Employment Law Updates

Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down its eagerly sought verdict on the employment status of plumber, Gary Smith. In the unanimous vote, the Supreme Court dismissed Pimlico Plumbers’ appeal and upheld earlier rulings that Mr Smith was in fact a worker and not a self-employed contractor. In this case, the Supreme Court had to conclude: […]

Does dismissal need to be ‘gross’ to make a dismissal fair? No, held the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Quintiles Commercial v Barongo. In this case, the Claimant worked in pharmaceutical sales and found themselves dismissed on the grounds of misconduct after failing to complete compliance training and not attending a compulsory training course. On appeal, […]

Setting a workplace dress code – your responsibilities as an employer Dress codes are seen as a legitimate part of an employer’s terms and conditions. There are many different reasons why employees may be asked to wear a uniform. For example, an employee may be asked to wear a uniform to communicate a corporate image […]

Mental health awareness week (14th-20th May 2018) focuses on stress and how we cope with it. This blog will look at helping employers and employees create a mentally healthy working environment where everyone feels valued and supported. What is mental health? Mental health includes a person’s emotional, physiological and social well-being. It affects how we think, […]

This complaint was brought by Haywood who was dismissed after being made redundant by her employers, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In this case the claimant had worked for the NHS for over 30 years as an associate director of business development. The provisions of her employment contract ensured that she was entitled […]

This year Ramadan begins on the 16th May and will last for 30 days, until the 14th June. Ramadan is the 9thmonth of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran. Throughout this period, Muslims will fast and engage in extra prayers and […]

The Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has ruled it is not discriminatory to refuse a new father enhanced pay whilst on shared parental leave. In Ali v Capita Customer Management the judge held that the Employment Tribunal (ET) had failed to take into consideration the purpose of paid maternity leave when it reached its decision and ruled that […]

One of the biggest concerns for small business owners is the skills gap as the UK is soon set to leave the EU. Recruitment website Totaljobs.com have produced research identifying 2 out of 3 employees have moved on due to lack of development opportunities and training. Providing your employees with training and further education opportunities […]