HR Articles

Protected conversations were introduced to allow employers to have an “off the record” discussion with an employee concerning their exit. Evidence of pre-termination negotiations is inadmissible in ordinary unfair dismissal claims unless there is improper behaviour. Unfortunately for the employer in Lenlyn UK Ltd v Kular, they discovered this exception the hard way.

As reported back in May, the Trade Union Act 2016 introduces new requirements relating to balloting for industrial action.

With the news regarding the widespread disruption to public transportation around London as a result of the industrial action by Southern Rail drivers, important questions arise:

This week the Government has laid its revised Gender Pay Gap Regulations before Parliament for approval (the “Regulations”).

In the recent case of Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Ltd, the High Court held that a company was not vicariously liable for an assault by its director on an employee which took place after the employer’s Christmas party had ended when the two individuals, along with other employees, went back to a hotel to continue drinking.

The news is awash with stories of how companies treat their staff, whether it’s delivery drivers working as self-employed contractors, university lecturers on zero hours contracts, or temporary staff subject to timed toilet breaks.

In the recent case of Gorka Salaberria Sorondo v Academia Vasca de Policia y Emergencias the European Court of Justice determined that the imposition of an upper age limit of 35 years for new recruits to Basque Police Force was not in contravention to EU law.

This week, Tech City reported a huge increase in applications for visas that allow non-EEA tech workers to work in “exceptionally talented” roles in the UK.

Whilst the rate of employment for the non-disabled population is currently 80%, only 48% of disabled people are in employment. This inequality has led the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department of Health to jointly publish a Green Paper, “Improving Lives” to look at “one of the most significant inequalities in the UK today”.

Last week the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, gave his first Autumn Statement.