Analysis: Reed loses £158m ‘salary sacrifice’ case
In the latest round of the UK’s most prominent tax grudge match, the Reed Group lost a first tier tribunal appeal against HM Revenue & Customs' decision to revoke an expenses dispensation for its temps after eight years. Faced with a potential tax bill of £158m, the recruitment agency has called for a judicial review of […]
Ask the Expert: Is there a minimum hours requirement for lodging a tribunal claim?
The question I have a part-time employee who works 12 hours per week. He has decided that he does not like his job, does not want to do it anymore and is openly seeking another one. But the worker is being disruptive and is demotivating other team members. He has been with the organisation […]
Update: Redknapp allegedly had sole control of Monaco bank account
Harry Redknapp had sole responsibility for the Monaco bank account under the combined name of his dog and birth date, ‘Rosie 47’, into which money was paid by Milan Mandaric, Southwark Crown Court heard today. Jurors were told that the only signature on records for the account at the centre of £189,000 ‘bung’ – or […]
Legal Insight: Coulson and the compromise agreement issue
The News of the World debacle and the subsequent Leveson Inquiry have raised all manner of issues about all manner of things. But one matter that has not been talked about much so far is the issue of compromise agreements. If you have ever dealt with a compromise agreement in relation to an employee, […]
Regional mediation pilots for SMEs unveiled
Two regional mediation pilot projects have been launched in a bid to help resolve workplace disputes in small-to-medium-sized companies before they reach the employment tribunal stage. Cambridge and Manchester will be the first areas to create mediation networks, which will each consist of 24 SMEs that will be selected later in the year. The Department […]
Is homophobia still an issue in the workplace?
When discrimination at work against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people was finally outlawed in the UK in 2003, few predicted how rapidly full LGBT rights would come to be seen as the norm. Even in 2007 when discrimination outside the workplace was likewise banned, homophobia and transphobia still seemed very live issues. This […]
Microsoft backs same-sex marriage to help it compete for talent
Microsoft has joined with five other companies to officially support the legalisation of same-sex marriage because it believes that discrimination of any kind is counter-productive in the war for talent. Washington State in the US, where the high tech giant is based, is scheduled to hear two bills today (Pacific Daylight Time) which, if passed, […]
Trends 2012: Employment law
With so many new legislative proposals around at the moment, this summary sets out details of what is coming into force and when in order to help you plan for the changes over the year ahead and beyond. 1 February 2012 The annual increase to Employment Tribunal limits will take place. The maximum compensatory […]
Analysis: What is ‘fair’? Co-operatives, bonuses and the living wage issue
A new Bill to make it easier for employees to set up their own co-operatives is to be put before Parliament in a bid to make the UK economy more “fair and worthwhile”. In a speech in London yesterday, the Prime Minister said that employee-owned organisations already provided the country with nearly £1 billion-worth of […]
Ask the Expert: Can we cut mileage rates without staff agreement?
The question In 2003, the company set mileage rates at 15p per mile for certain employees who drove their own cars. In 2007, the firm was bought out and became part of a larger group. The current head of the company resigned and a new manager was recruited to take over. In January […]
The Bribery Act: Goodbye to the gravy train
The UK Bribery Act 2010 is ushering in a new era of tighter control over corporate hospitality and employee entertainment. For any business built on wining and dining customers and business partners, the introduction of the Act this July will have a significant impact on its behaviour. To ensure they comply with the law, […]
PC to appeal dismissal for having sex on the job
A police constable plans to appeal against his dismissal for gross misconduct after a probe found that he had sex with five different women while on duty. Troy Van-Eda, who claimed he was separated from his wife, was sacked without notice from the Greater Manchester Police. The move followed an 18-month-long internal investigation undertaken by […]
Health worker fined after illegally accessing patient records
A former health worker has been fined for unlawfully obtaining patient information by accessing the medical records of five members of her ex-husband’s family in order to obtain their new telephone numbers. Juliah Kechil, formerly Merritt, a former health care assistant in the Outpatients Department at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital was convicted under section […]
Understanding ‘what good looks like’ when hiring
As discussed in part one of this two-part series of articles, it is important to understand ‘what good looks like’ in your organisation, not least because there is a cost involved in not doing so. But what exactly can do we do in practical terms to make sure that we are on top of the […]
Tax reform in works to create “John Lewis economy”
The Deputy Prime Minister has urged employers to offer shares to their workers in order to improve productivity and unlock growth, while promising them tax breaks in return. Nick Clegg told an audience at an event hosted by the City of London Corporation and the Centre Forum liberal think tank today that the Coalition Government […]
Test case could see employers set their own DRA
A landmark court case due to take place this week could make it possible for UK employers to set their own default retirement age, even though the state does not have one. The Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on whether a City law firm was within its rights to force former partner, Leslie Seldon, […]
Ask the Expert: What questions can I legally ask on a job application form?
The question Can the following questions legally be asked on a standard application form to be filled in during the interview stage and before a job offer is made? Are you able to attend your main place of work for the hours applicable to the specific job applied for? Are you aware of any […]
Age discrimination still “firmly embedded” in UK workplaces
Age-related discrimination and stereotyping remains “firmly embedded” in UK society, but needs to be tackled due to the rapidly ageing population, according to a new government report. The analysis undertaken by the Department of Work and Pensions on an Office for National Statistics survey of almost 2,200 people, revealed that one in three had experienced […]
Update: PCS threatens further strikes and legal action over pensions
Leaders of the biggest civil service union, the PCS, have warned about the possibility of more strikes and court action if the Government goes ahead with its threat to exclude it from more pension talks. The news came as the GMB, along with 10 other unions, said that they would appeal the High Court’s ruling […]
One third of UK businesses have no staff contingency plans for Olympics
Although the vast majority of UK organisations recognise that this summer’s Olympic Games will be disruptive in workforce terms, almost a third have yet to develop basic contingency plans to cope. A survey of 1,200 public and private sector organisations across the country undertaken by BT revealed that 29% had failed to consider how they […]