Employment

Trade Union Act 2016 major provisions coming into force 1 March

The major provisions of the Trade Union Act 2016 will come into force on 1 March 2017. The Trade Union Act 2016 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional) Regulations 2017 will bring into force the following provisions: The 50% turnout requirement for all industrial action ballots (section 2 of the 2016 Act which amends section 226 […]

Trade Union Act 2016 major provisions coming into force 1 March Read More »

Court of Appeal decides “self-employed” plumber has worker status

Employment status is shaping up to be one of the hot employment law topics for 2017.   Early February and we already have a Court of Appeal judgment on the subject.  Today, the Court of Appeal decided,  in the case of Pimlico Plumbers Ltd v Smith,  that a plumber, who was engaged as a “self-employed operative”, 

Court of Appeal decides “self-employed” plumber has worker status Read More »

Immigration Act 2016: New provisions now in force

The Immigration Act 2016 represents a significant milestone in immigration regulation creating additional duties and responsibilities on individuals and businesses. Immigration is increasingly under the spotlight and likely to remain so for the foreseeable future so it is therefore vital for employers to be fully aware of their responsibilities to effectively manage their risk.  Key features

Immigration Act 2016: New provisions now in force Read More »

Gender pay reporting regulations published, to come into force 6 April 2017

The Government has today published the revised draft Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017, which are intended to come into force on 6 April 2017. Under the regulations, employers employing 250 or more employees will be required to publish information about the gender pay gap in their organisation. The original draft regulations

Gender pay reporting regulations published, to come into force 6 April 2017 Read More »

Brexit: Update on the future of ECJ employment case law and directly effective employment rights

As we have reported previously,  the Government’s position in relation to the future of workers’ rights is that, through the mechanism of the “Great Repeal Bill”,  the UK’s EU derived employment laws will remain in place at Brexit and that workers’ existing rights will continue to be guaranteed in law.   This has been confirmed by

Brexit: Update on the future of ECJ employment case law and directly effective employment rights Read More »

High Court hears legal challenge to Government triggering Article 50 to leave the EU

The High Court has heard 3 days of argument in legal proceedings brought by a group of individuals seeking to determine whether the UK Government has the legal power to trigger the Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union process to leave the EU without an Act of Parliament. A number of British

High Court hears legal challenge to Government triggering Article 50 to leave the EU Read More »

Pay issues remain in the spotlight for employers

In recent times, pay issues have never been far from the spotlight. The Government’s proposals to introduce mandatory gender pay gap reporting have run alongside some high profile litigation relating to equal pay.   Although the concepts of gender pay gaps and equal pay are different, both place important obligations on employers and give rise to

Pay issues remain in the spotlight for employers Read More »

Brexit timing clarified: employment law set to continue intact

The Conservative Party Conference has provided Theresa May, and her Government, with an opportunity to publicise their plans for the timing of Brexit. In her speech to the Conference on 2 October,  the Prime Minster announced that – Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will be invoked by the end of March 2017, triggering the

Brexit timing clarified: employment law set to continue intact Read More »

Holiday pay must include results-based commission: Court of Appeal decision in Lock v British Gas

The Court of Appeal has confirmed in its decision today in Lock v British Gas that holiday pay must include a representative element of results-based commission. The Court did not comment, however, on whether the 12 week reference period adopted by the tribunal for calculating the commission element was correct in all cases, and indicated

Holiday pay must include results-based commission: Court of Appeal decision in Lock v British Gas Read More »

Employers: Do your ‘right to work’ checks stand up to scrutiny?

Business immigration issues have not been far from the headlines since the Brexit referendum in June 2016 and, at the weekend, Theresa May announced that Britain will decide for itself how it will control immigration and that it “will be free to pass [its] own laws”. One of the key areas of focus in recent

Employers: Do your ‘right to work’ checks stand up to scrutiny? Read More »

Termination payments – changes to the tax treatment

Following its consultation in 2015, the Government has now confirmed the changes which will be made in how termination payments will be taxed, and published draft legislation for comment. The changes will apply “from April 2018”. It is not clear at this stage whether payments pursuant to settlement agreements entered into before that time will

Termination payments – changes to the tax treatment Read More »

Employers must prepare for gender pay gap reporting as IFS report confirms 18% gap

Today’s publication of a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies brings the gender pay gap into sharp focus once again.  The report confirms that the hourly wages of female employees are currently about 18% lower than men’s on average, and that the impact of taking time out of the workplace for family reasons continues

Employers must prepare for gender pay gap reporting as IFS report confirms 18% gap Read More »