Employment

Minimum service level regulations fail to allay MPs’ concerns that severe consequences of non-compliance on employees may amount to disproportionate interference with Article 11 ECHR rights

Human Rights Select Committee also says that consultations on the mediation processes for the new measures were not sufficient to address its concerns

Ensuring whistleblowers who disclose information to Ofcom in relation to compliance with the Online Safety Act are protected

New statutory instrument

Round-up of recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case law

Workforce Information (Ethnicity) Bill receives first reading

Introduced in the House of Lords, Private Members' Bill makes provision for certain employers to be required to publish information about differences in pay between people from prescribed ethnic backgrounds

Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill receives its first reading

Introduced in the House of Lords, Private Members' Bill makes provision to provide safeguards for workers against dismissal and re-engagement on inferior terms and conditions

Supreme Court rules that group of Deliveroo riders were not in an employment relationship for the purposes of establishing collective bargaining rights

Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (Appellant) v Central Arbitration Committee and another (Respondents) [2023] UKSC 43

Round-up of recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case law

Government launches consultation on reintroducing strike-breaking agency worker laws

Views sought by Department for Business and Trade on amending current rules so that employment businesses are permitted to supply agency workers to cover strikes in any sector

Department for Business and Trade publishes guidance on issuing work notices that specify the workforce required to meet minimum service levels under the Strikes Act 2023

Non-statutory guidance for employers, trade unions and employees includes procedural advice and confirms that any employee specified in a work notice who takes strike action contrary to that notice will lose automatic protection from unfair dismissal

Government consults on draft regulations that ensure seafarers operating in UK waters receive pay equivalent to at least the national minimum wage

Views sought on draft regulations under Seafarers' Wages Act 2023 in first part of two-stage consultation process

Round-up of recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case law

Government lays draft regulations to reform retained EU employment law

Draft statutory instrument provides for reforms relating to record keeping requirements and holiday pay under the Working Time Regulations and consultation requirements under the TUPE Regulations

Limiting rights of public sector employers to take union subscriptions from their employees

New statutory instrument

Transfer of power to the Lord Chancellor to determine by regulations the composition of employment tribunals

New statutory instrument also commences provisions that make amendments in relation to practice directions and responsibility for the remuneration of tribunal members

Anti-strike regulations laid this week ‘will punish workers for daring to stand up for decent pay and better services’

TUC also says that new regulations applying to passenger rail services, the ambulance service and border security are 'irrational' and 'unworkable'

Employment Tribunal Presidents issue joint Practice Direction on recording of tribunal hearings and the transcription of recordings

Guidance issued alongside Direction advises that HMCTS will make audio recordings of all hearings unless specified exceptions apply

Gender pay gap is higher in all English regions than in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

New statistics from the ONS also highlight that the gap remains larger for those aged over 40, and for higher earners