Employment

COVID-19: Government implements Plan B-lite with new measures which impact on employers

29 November 2021 30 November 2021 / coronavirus, COVID-19, face coverings, Plan B, red list, travel restrictions, vaccination, vaccines / Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employment

In an unexpected turn of events, the government has announced that it will be bringing in new COVID-19 restrictions for England this week. The news follows significant concerns over the emergence of a new coronavirus variant. The government has confirmed, however, that it will not yet be moving fully to its COVID-19 Plan B – …

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Supreme Court: employer’s direct pay offer to employees was unlawful inducement when collective bargaining process not completed

2 November 2021 2 November 2021 / collective bargaining, employment contracts, trade unions / Employment

Employers who recognise a trade union for collective bargaining purposes should take note of last week’s Supreme Court decision in Kostal UK Ltd v Dunkley which will have to be considered where collective bargaining negotiations over pay awards or other contractual variations reach a stalemate. Background The Supreme Court’s decision is the final instalment in …

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Government outlines its proposals for Plan B mandatory COVID certification

29 September 2021 29 September 2021 / Employment

In its COVID Autumn and Winter Plan (see our Be Aware of 15 September 2021), the government committed to providing more detail about its proposals for mandatory COVID certification in England in certain designated settings. This forms part of its Plan B for tackling the pandemic and would only take effect in the event that …

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Information Commissioner’s call for views on employment practices: a survey for employers

28 September 2021 28 September 2021 / data protection / Employment, Reform

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling for views on data protection and employment practices to help them shape their upcoming guidance products which will see existing guidance replaced with “a new, more user-friendly online resource with topic-specific areas”. DLA Piper’s employment group will be submitting a response to the ICO’s call for views and …

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Government launches consultation on extension of right to request flexible working

23 September 2021 23 September 2021 / Employment

The Government has today published its heavily-trailed consultation Making Flexible Working the Default on new proposals to make the right to request flexible working a day 1 entitlement, as well as its response to consultation on a new right to unpaid carer’s leave. Currently the statutory right to request flexible working only applies to employees …

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The COVID-19 Autumn and Winter Plan: Key points for employers

15 September 2021 15 September 2021 / coronavirus, COVID-19, face coverings, self-isolation, shielding, vaccination, vaccines / Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employment

The UK government has outlined its COVID-19 response for autumn and winter for England and stated that the main line of defence to the coronavirus pandemic is now vaccination rather than lockdown. The government’s response includes both a Plan A – the intended approach which will be taken through autumn and winter – and a …

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CJRS: Less than 1 month until close – Key redundancy considerations for employers

1 September 2021 1 September 2021 / CJRS, collective consultation, coronavirus, coronavirus job retention scheme, COVID-19, redundancy / Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employment

Over seventeen months since its first launch in March 2020 – and following a number of surprise extensions along the way – the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has now entered its final month. It will draw to a close on 30 September 2021. Over 11.5 million jobs have been supported by the scheme, allowing …

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New rules on self-isolation: What employers need to know

16 August 2021 16 August 2021 / coronavirus, COVID-19, self-isolation, vaccination / Coronavirus, Employment

Today marks a landmark moment in the self-isolation rules implemented to help manage the coronavirus pandemic in England. Now, close contacts of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus will not have to automatically self-isolate for 10 days, provided they are fully vaccinated* or are aged under 18 years 6 months. This development is hugely …

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COVID-19: Government response to ‘pingdemic’ – Key issues for employers

27 July 2021 27 July 2021 / Employment

Recent days have seen a flurry of COVID-19 related developments as the government seeks to react to the impact of millions of workers being ‘pinged’ by the COVID-19 App and informed they should self-isolate for up to 10 full days. This has led to significant workforce shortages across all sectors placing significant pressures on frontline …

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Health is everyone’s business: Government response to consultation is published

26 July 2021 26 July 2021 / disability discrimination, flexible working, reasonable adjustments, statutory sick pay / Employment

Just over 2 years ago, the government published a consultation paper seeking views on its proposals to reduce ill-health related job losses. The details are set out in our Be Aware of 15 July 2019. Now, the government has finally published its response. The response highlights the government’s desire to focus on supporting individuals to …

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Government to introduce duty on employers to prevent workplace sexual harassment

22 July 2021 22 July 2021 / sexual harassment / Employment

In the UK, the #MeToo movement prompted various investigations, reports and initiatives addressing the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace including activity by the EHRC and the Women and Equalities Select Committee. In terms of specific government action, in 2019, the Equalities Office published a consultation paper on sexual harassment in the workplace which …

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Return to workplaces: key considerations for employers – a survey

16 July 2021 16 July 2021 / Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employment

For many businesses, a return to the workplace if finally on the horizon. However, the road to return may not be straight-forward for all, with complex employment law and data privacy considerations at play. With this in mind, we are launching a 5 minute anonymous survey covering some of the key issues impacted by the …

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Government confirms plans for Step 4 of its COVID-19 Roadmap

6 July 2021 12 July 2021 / coronavirus, COVID-19, face coverings, roadmap, self-isolation, social distancing / Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employment

*UPDATE 12 JULY 2021* The Government has today confirmed that it will move to step 4 of the COVID-19 Roadmap on Monday 19 July 2021. However, the emphasis of today’s announcement has shifted slightly with the public being urged to continue to act carefully and to remain cautious while the number of coronavirus cases is …

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Delay to further easing of lockdown restrictions means ‘work from home’ guidance continues

14 June 2021 14 June 2021 / coronavirus, COVID-19, lockdown, roadmap / Employment

Today the government has formally confirmed the information, leaked in part to the media over the weekend, that it is potentially postponing full easing of lockdown restrictions in England by a period of 4 weeks. Subject to a review in 2 weeks’ time, this means that it is likely there will be no change to …

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Gender critical beliefs can be protected philosophical beliefs under the Equality Act

10 June 2021 10 June 2021 / Employment

The EAT has today allowed the appeal in Maya Forstater v CGD Europe and others, holding that gender-critical beliefs, including the belief that sex is binary, immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity, did qualify for protection as a philosophical belief under the Equality Act. The Claimant had engaged in debates on social …

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Be Aware UK

News and views from DLA Piper's Employment team