The Government has published a consultation paper on proposals to deal with the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel that employers cannot calculate holiday pay for part-year (eg term time) workers as 12.07% of the hours worked. Part-year workers are instead entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave calculated […]
During 3 years of pandemic turmoil, the working patterns of many employees changed dramatically as businesses and workers responded to the unprecedented crisis situation. Now, as a new year commences, and a new post-COVID era establishes itself, many employers will want to take stock and assess whether their pandemic working arrangements still meet the needs
As 2022 draws to a close, we look forward to what you need to have on your employment law radar in 2023. Although the much-trailed Employment Bill did not form part of the current Government’s legislative programme, it seems that many of the measures which would have been included may in any event become law
Looking forward to 2023: What is coming up in employment law? Read More »
Over a year after consulting on proposed reforms to the statutory flexible working regime (see our September 2021 Be Aware article), the government has now published its response. The reforms were originally much publicised as aiming to make flexible working the default for all but, in practice, the changes fall short of this. In fact,
Government confirms plans for flexible working reforms Read More »
In our last article, we continued our neurodiversity discussion with a focus on how businesses can make their products and services more accessible to neurodiverse customers, and the business case for doing so. This week, in our final article of this series, we look at legislation which impacts on neurodiversity in the workplace, as well
Embracing neurodiversity in business: how to support employees Read More »
In our article last week, we explored the nature of neurodiversity, alongside reports which suggest support for those who are neurodivergent is still wanting across the UK. We also outlined some of the reasons why this is a crucial area of consideration for businesses. In the UK, obligations on businesses go further than just supporting
Embracing neurodiversity in business: how to support customers Read More »
Five years ago, in 2017, a Harvard Business School Professor opined in the Harvard Business Review that neurodiversity is a competitive advantage which employers should embrace within their workforces1. The Review’s article identified that the sometimes extraordinary skills of many neurodiverse individuals were not being tapped into by employers because of the traditional way in
Embracing neurodiversity in business: What you need to know Read More »
The new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has today announced an almost total reversal of the various tax-related announcements made at the mini-budget on 23 September. From an employment perspective the only measure to survive is the reversal of the recent national insurance rate increase with effect from next month. This means that: No
Government reverses mini-budget employment-related tax measures Read More »
In delivering his mini-budget on 23 September 2022, the Chancellor announced a wide-ranging series of tax cuts and reforms, with a focus on incentivisation, investment and making Great Britain more competitive on the global stage. In a significant (and unexpected) U-turn, it was also announced that the reforms made to the IR35 off payroll working
Tax Alert: Repeal of IR35 Reforms Read More »
An important date is looming for employers. On 30 September 2022, the COVID-concessionary modified right to work scheme is ending. It was temporarily introduced in March 2020 as a response to the Coronavirus pandemic and eased the burden on employers checking physical right to work documents in light of the work from home mandates from
Employers take note: Modified right to work scheme is ending Read More »
In Bailey v (1) Stonewall Equality Ltd (2) Garden Court Service Company (3) representatives of Garden Court Chambers, an employment tribunal has held that a barristers’ chambers, Garden Court Chambers, discriminated against a barrister, Allison Bailey, due to her protected belief that a woman is defined by her sex. Ms Bailey’s discrimination claim against Stonewall
The Government has today published a response to its 2018 consultation on employment status. The consultation sought views on how to make employment status rules for employment rights and tax clearer for individuals and businesses. Today’s response recognises that the boundaries between different employment statuses can be unclear, but concludes that the benefits of creating
Employment Status: Government consultation response published Read More »
As was widely publicised at the time of the rail strikes in late June 2022, the Government has now changed the law to allow businesses which are impacted by industrial action to fill the roles of striking staff with temporary workers. This has been achieved by removing the relevant provision in the Regulations governing the
Businesses can now hire agency workers as cover during industrial action Read More »
In February 2022, as part of our Employee Wellbeing series, we published a Be Aware article The menopause: A business critical issue for employers highlighting key developments on this important issue, including recommendations made to the government by an independent taskforce in its report Menopause and employment: How to enable fulfilling working lives (Report). This
Menopause and the workplace: Government outlines new proposals Read More »
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal from the Court of Appeal’s judgment in Harpur Trust v Brazel, holding that the holiday entitlement of workers who work only part of the year but are engaged on a permanent contract throughout the year (‘part-year workers’) cannot be calculated by using 12.07% of the hours actually worked