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Sponsorship Compliance Guide 2023
01 September 2023This Sponsorship Compliance Guide is a useful reference for you and your colleagues to guide you through your duties as a sponsor licence holder.
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Supporting the rehabilitation of offenders in employment: opportunities and legal considerations for employers
30 August 2023Since the publication of the government’s Prisons Strategy White Paper in 2021, a number of schemes have been launched that enable employers to proactively support prison leavers into employment. As the evidence points to the clear benefits of hiring this often-marginalised group, what opportunities are there for employers? And how should they approach the wider question of factoring a criminal record into the recruitment equation?
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New government consultation launched on occupational health
03 August 2023The government has launched a new public consultation aimed at increasing take up of occupational health services and addressing the workforce capacity of occupational health providers. We look at what the government consultation covers and the possible implications for employers.
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Beyond borders: how TUPE differs between Great Britain and Northern Ireland
03 August 2023Over recent years, the laws governing TUPE have diverged between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This is due to Northern Irish employment law largely remaining static, while there have been some minor, but occasionally important, amendments to TUPE in Great Britain. With changes on the horizon, further divergence between the jurisdictions is likely. Employers who are involved in TUPE transfers should be mindful of the important differences between the jurisdictions.
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Sales consultants and warehouse workers found to be doing work of “equal value”
03 August 2023The Tribunal’s decision that the work of Next’s store-based sales consultants and warehouse workers is of equal value paves the way to what is likely to be the first claim of this type, brought against a major retailer, to reach a final hearing.
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Mind-reading tech in the workplace – a good thing, or the end of the world as we know it?
03 August 2023The ICO released its first report on neurotechnology on 8 June: a fast-emerging tech that records and processes data directly from an individual’s brain and nervous system (“neurodata”).
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The Labour Party’s proposed reform to employment law - article series
26 July 2023Our series of insights explore the Labour Party’s proposals to reform employment law and what these might mean for businesses and workers’ rights.
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Labour Party’s proposals to reform workplace rights – spotlight on trade union rights
26 July 2023As part of our series exploring the Labour Party’s proposed reforms to UK employment law, we consider its far-reaching proposals to expand trade union rights. If implemented by a future Labour government, these could profoundly impact industrial relations and the wider UK labour market.
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New laws and new guidance: (sm)all change for flexible working?
25 July 2023Whilst the British summer may be a washout, things seem to be hotting up in the flexible working arena. The Flexible Working Private Members Bill has now come to fruition, consultation has been launched on a new Acas Code and guidance, and the government has issued a call for evidence to examine flexible working practices more broadly. But what is actually changing and what do employers need to focus on?
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Worker Protection Bill update – third party harassment scrapped?
21 July 2023Amendments agreed by the House of Lords to the Worker Protection Bill look likely to be accepted by the government. It seems that employer liability for harassment by third parties will no longer be introduced, and the new duty to prevent sexual harassment has also been watered down.
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Ban on use of agency workers during strikes to be reinstated following government defeat
20 July 2023The High Court has quashed the regulations introduced by the government last year to permit the use of agency workers during industrial action. What are the implications for employers?
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The Labour Party’s proposals to balance work and home life - a spotlight on the right to disconnect, flexible working and caring responsibilities
19 July 2023With a general election in the UK looming next year and Labour performing strongly in the polls, we’re exploring what the employment law landscape might look like under a Keir Starmer-led Labour government by examining their wide-ranging proposals for reform. In this article, we consider Labour’s proposals to introduce a right to disconnect and to support flexible working and caring responsibilities.
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AI regulation around the world
13 July 2023As usage of AI by businesses and individuals becomes commonplace around the world, governments are getting to grips with what regulations should be imposed.
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US Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action: what now for UK DEI initiatives?
13 July 2023The US Supreme Court has ruled that race-based college admission programmes are unlawful. As concerns grow that workplace DEI initiatives could come under similar challenges, we look at the position with positive action programmes in the UK.
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New space, new opportunities: are you hybrid working ready?
13 July 2023A move to a new headquarters is the ideal time to instil an improved workplace culture and working patterns. It’s vital not to miss the opportunities a new office can provide and to avoid mistakes of the past. With only a quarter of employees thinking that their company is ‘very prepared’ for a hybrid work future, this article looks into what needs to be considered ahead of the move.
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The Reddit strike and the outer edges of work
12 July 2023The recent “strike” by Reddit social media moderators offers a fascinating insight into ways the world of work is evolving to offer new opportunities – but also pose new challenges – for organisations and their management. Technological developments are challenging our ability to determine fundamental questions such as – what is work? Who does it? What are the mutual rights and obligations in these novel relationships?
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Post-Brexit legal reform: Lewis Silkin responds to consultation on plans to reform EU-based employment law
11 July 2023The government’s consultation on plans to reform retained EU employment laws after Brexit has now closed. We’ve put in our response.
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Factsheet - Innovator Founder
06 July 2023We have produced a useful factsheet on the Innovator founder requirements.
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Labour party proposals to strengthen rights and protections – spotlight on employment status
03 July 2023In this article in our series exploring the Labour party’s proposals to reform employment law in the event of a change in government at the next general election, we spotlight their proposals on employment status. If implemented, these proposals will have a significant impact on all businesses, but particularly those with flexible business models heavily reliant on workers.
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Retained EU law bill becomes law: what’s the practical impact on employers?
29 June 2023New legislation designed to speed up the process of reforming EU-based laws is now in force. As the government’s bill to exploit the regulatory freedoms of Brexit becomes law, we look at the immediate, mid-term and longer-term impact on employment law from the employer’s perspective.