Employment Law News

This section contains the latest updates relating to Employment Law.


Mental Health Awareness Week to highlight mental illness at work  (22-May-2012)

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) is running National Mental Health Awareness Week 2012 this week.

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-Department’s dismissal proposals “wrong approach” according to Business Secretary  (22-May-2012)

Business Secretary Vince Cable has branded proposals for “compensated no fault dismissal” for small businesses “

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Flexible working for parents still a contentious issue  (21-May-2012)

New research has shown that around 13.4 per cent of senior workers would be prepared to quit their work in the next two years if their employers do not increase the flexible working provisions for working mums and dads.

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Barmaid wins discrimination case for push-up bra comments  (18-May-2012)

A Sheffield barmaid has won £10,000 in a sex discrimination case against her former employer, stemming from a series of incidents including being told she should wear a push-up bra to encourage custom.

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Consultation launched on third party harassment in Equality Act  (18-May-2012)

A government consultation has been launched into plans to repeal certain provisions of the Equality Act 2012, specifically those that hold employers responsible if their staff are harassed by a third party.

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ONS shows long-term fall in sickness absences  (16-May-2012)

Businesses in the UK lost around 131 million working days to sickness absence in 2011

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Firefighter brings sex discrimination claim over long hair  (15-May-2012)

Cleveland Fire Authority is currently battling a sex discrimination claim from one of its firemen, who was told to “get a proper haircut” for work.

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Femal workers bringing equal pay case against Network Rail  (14-May-2012)

Network Rail is facing an equal pay case from 34 of its female employees

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Sleeping care home workers' dismissal upheld  (11-May-2012)

A group of night workers at a residential home who were dismissed after being found sleeping at work have had their claim for unfair dismissal thrown out at appeal level.

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'Clock watchers' more likely to suffer stress than 'workaholics'  (10-May-2012)

People who do not get consumed with their day-to-day work are more likely to suffer emotional exhaustion from their jobs than those who are considered ‘workaholics’

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Plans to raise retirement age considered 'unfair'  (10-May-2012)

Plans to raise the state pension age in the UK are viewed as “unfair” by more than three-quarters of people surveyed in a recent YouGov poll.

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Queens Speech gives mixed messages on employment regulation  (09-May-2012)

Today’s Queen’s Speech sent out mixed messages on the future direction of workplace regulation, with some proposals set to increase burdens on business

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Retirement ruling leaves employers to justify imposing retirement  (09-May-2012)

The highest court in Britain - the Supreme Court - has given some guidance on how employers might justify imposing a retirement age

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Olympics - reap the benefits  (09-May-2012)

The Olympic Games are due to take place between Wednesday 25th July and Sunday 12th August.

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Cambridge to impose compulsory retirement age for academics  (08-May-2012)

The University of Cambridge has introduced its own compulsory retirement age, forcing its academics to retire at the age of 67 in order to promote “intergenerational fairness”.

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Former CEO claims unfair dismissal  (04-May-2012)

The former CEO of the Dental Practitioners' Association (DPA) is claiming that he was unfairly dismissed.

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Teacher's unfair dismissal claim dismissed by tribunal  (04-May-2012)

An employment tribunal has dismissed a claim for sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal from a music teacher in Northampton.

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Annual electrical safety tests 'unnecessary'  (03-May-2012)

Annual safety tests of all electrical equipment are unnecessary, Employment Minister Chris Grayling has stated.

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Demand for temps still strong despite AWR  (02-May-2012)

Despite the impending introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) in October, the demand for temporary workers is still strong.

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'Fat discrimination' common in the workplace and in interviews  (01-May-2012)

Researchers at the University of Manchester have found that overweight women are less likely to be offered a job and are likely to be paid less than their slimmer counterparts when employed.

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Sunday trading laws relaxed for the Olympics  (01-May-2012)

The laws on Sunday trading in England and Wales will be relaxed for the period of the Olympic Games, the Government has confirmed today (1st May).

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Businesses wasting millions on unsuccessful recruitment  (27-Apr-2012)

British companies could be wasting as much as £270 million every year on unsuccessful recruitment, according to new figures from Learndirect.

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Supreme Court rules that companies can retire employees at 65  (26-Apr-2012)

The British Supreme Court has ruled that companies will be able to retire staff once they reach 65, if they are able to show that it is in the “public interest”.

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Whistleblowers need more support, says legal expert  (23-Apr-2012)

A leading expert in employment law has said that whistleblowers must be rewarded if further damaging public disclosures of information are to be avoided.

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Tribunal upholds sacking of smoking care home worker  (18-Apr-2012)

An employment tribunal has upheld the sacking of a care home worker who disabled a smoke alarm in the home in which she worked so she could have a cigarette while on the job.

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Workers feeling the stresses of staying in the office  (17-Apr-2012)

A new survey on workplace stresses has found that 22 per cent of workers spend all day, every day, at their desks without taking a lunch break out of the office to stretch their legs and get some fresh air.

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Employers warned to carry out immigration check on new recruits  (16-Apr-2012)

More than £12 million in fines were handed out by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in 2011 to British employers who had failed to carry out sufficient immigration checks on members of staff.

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CQC publishes healthcare equality objectives  (13-Apr-2012)

New equality objectives have been published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure equality for all staff, users and other stakeholders of health and social care services.

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Pensions Trust launches auto-enrolment assistance website  (12-Apr-2012)

A new website has been launched by The Pensions Trust, one of the UK’s leading occupational pension funds for the charity sector, to aid with pension auto-enrolment.

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Sleep deprivation causing problems for UK workforce  (05-Apr-2012)

A new survey has found that more than a million UK workers are frequently suffering effects of sleep deprivation that have the same effects on productivity as binge drinking.

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Olympics - how you can prepare for business disruption  (04-Apr-2012)

The Olympic Games are due to take place between Wednesday 25th July and Sunday 12th August. The Paralympics follow a little over two weeks’ later,

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Youth Contract Scheme launches  (03-Apr-2012)

The Youth Contract Scheme, which was officially announced in last month’s Budget, was launched yesterday.

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Fuel Strike Q&A  (02-Apr-2012)

The union representing 2,000 fuel tanker drivers has voted in favour of strike action; although dates for the strikes have not yet been set and talks continue at ACAS.

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Europeans expect work-related stress to rise significantly  (28-Mar-2012)

A new pan-European survey on work-related stress has shown that a large majority of the European workforce is worried about stress caused by their jobs.

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Widespread lack of employer knowledge on sickness absence  (27-Mar-2012)

British employers have shown a widespread lack of knowledge of their employees’ sickness absences, according to new figures.

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Last chance for training discount!  (26-Mar-2012)

Selected RBS Mentor Employment Law & HR and Environmental Training Courses are available with 50% funding from Skills Development Scotland, when you book before Saturday 31 March 2012*.

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Cable defends new minimum wage rates  (20-Mar-2012)

The Government has announced that the national minimum wage for people aged 21 and above will rise by 11p to £6.19 an hour in October – lower than the current rate of inflation.

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"Aussie Rules" to sack staff in micros  (20-Mar-2012)

Bosses in micro-businesses could find it easier to sack under performing staff if changes announced by the government yesterday go ahead. The proposals include a simplified dismissal procedure used in Australia.

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Porter wins tribunal over 'Inspector Clouseau' mockery  (16-Mar-2012)

A French porter is in line to receive a five-figure harassment payout from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) after he was subjected to ridicule and mockery from colleagues.

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Lorry driver compensated for unfair dismissal  (13-Mar-2012)

A lorry driver has won an unfair dismissal claim against his former employer, after he was sacked because his lorry became stuck in a hole on a bridge while on a crucial delivery to the V Festival in Essex.

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CIPD urges businesses to make use of older workforce  (09-Mar-2012)

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned that older workers will be crucial to help address the challenges of a looming employment gap.

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Olympics 2012 - volunteers  (08-Mar-2012)

The Olympic Games raise many issues for employers and it’s important to be prepared. This month, we focus on how employers can deal with staff absences due to employees volunteering to support the Games.

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New hires to wait 2 years for dismissal rights (Employment Law & HR)  (08-Mar-2012)

Employees will have to work continuously for an employer for two years before they can claim unfair dismissal, the government has confirmed. The change will come into effect this April and will apply to any employees recruited from 6th April.

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Unfairness claims lose industrial jury  (08-Mar-2012)

From April, changes to employment tribunal procedure will mean that most Unfair Dismissal claims will be heard by an Employment Judge sitting alone, without the two “lay members” who hear tribunal cases now.

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Businesses concerned over EU 'sickness while on holiday' law  (06-Mar-2012)

British business leaders have expressed concern over new European legislation that will allow workers to take more time off if they fall sick during their annual leave.

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Business groups welcome holding of skilled visa levels  (02-Mar-2012)

Several of Britain’s lead business groups have welcomed the advice made to the government not to change the current migration cap for skilled workers.

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Footballer alleges racial discrimination against former club  (28-Feb-2012)

A footballer is taking his former club, Gillingham FC, to an employment tribunal on allegations of race discrimination, claiming that black players were treated differently to white players.

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