dyson is suing German rival Bosch after claiming that it paid a spy to steal company secrets while working at the British engineering group’s high security research and development unit. The company attests that a rogue employee, who is thought to be Chinese, had been handing information over to Bosch divisions in the UK and […]
News: Birmingham equal pay ruling could open claim floodgates
Thousands of workers could now bring equal pay claims dating back six years rather than six months after 174 women won a “landmark” ruling against Birmingham City Council. The Supreme Court ruled that members of the so-called ‘Abdulla Group’, which was named after the woman whose name was at the top of the list, could […]
News: EU debate on female board quotas postponed
A European Union debate on proposals that would force female quotas of 40% on company boards across Europe has been postponed amid concerns that they could be unlawful. The move will give EU Justice commissioner, Viviane Reding, a chance to review her plans, which are opposed by at least 11 of the 27 commissioners, including […]
News: BBC HR whistleblower “bullied and harassed” into resigning
A former head of HR at the BBC claims that he was “bullied and harassed” into resigning after allegedly blowing the whistle on his boss for sexually discriminating against a female employee. Byron Myers quit his £77,000 per year job as head of HR at BBC studios and post-production unit last December, following an internal […]
Ask the Expert: Are we legally obliged to have a health and safety policy?
The question Although my employer does not have a health and safety policy, the internal website says that: "As an employee, you have a personal responsibility to take care of yourself and others and to avoid placing yourself or others in a situation that is hazardous or a risk to health." I have […]
News: Decision to retire ageing chairman could open FA to legal challenge
The failure of the Football Association’s chairman to extend his tenure beyond his 70th birthday could leave the organisation open to legal challenge, a lawyer has warned. The FA’s Council voted by 45 votes to 40 to reject a proposal both to waive a rule requiring directors to stand down when they turned 70 and […]
Legal Insight: How to deal with long-term sick leave
Although the holiday season may have ended, the holiday-related pain for those employing people on long-term sick leave has not. This is because European law enables UK employees to save up the holiday leave entitlement accruing to them while on sick leave and take it when they are well enough to return to work. […]
News: Met’s tattoo ban could be “indirectly discriminatory”, warns lawyer
The Metropolitan Police’s decision to ban both officers and civilian staff from having visible tattoos could be indirectly discriminatory in certain circumstances, a lawyer has warned. The Met’s commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, has ordered personnel who already have visible body art to cover it up as it could “damage the professional image” of the UK’s largest […]
Blog: Eight tips for handling a ‘difficult conversation’
No-one likes having ‘difficult’ conversations – but as a manager it is inevitable that at some point an issue will arise that has to be addressed. It may be that an employee’s performance is under par, a project has gone horribly wrong or a crucial meeting has been mishandled. It’s tempting to sweep poor […]
Talking Point: Isn’t there a better way to make redundancies?
A huge 2.7 million people in the UK have been made redundant over the last three years. But as shocking as that statistic is, even more shocking is the fact that the current model for making such redundancies isn’t mandated by law, is unnecessary, and is as harmful for those taking such action (organisations, HR […]
Blog: When did you last challenge wrongdoing around you?
So the USADA report is out and it makes it abundantly clear that the sport I enjoyed watching for years has been a dirty cheating farce (like I didn’t already know right?). The situation surrounding Lance Armstrong is a great example of the danger of a typical hierarchy. The person at the top takes ultimate responsibility, sure. And […]
Ask the Expert: How do we deal with a post-work event rape allegation?
The question What is an appropriate disciplinary charge for an incident that has led to a criminal investigation outside of work, allegedly involving another member of staff following a work event? Here is an outline of the situation: Following a corporate event, a group of people went back to an employee’s home and continued […]
News: Repeal of equality legislation will “let bad bosses off the hook”
The government’s decision to repeal sections of the Equality Act less than two years after their introduction has been branded by unions as an attempt to “let bad bosses off the hook”. Provisions in the Equality Act 2010 that make employers liable for the harassment of their staff by third parties such as customers or […]
The HR Headmistress: How to weed out litigious job candidates
The world is full of bounty hunters. Their game is to exploit any holes left by careless employers that could give them a chance to sue for big bucks. Most of the risks involve candidates alleging some form of discrimination on the grounds of a protected characteristic. Anti-discrimination legislation was created to help […]
Blog: The shares-for-rights conundrum – A fair exchange?
Is the lure of owning an amount of shares, and not paying capital gains tax on the profit that those shares make (if any) a fair exchange for surrendering some of your employment rights? The Chancellor’s proposal has about as much detail as a child’s sketch of a cloud so let’s consider the following scenario: You […]
News: Chancellor’s shares-for-employment-rights scheme ‘open to abuse’
The Chancellor’s plans to enable staff to sell employment rights in exchange for company shares could be open to abuse by unscrupulous employers, experts have warned. George Osborne in his Conservative party conference speech today said that, as of April next year, employees who are given company shares worth between £2,000 and £50,000 will no […]
