You can be sent to jail for five years and have to pay an unlimited fine if you’re found guilty of employing someone who you knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK. You might have to pay a civil penalty of up to £20,000 if…
Staff members who fail to return from holiday on time
Cancelled flights are causing travel chaos. What can you do if an employee cannot report for work on their expected return date? Where your employee is stuck abroad through no fault of their own and they’re keeping you informed about the situation, you shouldn’t treat it as a disciplinary matter. If you haven’t heard from…
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Gender-critical feminist suffered direct discrimination for expressing her beliefs
In Forstater v CGD Europe and others an employment tribunal decided that a consultant researcher suffered discrimination when a think tank ended its relationship with her because of her gender-critical beliefs. Ms Forstater worked for the Centre for Global Development (CGD). During a Twitter debate on transgender issues, she tweeted, among other things, that ‘a…
Who owns the connections on LinkedIn accounts?
Many employees add business and work-related connections to their LinkedIn accounts because they’ve come into contact with them during their employment. Who owns those connections if the employee leaves? In May 2022, the High Court handed down a decision in the case of Clayton Recruitment Ltd v Wilson. Mr Wilson left Clayton Recruitment Ltd to…
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Fit notes: what’s changing?
The Office for National Statistics has reported the highest rate of sickness absence in over a decade. Expect to receive more fit notes from employees. The process for issuing fit notes will be streamlined to free up GP appointments so they can focus on dealing with sick patients and those with complex medical needs. From…
Government to make it easier for businesses to engage temporary staff during industrial action
There is currently a very limited legal restriction on employers moving staff or taking on new staff during industrial action. However, legislation prevents an employment business from supplying an employer with temporary workers to perform duties normally performed by a worker who is on strike or taking industrial action, or the duties normally performed by…
The cost of living crisis: five ways employers can help their workforce
Last month, we reported that the law firm, Irwin Mitchell, had decided to pay most of its staff a one-off bonus of £900 to assist them with the cost of living crisis. Now, Sainsbury’s has announced that it is increasing the wages for some workers for the second time in four months, as it will…
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End sexual harassment at work
Sexual harassment can damage your business’s reputation, harm your employees’ well-being and lead to expensive litigation. How can you stop it? The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a helpful checklist and action plan. It was developed for the hospitality industry, but you can adapt it for your workplace. What does it say? Here…
Hybrid working
Data from the Office of National Statistics show that in May nearly a quarter of workers are hybrid working (24%), a rise of 11% from February 2022. 78% said that working from home either exclusively or in a hybrid way had improved their work-life balance. Over half said that they were less distracted (53%) and…
Stopping hotdesking for a short time is a reasonable adjustment
In Baker v House of Commons Commission, an employment tribunal held that the employer had breached its duty to make reasonable adjustments when it failed to prevent the use of a disabled employee’s modified workstation as a hot desk during her one-day absence. What happened? Ms Baker’s musculoskeletal symptoms made her disabled. Following an occupational…
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Five potential reasonable adjustments for hybrid workers
1 Allow more time at home Your policy may require full-time employees to spend, say, two days a week in the office. Be flexible. That may not work for everyone. Disabilities may make commuting difficult for some, they may need to be close to their home bathroom or they have specialist equipment at home. Consider…
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A one-off bonus to help with the cost of living
In April 2022, the law firm, Irwin Mitchell, decided to pay most of its staff a one-off bonus of £900 to assist them with the cost of living crisis. If you’re considering paying a bonus, this is what you should consider Reason What, when and why. Explain why you are paying the bonus. Is it…
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