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The Supreme Court ruling in the Pimlico Plumbers case and the Employment Tribunal decision involving Hermes help to clarify the difference between ‘worker’ and ‘self-employed’ and could have a significant impact on the gig economy. The long running dispute involving London based Pimlico was initiated by one of its plumbers, Gary Smith. Mr Smith had
The Employment Tribunal has ruled that an employer discriminated against a woman when it extended her probationary period after discovering she was pregnant. Charlotte Kimberley was appointed as a contracts administrator by Calibre Building Services on 8 June 2016 and agreed a start date of 20 June. However, five days before she was due to
The High Court has ruled that a 96-hour shift pattern for firefighters was unlawful because it breached the Working Time Regulations 1998. The case involved firefighters employed by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The authority operated a shift system called “”close proximity crewing”” (CPC). It involved a working week of 96 hours of continuous
A Muslim bus driver has lost his claim that he was subjected to harassment based on his race or religion while at work. The issue arose when the driver, who was of Moroccan origin, was talking to a colleague in the staff canteen. He told him about a report made by a journalist who went
A pharmaceutical company was within its rights to dismiss an employee who failed to complete mandatory online training courses. That was the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in a recent case involving a medical sales rep Mr Barongo. who was employed by Quintiles Commercial UK. In January 2016, Mr Barongo was dismissed for failing
A sub-contractor has won its battle to force a developer to pay more than £388,000 for work carried on a major project. The case involved E7 Building Services and R G Carter Cambridge Ltd. E7 had been contracted to carry out mechanical and electrical works on one of Carter’s projects. The two sides later disputed
An employment tribunal has ruled that drivers with Hermes are workers, not self-employed contractors and so are entitled to employment rights. The ruling follows a similar decision by the Supreme Court, which held that a plumber with Pimlico Plumbers should also be classified as a worker rather than self-employed. The Hermes case involved 65 drivers.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called on the UK’s leading companies to address the issue of late payments. FSB Chairman Mike Cherry sent a letter to the leaders of the FTSE 100 companies urging them to lead the way in eliminating late payments that can cause huge cash flow problems for smaller firms.
When agreeing break clauses on commercial properties it’s important to ensure the terms are clear and unambiguous. Otherwise costly disputes can arise, as happened in a recent case involving Goldman Sachs and Procession House Trustee Ltd. Goldman had taken out a lease for a term of 25 years from 1999, at a rent of over
The government has published new guidance for landlords to protect tenants from being exposed to poor living conditions. From 1 October this year, landlords who let a property to five or more people – from two or more separate households – must be licensed by their local housing authority. The move will affect around 160,000