An EAT decision this month emphasised that employers should be proactive when looking for suitable alternative employment for employees in a redundancy situation. The High Court considered whether a business was vicariously...more
In a busy month in the courts and tribunals, an employer was liable for psychiatric injury caused by a flawed disciplinary process. The High Court found that TUPE didn’t transfer an employer’s vicarious liability for an...more
Discrimination-related issues were the hot topic in April. The Supreme Court decision on what the word “sex” means was significant and received much attention. In our view, the equality law call for evidence is likely to be...more
Although there’s been no further progress on the Employment Rights Bill, the courts and tribunals had an active month. The Court of Appeal opined on freedom of expression in the workplace, and the EAT considered injury to...more
It’s been all systems go in the second half of January. As the Employment Rights Bill completed its committee stage, the government (finally) confirmed that neonatal care leave and pay will come into force in April. EAT...more
November provided a bit of respite for employers on the legislative front after the Employment Rights Bill’s introduction and the implementation of the duty to prevent sexual harassment in October. Employers will welcome EAT...more
Alongside the constant stream of election related news, there were two EAT decisions in June, dealing with “pool of one” redundancies and ill-health dismissals, which will be of interest. In future, there will be further...more
In the run-up to Christmas, the government confirmed how carer’s leave and new protection against redundancy for pregnant employees and new parents will work. It announced changes to paternity leave in January and said that...more
The UK’s Supreme Court has confirmed that “part year” workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ holiday. Their holiday entitlement should not be pro-rated to reflect their actual hours of work, even though this means that they get...more
The Court of Appeal in England and Wales decided that an employer was entitled to dismiss and offer to re-engage employees on new terms in order to remove pay protection it had originally referred to as “permanent”. The...more
Difficult employment issues can arise during an international business purchase and what is straightforward in one country can prove challenging in another...more
Managing an employee who has persistent short or medium term ill-health absence is difficult for an employer. Dismissing an employee whose attendance is unlikely to improve may be fair, but this will often depend on medical...more
If not now then when? Tribunal should have identified when jurisdiction established -
An employment tribunal only has jurisdiction to hear claims under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and Equality Act 2010 if the claimant...more
Narrow escape - limited waiver of privilege decision upheld In Watson v Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd the EAT reaffirmed the correct approach to waiver of privilege. A tribunal was entitled to find that a respondent had...more
Employment newsletter In this weeks issue: Beating around the bush – disclosure did not have to identify legal obligation Gone fishing – disclosure in equal pay claims All change – tribunal limits and pay gap reporting ...more
Timed out – reasonable steps defence fails because training stable -
An employer can defend a discrimination claim under the Equality Act if it has taken all reasonable steps to prevent employees from committing acts of...more
2/22/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Impact Analysis ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equality Act ,
Harassment ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Race Discrimination ,
UK ,
UK Employment Appeal Tribunal ,
Wage and Hour
Tell it like it is – email referring to potentially discriminatory conduct not a protected act -
In Chalmers v Airpoint Ltd the EAT in Scotland found that an employee had not done a protected act for the purposes of a...more
Read all about it – agency worker had right to be informed about vacancies, not to apply for them -
It is perhaps surprising that nearly ten years after the Agency Workers Regulations (the Regulations) came into force, the...more
Only joking – employer not vicariously liable for practical joke -
In Chell v Tarmac Cement and Lime Ltd employees of Roltech Engineering were contracted to work alongside Tarmac employees at a site, resulting in some...more
What's in a name? Return to work was a return to employee's old role -
In ICTS (UK) Ltd v Visram the Court of Appeal confirmed that an employee was entitled to receive long term disability benefit until he was able to...more
3/10/2020
/ Age Discrimination ,
Breach of Contract ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Disability Leave ,
Employment Litigation ,
Former Employee ,
International Labor Laws ,
Leave of Absence ,
Legal Advice ,
PHI ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
UK ,
UK Employment Appeal Tribunal ,
Wage and Hour
Turning a blind eye – one-off act not a PCP -
In Ishola v Transport for London the Court of Appeal confirmed that it was not a provision, criterion or practice to require an employee to return to work before a proper...more
2/26/2020
/ Appeals ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Grievance Process ,
Gross Misconduct ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Law Violations ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
UK ,
Unfair Dismissal
Gathering clouds – flawed investigation made dismissal unfair -
In Sunshine Hotel Ltd t/a Palm Court Hotel v Goddard the EAT agreed that failing to hold an investigatory meeting does not necessarily make a dismissal...more
1/13/2020
/ Employee Misconduct ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Pay ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Job Promotions ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
UK ,
UK Employment Appeal Tribunal ,
Unfair Dismissal ,
Workplace Investigations
Red faces – no gross misconduct when employee revealed executive's pay -
The EAT had to consider whether an employee had acted in breach of contract or committed gross misconduct when he revealed details of an executive's...more
12/16/2019
/ Couriers ,
Defense Strategies ,
Employee Definition ,
Employee Misconduct ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Pay ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
UK ,
UK Employment Appeal Tribunal ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wrongful Termination
It's not what you know – dismissal for whistleblowing despite dismissing manager's belief -
In Royal Mail Group Ltd v Jhuti the Supreme Court has reinstated a decision that an employee was dismissed because she had blown...more
12/3/2019
/ Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Entitlements ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Holidays ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
Retaliation ,
Senior Managers ,
Sick Leave ,
Trade Unions ,
UK ,
UK Employment Appeal Tribunal ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
Further developments in relation to harassment -
The EAT confirmed in Bessong v Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust that as the law currently stands employers will not generally be liable for third party harassment of...more
11/5/2019
/ Appeals ,
Appeals Tribunals ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Copyright ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) ,
International Labor Laws ,
Inventions ,
Inventors ,
Ownership of Works ,
Sexual Harassment ,
UK