Employment news and case law

14 May, 2021

Women and Equalities Committee welcomes government’s commitment to consult on amendments to flexible working arrangements

Consultation to seek views on making flexible working the default position 'unless employers have good reasons not to'

12 May, 2021

Government has ’rowed back’ on its 2019 promise to boost workers’ rights after failing to include employment bill in Queen’s Speech

TUC calls for immediate action to deal with the ‘scourge of insecure work’ rather than more delay

12 May, 2021

Court of Appeal rules that Employment Tribunal had not erred in rejecting unfair dismissal claim by solicitor who had unlawfully accepted cash payment from father of legally aided client

[2021] EWCA Civ 672

11 May, 2021 Open access

Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased risk of minimum wage underpayment, says Low Pay Commission

Commission Chair calls for 'disciplined but innovative management response' to non-compliance in post-lockdown period

10 May, 2021

Court of Appeal considers whether Equality Act 2010 provisions for remedies in a case of unintentional unlawful indirect discrimination are incompatible with EU law

[2021] EWCA Civ 650

6 May, 2021

More than 4 million people were on partial or full furlough as at 31 March 2021

Latest statistics from HMRC reveal that this represents a gradual decrease since the last peak in January 2021

4 May, 2021

Transfer of functions relating to gender pay gap information to the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

4 May, 2021

Court of Appeal considers whether an Employment Tribunal failed to assess if claimants’ mental impairments had ‘long term’ adverse effects after discriminatory acts

[2021] EWCA Civ 606

28 April, 2021

Amendment of regulations in Northern Ireland relating to how a week’s pay is calculated for purposes of calculating statutory payments for furloughed workers

New statutory rule makes amendments in consequence of Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme being extended to 30 September 2021

26 April, 2021

DWP confirms plans to make first referrals to Restart Programme from July 2021

Providers including Maximus, Serco and G4S have been awarded contracts to provide new enhanced work search support to claimants across England and Wales who have been unemployed for at least 12 months

26 April, 2021

Private hire firm refused permission to appeal Employment Appeal Tribunal’s decision that drivers are entitled to workers’ rights

Huge decision is yet another blow to big firms operating in the gig economy, says law firm Leigh Day

26 April, 2021

Employment case law round up

22 April, 2021

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

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

21 April, 2021 Open access

Amendments to regulations setting out how a week’s pay is calculated for purposes of calculating statutory payments for furloughed workers

New statutory instrument makes amendments in consequence of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme being extended to 30 September 2021

20 April, 2021

Court of Appeal rules that employment tribunal erred in ordering employer to re-engage employee in role it had ‘genuine and rational belief’ he would not be capable of fulfilling

[2021] EWCA Civ 559

19 April, 2021

Court of Appeal rules that statutory provisions that prevent foster carers from forming a recognised union are in breach of Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights

[2021] EWCA Civ 548