Employment Law Archives

Sick days taken by workers at lowest since records began

Statistics released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that the number of workers calling in sick is at its lowest level since records began nearly 25 years ago.…

Government promises action on workplace dress codes and high heels

On 6 March 2017, the e-petition on workplace dress codes and high heels was discussed in the House of Commons. This follows the case in 2015 of Nicola Thorp who…

Publication of Employment Tribunal judgments: the impact for employers

In February, the Ministry of Justice formally launched its website of Employment Tribunal decisions. All future Tribunal decisions will be uploaded onto the website. Below we consider the impact that publication…

Gender pay gap reporting

ACAS and the Government Equalities Office have jointly published guidance on the Gender Pay Gap Regulations which are due to come into force on 6 April 2017 for large private…

Employment Tribunal fees review

The government’s review of the introduction of fees in the employment tribunals (ET) was published on 31 January 2017. The review accepts that the introduction of fees may have discouraged…

National minimum wage increases

Recommendations from the Low Pay Commission have resulted in proposals to amend the rates of the national minimum wage. The draft regulations set out the following hourly rates of national…

Minimum wage for gig economy workers?

The chairman of the Commons work and pensions select committee Frank Field has told a Downing Street review of modern working practices that all workers should benefit from a new…

Hundreds of employers named and shamed for underpaying

The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published a list of employers failing to pay the national minimum wage (NMW). The list names 359 employers who between…

Registration for online apprenticeship service opens

The apprenticeship levy comes into force on 6 April 2017 and the Department for Education and the Skills Funding Agency have encouraged large employers to register in advance for the…

Argos set to pay £2.4m for national minimum wage arrears

Argos has been ordered to pay 37,000 former and current staff backpay amounting to £2.4m, after an HMRC investigation revealed its failure to pay staff the national minimum wage. According…

Limits on tribunal awards and statutory payments to increase from April 2017

Tribunal compensation limits will increase on 6 April 2017. The maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal will rise from £78,962 to £80,541. The maximum amount of a week’s pay, used…

Trade Union Act 2016: main provisions come into force on 1 March 2017

The Trade Union Act 2016 into force on 1 March 2017. The major changes include: Ballots: 50% turnout requirement. Ballots in “important public services”: additional 40% support requirement. Information requirements…

Employment tribunals online database of decisions now live

The database has now gone live. The database covers decisions from England, Wales and Scotland. It is understood that it will initially cover new or recent judgments. It is…

High heels and workplace dress codes

A joint report has been published by the House of Commons Petitions Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee called High heels and workplace dress codes. A petition was signed…

Call for better pregnancy and maternity protection

The government has published its response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s report calling for better pregnancy and maternity protection. The majority of the Committee’s recommendations have not been adopted…

Two brothers sentenced under Modern Slavery Act

Two brothers have each been jailed for exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and fraud offences and conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation under the Fraud Act 2006. The two brothers arranged for vulnerable people…

Will you be my valentine? How to deal with romance in the workplace

Most people who work in an office have to develop close working relationships with their colleagues, not least because they spend a substantial part of their lives in their close…

Dismissal fair despite reliance on expired warnings

In this case a tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal decided that a dismissal was fair even though the employer relied on previous warnings. Mr Stratford started work for Auto…

Employers pay over £83,000 under tribunal penalty regime

The penalty regime for unpaid employment tribunal awards came into force on 6 April 2016. Defaulting employers may be issued with a penalty notice requiring them to pay a financial…

“She only makes the tea”: Bizarre excuses for not paying minimum wage

HMRC officials have released ten of the most bizarre responses provided by employers when questioned on their reasons for failing to pay the national minimum wage (NMW). Excuses for not…

Article Categories

Category: Employment Law

Sick days taken by workers at lowest since records began

Government promises action on workplace dress codes and high heels

Publication of Employment Tribunal judgments: the impact for employers

Gender pay gap reporting

Employment Tribunal fees review

National minimum wage increases

Minimum wage for gig economy workers?

Hundreds of employers named and shamed for underpaying

Registration for online apprenticeship service opens

Argos set to pay £2.4m for national minimum wage arrears

Limits on tribunal awards and statutory payments to increase from April 2017

Trade Union Act 2016: main provisions come into force on 1 March 2017

Employment tribunals online database of decisions now live

High heels and workplace dress codes

Call for better pregnancy and maternity protection

Two brothers sentenced under Modern Slavery Act

Will you be my valentine? How to deal with romance in the workplace

Dismissal fair despite reliance on expired warnings

Employers pay over £83,000 under tribunal penalty regime

“She only makes the tea”: Bizarre excuses for not paying minimum wage