Employers may find themselves at risk of being ordered to pay 100% of an employee’s salary as the Employment Tribunal has held that the absence of written confirmation of furlough arrangements could give rise to an unlawful deduction of wages claim. The Claimant had worked part-time in a café since 2003 and following the national
Employees are advised to think carefully about the wording used when writing a grievance to their employer, after the Employment Appeal Tribunal held that an employee’s allegations in her written grievance that the employer’s conduct “may amount to discrimination” would not constitute a protected act under the Equality Act 2010. The employee in question was
In an employment relationship, the identity of the employer is usually very clear; however, where an employee works for a group of companies, it can sometimes be trickier to identify which of the group companies is the true employer. This can sometimes cause issues, particularly from a tax perspective, when it comes to identifying where
As we enter Lockdown 3 and the closure of schools, there has been a lot of talk in the media about options that are available to parents who have childcare responsibilities including the possibility of furlough on either a full-time or flexible basis. The guidance on furlough confirms that employees can be furloughed for this
A customer service assistant who said she was told to resign after her employer discovered she was pregnant has been awarded £18,000 after making a discrimination claim. The case involved Mrs N Agarwal and St John Freight System UK. Mrs Agarwal had worked for the company since 2017. The employment offer, in the form of
The Covid pandemic has led to a surge in the number of employees bringing claims to the Employment Tribunal, according to research carried out by Citizens Advice. It says that if claims continue to increase at the current rate, the number could pass 500,000 by the spring. Even this could be a conservative estimate, the
Bullying does not only occur in schools or online. It can happen anywhere, including in the workplace. According to the National Bullying Helpline, one in four employees have experienced bullying at work. Bullying can have a significant impact on an employee’s mental and physical health, as well as their confidence and performance at work. Unless
A school technician who was discriminated against because of his disabilities and unfairly dismissed has been awarded £117,013 compensation. Mr D Walker suffered with psoriatic arthritis, depression and anxiety. He worked at Old Swinford Hospital School from June 2014 until September 2017. He had periods of absence and lateness during 2016. These increased in 2017,
In the recent case of Kathryn Hopkins v The Commissioners for her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) [2020], an employee was arrested by the police for serious criminal offences including a serious sexual offence. She disclosed the fact to her employer and was immediately suspended on full pay pending disciplinary proceedings for possible gross misconduct, with
A gender-fluid engineer who endured insults and jibes from fellow workers has won a discrimination claim against Jaguar Land Rover. The case involved Ms R Taylor who had worked for Jaguar for 20 years and had initially identified as male. She began identifying as gender fluid in 2017 and started dressing in women’s clothing. This