Employment

Delays and increasing backlogs in the Employment Tribunal risk undermining ‘fundamental aims’ of our justice system, Peers warn

Lords Constitution Committee says that considerable new effort and investment is required 'for justice to be done, and be seen to be done'

Senior President of Tribunals issues Practice Direction authorising Employment Tribunal legal officers to carry out specified functions

However, authorised officers will still need to comply with Employment Presidents’ guidance and act under supervision of Employment Judges

TUC and employment rights lawyers warn of ‘huge gaps’ in law relating to use of artificial intelligence at work

Union calls for urgent legal reform in light of evidence that AI is now being used to make 'high-risk, life changing' decisions about workers' lives

Increase of limits applying in 2021/2022 to certain awards of employment tribunals and other sums payable under employment legislation in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

Almost 11.5 million jobs have been furloughed since CJRS was introduced in March 2020

Total value of claims increases by almost £4 billion in the last month to stand at more than £57 billion

Workers should not be forced to have Covid-19 vaccination, says TUC

Forcing workers to get vaccinated will harm trust and employee relations and may also be discriminatory and leave employers open to legal challenge

Supreme Court rules that workers who undertake ‘sleep in’ shifts are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage for time that is not spent actually performing some specific work activity

One in three BME workers say they have been unfairly turned down for a job

New TUC survey also finds that BME workers are almost twice as likely to be told that their job may be at risk if they don't accept worse conditions or reapply for position

National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates and pay calculation rules from April 2021

New statutory instrument sets out new rates and includes provisions that reduce the National Living Wage age limit to 23

Uber’s reclassification of its UK drivers as workers following landmark Supreme Court judgment will ‘shake up gig economy’

Court's ruling should be heeded as a warning to companies with a similar business model that they cannot continue to operate in the same way

Business Secretary acknowledges that refusing services or employment to anyone who is not vaccinated against Covid-19 raises discrimination and other legal issues

Letter to Select Committee also confirms that a review of Covid-status certification has opened to consider the ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational issues of using certification

Policies aimed at addressing the gender pay gap must consider role of social norms and maternity and paternity policies

New report from the IFS finds that increased gender differences following parenthood are not merely the exacerbation of career differences that existed before childbirth

One in eight workers are forced to leave the workplace due to ill-health before reaching state retirement age, says TUC

New report calls for increased long-term support to avoid older workers being 'consigned to years of poverty'

Number of outstanding employment tribunal cases increased by more than a third in last three months of 2020 compared to same period in 2019

New Ministry of Justice figures also show that waiting times for disposal of cases increased by three months to almost a year

Amendments to regulations in Northern Ireland setting out how a week’s pay is to be 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 April 2021

Minister for Women and Equalities calls on employers to make flexible working a standard option for employees

National shift to flexible working would boost productivity and provide opportunities for women and those outside major cities, says Minister

Government asks Low Pay Commission to make recommendations for NLW and NMW rates from April 2022

New 'remit' outlines the areas the Commission should consider when recommending the new rates, with response expected by October 2021