Insights & News
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Brexit – the final countdown (or is it?)
11 March 2019The UK is leaving the EU in two and a half weeks’ time, at the time of writing. Or maybe it isn’t. Your guess is as good as ours.
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Consultation launched on misuse of confidentiality clauses
07 March 2019The Government has published a consultation on measures to prevent misuse of confidentiality clauses in situations of workplace harassment or discrimination, following up on recommendations made by the Women and Equalities Committee (“WEC”).
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Employment law: The year in review 2018
14 February 2019Our annual review of employment law aims to review major statutory and case-law developments during 2018 and explore how employers can plan ahead for what’s coming this year and beyond.
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The Court of Appeal has upheld an EAT decision that Asda’s lower-paid, predominantly female retail staff can compare themselves to higher-paid, mainly male, distribution depot staff.
07 February 2019The Court of Appeal (“CA”) decision is the latest stage in this long-running legal dispute over equal pay. Back in 2014, over 7,000 female Asda retail store workers brought claims in the Employment Tribunal (“ET”) arguing that they were entitled to equal pay with male distribution depot staff, on the basis that their work was of “equal value” to male workers.
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National Sickie Day – tips for managing sickness absence
04 February 2019We may all occasionally dread the thought of turning up to work on a Monday morning, but in January employees are likely to take 53% more sick days than in any other month of the year. High levels of short-term sickness absence can be a costly problem for organisations. In this article, we take a look at the steps employers can take to manage short-term sickness absence.
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Redundancy protection for pregnancy and maternity to be extended?
31 January 2019The Government has published a consultation paper on extending protection from redundancy for women during pregnancy, women who have returned to work after maternity leave, and new parents.
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Brexit and European Works Councils - a status update and what you need to do next
29 January 2019The final form of Brexit remains uncertain as does its impact on European Works Councils (“EWCs”), the area of employment law that it will most immediately and profoundly affect. This article guides you through the current state of play and suggests how best to prepare for what might happen to your existing UK law-governed EWC arrangements.
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Tech Predictions for 2019
11 January 2019Following on from our 2018 Tech Predictions, here are our top ten favourite tech predictions for 2019. Just imagine a world where new technology not only makes us more efficient but improves our lives in other ways - let’s see what 2019 might hold in store!
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The year in employment law
09 January 2019Brexit continued to dominate the headlines in 2018, leaving employment law reform (along with many other areas) far down the Government’s agenda.
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Renewed focus on modern slavery statements
20 December 2018The Home Office has recently sent out letters reminding organisations of their obligations to publish statements under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (“MSA”). The letter suggests various actions organisations need to take in response and indicates that organisations that fail to comply with their legal obligations risk being included in a published list of non-compliant organisations. So what should organisations be doing in response and what are their legal obligations?
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Court of Appeal rejects Uber's worker status appeal
20 December 2018The Court of Appeal (“CA”) has upheld, by a 2:1 majority, the ruling of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) that drivers engaged by Uber are “workers” rather than independent contractors. The majority also upheld the finding of the Employment Tribunal (“ET”) that drivers are working when they are signed into the Uber app and ready to work.
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The Good Work Plan – any good?
19 December 2018A year and a half since Matthew Taylor completed an extensive review of modern employment practices and published his report and recommendations, the Government has published details of its “Good Work Plan” setting out proposals to reform employment law in various areas.
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How should hospitality employers deal with third-party harassment at Christmas parties?
17 December 2018“Christmas time is here by golly; disapproval would be folly; Deck the halls with hunks of holly, fill the cup and don’t say when”, as the legendary American satirist Tom Lehrer once sang. But Christmas party season can be a mixed blessing. The day after the office party, you will find many HR managers bracing themselves to hear what happened the night before…
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Ask about… Retail, Fashion & Hospitality
13 December 2018Many of our clients in the retail, fashion and hospitality sector face similar HR issues. Each month one of the members of our team will identify an issue, ask how you would deal with it and provide our advice. This month we asked Anna...
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How will the Brexit endgame play out?
10 December 2018This week is a crucial one for the Brexit process, with Parliament due to vote on the draft Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between Theresa May’s government and the EU. Even so close to the projected date for the UK’s departure on 29 March 2019, there are many imponderables and it is impossible to predict how Brexit will unfold. This article provides an employment law perspective on the current situation.
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Trade union’s Deliveroo judicial review challenge fails
05 December 2018The High Court (“HC”) has dismissed a judicial review challenge to a finding by the Central Arbitration Committee (“CAC”) that Deliveroo riders are not “workers”. The HC ruled that the riders are not in an “employment relationship” for the purposes of European law.
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Sports Q&A - How might Brexit affect sports immigration?
28 November 2018As things stand, the UK will leave the EU on 29 March 2019. The UK will adopt a new immigration system post-Brexit, under which free movement of European nationals and their family members will cease. There will be a period of transition until the end of 2020, during which free movement will continue, and a new “settlement scheme” will be rolled out for European migrants. Free movement will end completely from January 2021. All British businesses will be affected by these changes. However, Brexit poses some particular challenges to the sports sector.
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Brexit flowchart
23 November 2018Withdrawal terms have now been negotiated, but the future of Brexit is far from clear. Will Parliament approve the deal and what might happen if it doesn’t? Will the EU approve the deal? If a future trade agreement is reached, what would happen next if this were rejected by Parliament? Our latest flowchart sets out all of the future possibilities that may arise.
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Transgender Day of Remembrance – what employers can do to make a difference
20 November 2018Today, 20 November, is Transgender Day of Remembrance - observed annually to honour the memory of those whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. It is part of Transgender Awareness Week, which aims to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address the issues trans people face.
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International Men’s Day - should employers be doing anything special for their male staff?
19 November 2018International Men’s Day is a good opportunity to consider the particular issues faced by men and how employers can support their male staff.