Employment

Number of outstanding employment tribunal cases increased by almost 40 per cent in first three months of 2021 compared to same period in 2020

New Ministry of Justice figures also show that number of claims disposed of decreased by more than 20 per cent

Changes to documents which can be produced in order to evidence an individual’s right to work in the UK or enter into a tenancy agreement in England

New statutory instrument

Business Minister says ‘heavy handed’ legislation is not necessary in order to protect workers from ‘unacceptable’ fire and rehire negotiation tactics

Minister advises MPs that ACAS has instead been asked to produce stronger guidance to help employers explore all options before considering fire and rehire

Government announces plans to create a single enforcement body for employment rights

New 'one-stop shop' will take over responsibility for enforcing National Minimum Wage, tackling modern slavery, and protecting agency workers, while also having new powers to resolve holiday pay and SSP disputes

Scottish Government calls for cross-party support for bid for full devolution of employment powers to aid post-pandemic recovery

Social Justice Secretary says that increased powers would enable Scotland to create fairer workplaces, increase wages, reduce insecure work, and 'shift the curve on poverty'

CJEU rules that, where pay conditions can be attributed to a single source, the work and the pay of workers can be compared even if they work in different establishments

Case C-624/19

Supermarkets in UK ‘have suffered another blow in the battle for equal pay’ following CJEU ruling that Tesco store workers entitled to compare themselves to colleagues in distribution centres

Leigh Day solicitors welcomes CJEU's reinforcement of March 2021 Supreme Court ruling in Asda case

Number of individuals on furlough reduced by 900,000 in month to 30 April 2021, falling to 3.4 million

New HMRC statistics also show that 2.8 million individuals have received a grant from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme since its introduction

Scotland’s First Minister calls on UK Government to extend CJRS ‘for as long as it is needed’

Speaking ahead of four-nation summit on UK's recovery from Covid-19, First Minister also calls for SEISS to be extended to newly self-employed, and for confirmation of long-term approach to Test and Trace Support Payment

Bill that makes provision for parental bereavement leave and pay receives first reading in Northern Ireland Assembly

Economy Minister says aim is to pass legislation with the minimum of delay so that Northern Ireland is brought into line with similar measures in force in Great Britain 

Employment case law round up

Status of Workers Bill receives first reading in House of Lords

Bill provides for creation of a single status for workers by amending the meaning of 'employee', 'worker' and 'employer' in relevant legislation

Employment Bill will be introduced when the ‘time is right’ and not while pandemic is ongoing, says Secretary of State

However, calling on government to take action now, Select Committees say Covid-19 has only heightened the need for workers to be properly protected

Extending right not to be subject to detriment in health and safety cases to ‘gig economy’ workers

New statutory instrument follows High Court's decision that UK Government has failed to properly apply provisions within EU health and safety directives to ‘limb (b)’ workers

Permission granted for appeal against High Court ruling that SEISS does not unlawfully discriminate against women who have taken maternity leave

Leigh Day solicitors confirms that case, which is important for many self-employed women whose businesses have been impacted by Covid-19, will now go to Court of Appeal

Office of the Whistleblower Bill receives first reading in House of Lords

Private Members' Bill introduced to make provision for an Office to administer arrangements to facilitate whistleblowing

National Audit Office to investigate Kickstart Scheme’s value for money

Report will look at whether Scheme is achieving its objectives, the DWPs approach to managing it, and evidence of its impacts