Many employers of irregular-hours workers will welcome a new change to the way holiday entitlement can be calculated and paid. For holiday leave years that begin on or after 1 April 2024, employers can use a new method for calculating holiday...
One of my employees is regularly absent for various different reasons. It’s never for very long – a day here, a day there – but he’s a key member of staff and it’s disrupting my business. It’s also annoying to other...
Each year Legal 500 publish a report focused on the quality of advice and nature of work undertaken by leading law firms in the UK, including our own. Legal 500 base their assessment, to a significant extent, on feedback given directly to Legal 500 by our...
Due to the rising cost of living, employers are noticing a squeeze on consumer spending and are likely to become under pressure to save costs over the next 12 months and may be forced to consider redundancies. The ‘Last In First Out’ (LIFO)...
Some employees in my company have continued to work from home since the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. I want them to return to the office – can I enforce this? For both employers and employees, there are many benefits of working from home....
With the prospect of further periods of very cold weather this winter, many employees may be concerned that the office is too cold, and it would be better to work from home. Whilst some employers may be open to employees working from home...
Recently a woman has been awarded £4,250 from a Domino’s Pizza store owner in an age discrimination dispute, after the prospective employer asked her how old she was during an interview. Mrs Walsh applied for a delivery driver role with the...
New proposed reforms will allow parents to spend more time providing crucial care for their baby instead of worrying about returning to work or the possibility of having to take unpaid leave. The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill will allow...
At present, there is an unprecedented shortage of workers, and as a result employers are struggling to keep up with the demand of the economy. The two leading reasons for this shortage are Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. These events, both had a...
A common principle of employment law is that employers can be held liable for the conduct of their employees. However, a point of regular debate is when this liability arises, especially in the case of horseplay at work. This was recently...
With the start of a new tax year comes the annual increases to various statutory payments. Between 1 and 6 April 2022, a number of payment increases will come into force and we have highlighted some of the most important ones for employers to be aware of. ...
Even though more and more women over 50 make up our workforce, there is still a lack of understanding as to how menopause affects an employee experiencing it. The recent case of Rooney v Leicester City Council demonstrated how the effects of menopause could...
Most employers would assume their staff are being paid National Minimum Wage (NMW). However, a key concern of the NMW arises from the deductions that employers make when calculating their workers’ wages, as this can leave a worker with pay that is...
Media discussions of discrimination towards LGBTQ individuals have raised many queries on how such intolerance can be combatted, especially in the workplace. Currently, LGBTQ people are protected from discrimination under either ‘sexual...
Since the roll out of the coronavirus vaccine, starting in winter 2020, the majority of people have taken up the opportunity to be immunised. However, a minority have shown some reluctance or declined to have it. For employers, unvaccinated employees could...
Our understanding and perceptions of gender and sex have evolved significantly in recent times. The landmark case of Taylor v Jaguar Land Rover has now further developed our understanding of gender, and confirmed that those identifying as non-binary or...
The section 1 statement is the basis of all employment relationships and it is highly unusual that significant change arises in the law to affect this. However, in 2020 this is exactly what happened. With the return to more normal patterns of working, now...
A non-compete clause is a type of restrictive covenant commonly found in employment contracts. Their purpose is to protect a business by preventing an employee from either (a) working for a competitor or (b) setting up their own competing business for a...
Does your business rely upon staff who you deem to be freelance or self-employed? If so, you would be well-advised to take a moment to review those relationships in light of the recent decision in Uber BV & othrs v Aslam & othr s. If, as in the...
Our Agricultural, Commercial and Private Client Teams have been successful in winning new instructions in the Ryedale area in recent months. As a result, we have opened a base in Malton so that we can more easily look after our clients and contacts in the...
A number of tax changes were due to be brought into force in April 2020, including those encompassed by IR35, which covers the relationship between organisations and any contractor using a personal service company (PSC). Due to Covid-19, implementation...
Given the increased likelihood of having to defend tribunal claims, it is important that businesses understand the process and logistics of attending a hearing. This is arguably even more important now that many employment tribunal hearings are being...
With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic changing the ways in which many work, employee wellbeing is coming to the forefront. Ensuring that employees are happy and fulfilled in their job roles can be an important contributor to productivity and,...
With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in large numbers of employees working from home, many have found that they can work just as effectively as they did whilst in the office. Recent statistics and surveys have shown that many employees would...
Redundancies normally occur as a result of a business needing to cut costs or restructure existing roles. However, before deciding whether or not to dismiss an employee on the grounds of redundancy, there are other ways that a business could reduce its costs...
Have the redundancy rules been relaxed due to Covid-19? The short answer is no. Even though businesses are going through very difficult trading times, they must still comply with employment legislation when it comes to making redundancies. ...
All our offices are open for pre-arranged appointments as well as for telephone or video meetings. Contact us as normal by phone or email and we will happily arrange a scheduled meeting to discuss your matter. Please bear in mind that, with...
The Government has confirmed that the job retention scheme has been extended until the end of October 2020. From 1st August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work on a part-time basis and the Government expects employers to pay a percentage of an...
According to a recent Home Office update, the new points-based immigration system due to take effect from January 2021 is not on the back-burner with the Covid-19 pandemic, but set to go ahead as planned. The new system will apply to EU and non-EU...
As an employer, you will have been focusing heavily on the financial and operational implications of the rapid lockdown. However, to stay ahead of the curve, you need to start thinking now about the many practical aspects of a potential relaxation in the...
Employment Law Update April 2020 We live in challenging times. The Government is taking steps to keep the economy going during the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic. Legislation is being enacted in weeks rather than years; guidance is being communicated...
Equal opportunities legislation was introduced to provide a level playing field for everyone, so that every individual has the same opportunity for employment, training, pay and development as any other, irrespective of their...
A Staff Handbook is a written collection of an employer’s policies, procedures and practices which can cover a variety of topics including HR policies, employee code of conduct and operating rules. There is no legal requirement to have a Staff...
Key employees who work directly with clients and have access to confidential information can pose a risk to a business when they choose to leave. It is crucial that you do what you can to protect your interests. If not, departing employees...
What’s on your payslip? If you pay members of staff a variable amount based on the time they work, you need to know that the way you draft your payslips is changing from April this year. As we have mentioned at recent seminars, from April you...
We are all aware that the process of ‘Brexit’ is likely to involve considerable change whatever the short term and longer term outcomes. The challenge for business owners and senior managers is deciding how to prioritise and plan. Trying to...
With a positive flurry of Bank Holidays in May, we thought it topical to remind employers how best to avoid some unwitting complications in relation to Bank Holiday allowances. Employees do not have a statutory right to take time off at Bank Holidays, nor is...
In addition to increases in the National Minimum Wage, employers need to remember that April brought in a number of other important changes, including those relating to termination payments, statutory family-related pay, sick pay and redundancy pay. To...
If you are responsible for HR in your organisation, you will hopefully have locked onto the fact that new data protection rules (GDPR), coming into force on 25 May, have an impact on how you store and use employee and other personal data. There is a...
A recent case will serve as a warning to employers when having 'without prejudice' conversations that they cannot select which parts of such conversations they rely on whilst, at the same time, argue that other parts cannot be relied upon. In the...
Women prisoners had a chance to learn about their employment rights when they return to work, thanks to voluntary community work led by Harrowells employment law partner, Marie Horner. Around 17 inmates at HM Prison Askham Grange, Askham Richard, attended a...
More and more business owners and managers are becoming aware that new data protection rules (known as 'GDPR') come into force in May next year. What is not always appreciated is that the rules cover all aspects of personal data and that...
New Data Protection Rules. They impact on every aspect of your business, from HR to marketing, so start planning now New rules concerning the storage, handling and use of data by organisations come into force in May next year – by virtue of the...
Can an employer monitor the content of an employee’s personal messages sent from a work email account? Probably not. A recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Barbulescu v Romania has overturned an earlier...
A recent successful compensation claim against the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh highlights why it is important to ask all job candidates, male and female, the same questions about care responsibilities and how such responsibilities might affect...
The decision is in. The Supreme Court has refused permission for British Gas to appeal the holiday pay case brought by Mr Lock. What does that mean for employers? Essentially it means that any employees who earn results-based commission must have that...
In light of the 'Uber' and 'Citysprint' Employment Tribunal decisions and the very recent 'Pimlico Plumbers' Court of Appeal decision, it is clear that 'Worker' status is highly topical, evolving and a potential pitfall for...
A trainee solicitor, who was bullied by his training principal and legal manager at a district authority in North Yorkshire, secretly taped review meetings where he was intimidated, an employment tribunal heard. David Bowes, 27, discreetly taped...