With the Easter bank holidays in April and three more coming up in May, the top FAQ for April looks at entitlement for employees who are off sick on a bank holiday.
Various limits relating to employment tribunal compensation increase annually in April, including the limit on maximum compensation for unfair dismissal claims. One of the FAQs in the top 10 deals with the calculation of the basic award for unfair dismissal.
Another question looks at compensation awarded in discrimination claims. There are guidelines for tribunals to follow when deciding how much compensation to award for injury to feelings.
For example, for less serious cases, the award should fall between £1,100 and £11,200. These guidelines – known as the “Vento bands” after the case in which they were first set out – are updated each year by the President of the Employment Tribunals. The new guidelines in force from April are set out in one of the questions below.
Two questions on age discrimination also feature in the list – one on the implications of the age bands of the national minimum wage and one on potential risks in asking job candidates for a certain length of experience.
The top 10 HR questions in April 2023:
3. When can an employer dismiss an employee on the grounds of ill health?
4. What does dismissal for “some other substantial reason” mean?
5. What is the unfair dismissal basic award?
6. Are employees entitled to be paid their full contractual pay on keeping-in-touch days?
7. What is the impact of Brexit on employment law?
9. Is there a limit on the compensation that can be awarded in a discrimination claim?Â
10. Can employers specify a minimum number of years’ experience in job advertisements?
