Boris Johnson has announced that England is to return to Plan A next week, marking the end of the current Plan B restrictions. This means that from Thursday 27 January 2022: Wearing of face masks in the current designated indoor settings and on public transport will no longer be a mandatory legal obligation. Instead, wearing …
Employees eligible to receive statutory sick pay are not normally required to provide their employer with medical evidence to support sickness absence for the first 7 days of absence. For longer periods of absence, they must obtain a fit note from their GP. In order to free up GP capacity to focus on the current …
SSP self-certification period temporarily extended Read More »
The Government has announced that it is introducing further COVID-19 restrictions for England broadly in line with the ‘Plan B’ announced in the Autumn/Winter Plan on 15 September. Under the new restrictions: From Monday 13 December office workers will be asked to work from home where possible; Face coverings will become mandatory in most indoor …
Government imposes ‘Plan B’ COVID restrictions in England Read More »
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 – …
COVID-19: Government implements Plan B-lite with new measures which impact on employers Read More »
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 …
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 …
Government outlines its proposals for Plan B mandatory COVID certification Read More »
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 …
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 …
Government launches consultation on extension of right to request flexible working Read More »
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 …
The COVID-19 Autumn and Winter Plan: Key points for employers Read More »
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 …
CJRS: Less than 1 month until close – Key redundancy considerations for employers Read More »
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 …
New rules on self-isolation: What employers need to know Read More »
On 16 July we launched our Return to workplaces survey seeking views on what employers are planning for their workforce as more people return to the workplace. Over 90 organisations responded, revealing an overall picture of a cautious return with a wide range of COVID safety measures remaining in place for some time to come. …
Return to workplaces: key considerations for employers – survey results Read More »
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 …
COVID-19: Government response to ‘pingdemic’ – Key issues for employers Read More »
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 …
Health is everyone’s business: Government response to consultation is published Read More »
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 …
Government to introduce duty on employers to prevent workplace sexual harassment Read More »
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