In the summer of 2013 we will see some important amendments to the legislation regulating protection for whistleblowers. Solicitor David Israel looks at the implications for employers and how to determine whether or not an employee's disclosure is prote  More...
04 April 2013 09:50

The Court of Appeal has ruled that Haringey Council's decision to start a second set of disciplinary proceedings against social workers involved in the Baby P case did not make their dismissals unfair. Prior to the trial of the mother of Peter Conne  More...
04 April 2013 09:50

The CBI has called for wholesale changes to what it described as the "legalistic culture" of employment tribunals. The CBI's proposals include the publication of league tables showing the performance of individual tribunal offices and it also called   More...
03 April 2013 09:11

This April sees a number of employment law changes come into effect that will have an impact on all employers. HR departments should ensure that they update their policies and procedures in accordance with the new laws. Personnel Today sets out   More...
27 March 2013 11:17

The Government tightened its position on illegal working in 2008, increasing pressure on employers to check the immigration status of new recruits and ensure all employees have a legal right to work in the UK. Solicitor Nisha Patel identifies how to tac  More...
27 March 2013 09:42

This line manager briefing covers a number of challenging situations that may arise as a result of an employee's pregnancy or maternity leave, but will not be relevant to every pregnancy or period of maternity leave. A second briefing, Line   More...
26 March 2013 00:01

This line manager briefing covers the basic rights of employees who become pregnant and take maternity leave. A second briefing Line manager briefing on maternity rights that apply in specific situations covers situations that may arise  More...
26 March 2013 00:01

Summary Employers that follow good practice in maternity can improve the experience of pregnant employees and new mothers and encourage them to return to work following maternity leave. (See The business case for good practice in maternity )   More...
26 March 2013 00:01

Summary Click on any of the hyperlinks to go to more detailed guidance below. Ensure that employees are not denied a pay rise that they would have received had they not been on maternity leave. Make a clear decision as to the am  More...
26 March 2013 00:01

Summary Click on any of the hyperlinks to go to more detailed guidance below. Be aware that the maternity legislation provides that "reasonable contact" during maternity leave is permitted. Take into account that what is "reasonable" contac  More...
26 March 2013 00:00

Lloyd v BCQ Group Ltd FACTS Mr Lloyd was employed by BCQ Group Ltd from 1978. In May 2007, he suffered a back injury in an accident. He returned to work briefly, but was then absent due to ill health until his dismissal in May 2011. Mr Lloyd  More...
25 March 2013 00:01

The House of Lords last night rejected government proposals for the so-called "rights for shares" scheme, under which employees would be able to sacrifice certain employment rights for shares in their organisation. The proposal was put to the Lords   More...
21 March 2013 12:02

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has failed to confirm a date for the forthcoming repeal of third-party harassment provisions and discrimination questionnaires. A recent government statement suggested that March 2013 would   More...
21 March 2013 09:10

Compromise agreements in the NHS must clearly state that individuals are not prevented from whistleblowing, the Government has confirmed. As highlighted in Personnel Today's report last week, gagging clauses are already banned under s.43J of the Em  More...
20 March 2013 15:38

Employment lawyer Felicity Staff explores the legal implications of employing workers under the age of 25. According to a recent survey commissioned by The Prince's Trust that assessed the happiness of 2,136 young people aged between 16 and 25, aro  More...
18 March 2013 12:00

The Government has published its response to a review of employment tribunal rules. Two key things to note include the fact that, under the new rules, where a tribunal claimant withdraws their claim, this could result in it being formally dismissed,   More...
15 March 2013 16:33

The Government has set out a number of forthcoming legal amendments due to take place as a result of its employment law review, which set out to analyse aspects of regulation that affect the employment relationship. The report, "Employment law 2013:  More...
15 March 2013 14:42

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced that the NHS will no longer be able to gag former employees from speaking out about issues in the public interest. Confidentiality clauses in compromise agreements have been used by NHS employers to stop fo  More...
14 March 2013 16:18

Haq v Audit Commission FACTS Until 2007, the two kinds of administrative support role in the Audit Commission's housing inspectorate were: inspection and information officer (IIO); and senior inspection and information officer (SIIO).   More...
12 March 2013 08:44

The House of Lords has voted to add "caste" to the definition of "race" in the Equality Act, but the Government has decided against any change to legislation preferring to implement an education programme. The Government Equalities Office has commi  More...
05 March 2013 14:43