Employment

Government publishes new whistleblowing guidance and code of practice for employers

Documents are designed to help employers understand the law relating to whistleblowing; put in place a whistleblowing policy; and recognise the benefits that whistleblowing can bring to an organisation.

Flexible Working Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

New regulations issued in Northern Ireland that deal with eligibility, applications, breaches of procedure and compensation in relation to statutory applications for contract variation to allow flexible working under the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

Maternity and Parental Leave etc. (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

New regulations issued in Northern Ireland that remove the limitation on parental leave so that it may be taken at any time before a child’s eighteenth birthday; and amend the right to return after maternity and parent leave to reflect the introduction of shared parental leave by the Shared Parental Leave Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.

Lloyd v Humphreys & Glasgow Ltd

[2015] EWHC 525 (QB)

Shared parental leave in Northern Ireland

New statutory rules

Smith v Carillion (JM) Ltd & Anor

[2015] EWCA Civ 209

Conservative government would abolish Class 2 National Insurance contributions in next Parliament

In Budget 2015, Chancellor also announces plan to consult on reforming Class 4 contributions by introducing a new 'contributory benefit test'. (Paragraph 2.74)

Braganza (Appellant) v BP Shipping Limited and another

[2015] UKSC 17

Fraser v University of Leicester & Ors

[2015] EWCA Civ 212

Government announces new National Minimum Wage rates

Increases from 1 October 2015 include that adult rate will rise by 20 pence from £6.50 to £6.70 per hour, as recommended by the Low Pay Commission in March this year.

Employment case law round up

Remploy to be established as new partnership between Maximus and Remploy employees

New company, which Maximus will have a 70 per cent stake in, will still be known as Remploy Employment Services and will continue to deliver Work Choice nationally.

West Sussex County Council v Fuller

[2015] EWCA Civ 189

Findings from survey of the first year of the traineeships programme

Department for Business, Innovation & Skills publishes analysis of what employers and trainees think of the traineeships scheme, which launched in 2013, and how effective the scheme has been at helping former trainees into apprenticeships and work.

TUC publishes report on impact on women of recession and austerity

Report concludes that, while progress on some headline measures of gender equality has continued, the employment and pay gap have continued to narrow, and that some women are facing new hardships and barriers to equality.

National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015

New regulations issued that consolidate the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 and subsequent amending regulations with the purpose of making the rules clearer and more workable for employers and employees.

House of Lords votes against amendments to Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill

Peers voted yesterday against proposal on employers' responsibility to pay compensation to workers, including those on zero hours contracts, if shifts are cancelled at short notice; additional protection for whistleblowers who are job applicants; and extending right to a fixed hours contract to workers who have worked regular hours over a continuous period even if they are employed on a zero hours contract.