The need for employers to have the correct legal and training procedures in place was shown in a recent case in which a child was injured as she walked under a street light. The accident happened as the light was being repaired. The workman detached the reflector to inspect it but it fell just as
The new National Minimum Wage rates have now come into effect. The rate for adult workers has risen by 15p to £6.08 an hour. The rate for 18-20 year olds goes up by 6p to £4.98 an hour. The rate for 16-17 year olds has increased by 4p to £3.68 an hour. The rate for
When a business is transferred from one owner to another, the rights of employees are protected by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE). This means the employees of the previous owner become employees of the new owner on the same terms and conditions. But what happens when the services provided by the
The overall number of employment cases being brought to tribunals has fallen by 8%, but the number of age related claims has continued to rise. The latest figures from the Tribunals Service cover the period from 1st April 2010 to 31st March 2011. There were a total of 218,100 claims during that period, a fall
The right to request time off for training will not be extended to SME employees for at least four years. The Government made the announcement after studying the responses to a public consultation which began last year. Staff at firms employing 250 people or more were given the right to request time off for training
A company director has been held personally liable for the discriminatory dismissal of a pregnant employee. The director owned and ran an estate agency. He was the sole shareholder. One of his employees gave him a letter confirming that she was pregnant. Within minutes of reading the letter, he told her that she was being
The Government’s Red Tape challenge website has put the spotlight on the Equality Act which came into effect last year. The Act replaced nine major pieces of legislation and scrapped 100 sets of regulations relating to equality and discrimination. Now ministers are asking businesses and voluntary organisations for ideas on what more can be done
A tribunal has held that a company did not discriminate against a Muslim security guard when it refused to allow him time off to attend Friday lunchtime prayers at a local mosque. The guard was employed by the company to provide security services at a site belonging to one of its clients. The client required
Businesses need to ensure they follow the correct procedures when making redundancies. Otherwise mistakes can lead to claims of unfair dismissal, as happened in a recent case involving a company that needed to lay off a number of staff. The company had selection procedures in place and used them to assess which employees should be
Employment claims look set to continue rising, according to an official report by the Tribunal Service. This is in spite of the fact that claims are already at record levels. Judge David Latham, who is president of the employment section of the Tribunal Service, says there have been several new employment laws over the last