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Employers plot fightback against Britain’s sick day scourge - James Davies comments for the Telegraph
23 April 2024Some corporations hire private detectives as absences threaten £66bn economic hit. James Davies comments on the loss of productivity from long term illness for The Telegraph.
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EU AI Act: What does it mean for employers?
23 April 2024Recruitment, selection, promotion, termination: these key workplace decisions are all considered automatically “high risk” under the EU AI Act. What does this mean in practice? We look at some of the burning questions employers are likely to have on the impact of this legislation.
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High Court refuses to enforce a 12-month non-compete covenant against former Manulife employee
22 April 2024In the recent case of Manulife Financial Asia Limited v Kenneth Joseph Rappold & ors [2024] HKCFI 989, the employee (“Mr Rappold"), represented by Lewis Silkin, successfully defended an application for injunctive relief to enforce a 12-month non-competition covenant (the “NCC”). The application was brought by Manulife against Mr Rappold as well as his new employer, Prudential.
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Could “unhappiness leave” take off in China? - Catherine Leung comments for The International Employment Lawyer
19 April 2024Catherine Leung comments for the International Employment Lawyer on what employers need to consider when implementing additional leave policies for its employees.
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Affinity networks and employee resource groups: what are the employment law risks?
17 April 2024If you are a large employer, the chances are that you have at least one affinity network or employee resource group. These groups are important and increasingly necessary for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, but they can also give rise to some risks.
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National Minimum Wage: as the rates rise, the safety net shrinks
16 April 2024After a hefty increase in the National Living and National Minimum Wages this year, we consider the possible implications and risks for employers. What are the key risk areas, and who is likely to be in the danger zone?
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Gender pay gap reporting 2023 – our analysis of the latest results
11 April 2024Employers had until 4 April 2024 to report their gender pay gap statistics for 2023. Although some employers are likely to file late, we’ve analysed the current data to identify the trends.
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Responding to requests to work compressed hours
08 April 2024Among the wide range of flexible working requests that land on employers’ desks, it can be particularly challenging to respond to requests to work compressed hours. We consider the most frequently asked questions.
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Northern Ireland: New guidance on eliminating workplace sexual harassment
04 April 2024The Labour Relations Agency and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have published new guidance on eliminating sexual harassment from the workplace, containing detailed recommendations on steps employers should consider taking to prevent and deal with such behaviour.
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NDAs preventing disclosures about crime to be banned
03 April 2024The government plans to ban non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that prevent someone from making disclosures about criminal conduct for the purpose of reporting a crime or accessing support or advice.
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Rates and limits for employment law
19 March 2024Various employment-related rates and limits change every year, usually in April. Here’s our at-a-glance table of the current key figures.
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Gender critical beliefs in the workplace
14 March 2024A flurry of recent cases explore the protection against discrimination available to employees when manifesting their gender critical beliefs – both at work and online. We consider the cases and offer suggestions about how to support all employees and avoid conflict.
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Unveiling the Struggles of Hong Kong’s Invisible Workforce
12 March 2024According to government statistics as of 2022, there are more than 338,000 foreign domestic workers (“FDWs”) in Hong Kong, which accounts for almost 5% of Hong Kong’s population. Nearly 10% of households in Hong Kong depend on FDWs for housekeeping and to look after their family members. As such, FDWs are more than just employees; they are the backbone of many households. However, despite the significant role they play in our society, FDWs face a myriad of challenges. This article explores the legal and social challenges they must navigate.
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Remote working requests: frequently asked questions
07 March 2024As organisational and workforce attitudes to office attendance continue to shift, where are we with the law on remote working requests?
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Right to request remote and flexible working comes into operation today
07 March 2024The Government has today brought the right to request remote and flexible work arrangements into operation, and the long-awaited Code of Practice for employers and employees on the right to request remote and flexible work arrangements has finally been published by the WRC. This means all employees now have the right to request remote working. Parents and carers also now have the right to request flexible working. Here’s our summary of what Code of Practice says, and the key takeaways employers need to know.
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New flexible working rules: a flowchart
28 February 2024Flexible working laws are changing in April. Our flowchart shows the new process.
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White Paper consultation response: regulating AI in the workplace
20 February 2024In March 2023 the government published its White Paper on AI regulation. In less than a year, development in the field has been rapid, with regulators and legislators chasing to keep up. The government has now published its response to the consultation on the White Paper. We focus on what this tells us about future regulation for the use of AI in the workplace.
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Changes to right to work compliance: key takeaways for employers
16 February 2024The Home Office recently updated the Employer’s guide to right to work checks. The guide contains references to the increased £60,000 civil penalty for illegal working, along with some small but significant changes that impact how employers complete compliant right to work checks. In this article, we highlight the key changes to help employers stay on top of right to work compliance.
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What’s happening in UK employment law in 2024: timeline
15 February 2024With a raft of upcoming legislative changes, there’s a lot to keep on top of in 2024. We’ve produced a timeline to help keep track of what’s ahead.
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Professor’s ‘anti-Zionist’ beliefs were protected
13 February 2024Despite finding that a professor at the University of Bristol’s comments on Zionism merited disciplinary action against him, the Employment Tribunal concluded that dismissal was too severe a sanction and had been influenced by his beliefs concerning Zionism, which were protected under the Equality Act 2010. Dr Miller had therefore been discriminated against because of his anti-Zionist beliefs.