Insights & News

Home Office issues communications to sponsors about licence renewals

The Home Office has now started to make early contact with sponsors whose licences are due to expire up until the end of the year. These sponsors will be able to apply to renew their licences earlier than the usual maximum 90 days before expiry.

Home Office makes important updates to COVID-19 concessions

Recent amendments to the Home Office’s COVID-19 guidance for applicants mean that more people will be able to make an application to switch immigration categories without the need to go abroad. The updates also have significant right to work implications for employers whose employees are covered by the grace period the Home Office has put in place until 31 August 2020.

Flexible working post Covid-19 - sea change or nothing new?

The coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdown has caused millions to work from home for the first time - an experience likely to cause a surge in requests for flexible working arrangements once most employees are asked to return to the workplace. This article considers the legal position and the practicalities for employers in dealing with flexible working requests.

Do your contracts and policies stand up to the Covid-19 test? A view from the UK: Amy Cooper writes for Global Banking & Finance Review

Press

The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown have stress-tested employment contracts and policies, with some showing signs of strain. What should you do now to make sure your employment documentation is ready for the post-Covid future?

Pandemic right to work check procedures

Under the Home Office’s current guidance for right to work checks (“RTW”), it is possible to conduct a fully compliant initial or follow-up RTW without seeing the individual face-to-face. Where this is not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Home Office has instituted a temporary adjusted procedure, which must be backed up by retrospective checks in due course. We have summarised the options and procedures below, as well as highlighting some general points to be aware of during the pandemic.

Coronavirus the impact on post-termination restrictions

As the Coronavirus lockdown slowly lifts, we’ve seen an increase in employee resignations as well as competitor recruitment activity. Will your post-termination restrictions stand up to the new challenges?

Life’s a beach? Working remotely from Barbados

Barbados has announced a new scheme designed to encourage overseas individuals to relocate there and work remotely. What issues arise for employers if their employees want to do this?

Protection from employee competition in the new normal - Carla Feakins and David Samuels comment for HR Magazine

Press

As lockdown is winding down and the economy is restarting, employers should be on the lookout for unlawful employee competition activity. Carla Feakins and David Samuels explain further in this article for HR Magazine.

Handling allegations of criminal conduct: what should an employer do?

Recent events in the Conservative party have focussed attention on the question of what an employer (or indeed a political party) should do if one of its people is accused of committing a crime. A Tory MP has been accused of rape, but at the time of writing has not been charged. It transpires that the Chief Whip had been aware for some weeks of allegations of ‘abusive behaviour and threats’ made against the anonymous MP by a parliamentary aide. Despite this, no investigation took place.

Investigations

Inbrief

We set out the key considerations for organisations faced with grievances or allegations of wrongdoing which may require formal investigation.

How does COVID-19 affect UK migrants accessing public funds and the NHS?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put questions around the rights of migrants to access public funds and the NHS into the spotlight. Migrants are allowed to access the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the ‘Furlough Scheme’) via their employer. However, there are limits to what government assistance some migrants are entitled to following disruption to their normal income, and access to free NHS healthcare may also be unavailable to some people.

Furloughing employees - FAQs for employers on the coronavirus job retention scheme

The furlough scheme ends on 31 October 2020, with employers starting to contribute from August and a new flexible furlough option from July.

Termination of employment

Inbrief

Terminating employment can create a plethora of unwanted issues for the employer, including claims of wrongful or unfair dismissal.

Shared parental leave

Inbrief

The system of shared parental leave was introduced as part of the Government’s commitment to create a fairer society that gives parents more flexibility to decide how they want to share care for their child in the first year.

Whistleblowing

Inbrief

Workers who “blow the whistle” on their employers have the right not to be dismissed or otherwise penalised as a result.

Sickness and sick pay – FAQs for employers as lockdown restrictions ease

The government has set out its “roadmap” for gradually easing the lockdown restrictions, but as employees begin to return to work there will continue to be many individuals who are unwell or required to self-isolate.

Coronavirus: absences from work and entitlement to pay

The Coronavirus situation may lead to workplace absences for a variety of reasons. This is our summary of legal rights to pay and suggested best practice for different types of absence.

Staffing solutions and the supply of labour

Inbrief

The supply of labour is a growing area of the UK economy. As employers require more flexible staffing solutions, new business models have emerged offering a range of labour-supply options.

Further details of new UK visa route for Hong Kongers

From January 2021, the UK will make a new visa route available for British Nationals (Overseas) and their dependants who are usually resident in Hong Kong. The route will lead to settlement after five years’ residence in the UK, with the option to apply for British citizenship becoming available for most participants after a further year.