HR Articles

Unpaid work trials have long been part and parcel of securing employment. Employers are naturally keen to assess an individual’s employability before remunerating their efforts.

While we are in the midst of Christmas party season, it is important that businesses focus on their responsibilities in connection to work social events, particularly when they involve alcohol.

Earlier this month, the Government published its latest report showing the representation of women on the boards of FTSE 350 companies. The report shows a rise above 30% representation on FTSE 100 boards and a rise to 26.7% of representation across FTSE 350 boards.

Last year a Tribunal found that private hire drivers engaged by Addison Lee were workers and not independent contractors (see our blog on this previously). Addison Lee’s appeal against this judgment has now been dismissed.

A round up of the key announcements from the Chancellor’s Budget that effect the Employment Law landscape

The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision in Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Limited and found that the company was liable for the acts of its managing director in a late-night drinking session. Following a staff Christmas party, an unplanned after-party took place at a hotel bar.

There has been a steady stream of high profile cases about employment rights and the boundaries between categories of employment and self-employment in the modern economy, with particular focus on tech platforms providers like Uber. Largely (but not exclusively), the trend has been that those working in the gig economy have been found to be workers, rather than employees or people running their own micro businesses.

In a recent EAT case, the claimant had decided to move from one department to another, both within the employer’s business. She had received a conditional job offer from the new department and wrote to her employer stating ‘please accept one month’s notice from the above date’. Her conditional offer was later withdrawn and she asked to retract, what she called, her notice of resignation. The employer refused stating that she had resigned.

Almost every job application in the modern world will ask for a reference to accompany an application. It is an important tool to establish whether a candidate is suitable for the role they are applying for.

In a recent High Court decision, the Court reaffirmed some important considerations when dealing with alleged breaches of contract by an employer.