News and Knowledge

British Steel plans to close blast furnaces, putting 2,000 jobs at risk

British Steel has confirmed plans to shut its blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, putting up to 2,000 jobs at risk.   According to plans, the furnaces will be replaced with two electric arc furnaces (EAF) in Scunthorpe and Teesside which can run on zero-carbon electricity. The company, which is owned by China’s Jingye Group said the…

Morrisons offers redundancy to hourly-paid staff

Morrisons has reportedly approached more stores to offer hourly-paid staff redundancy.   According to a local news outlet, staff at its Bradford-based Mayo Avenue store were asked to register their interest for voluntary redundancy if they wished to. Morrisons are said to have approached five stores across the country to offer a voluntary redundancy scheme…

Wilko expected to disappear from UK High Streets as Putman rescue deal collapses

Wilko expected to disappear from UK High Streets as Putman rescue deal collapses   Thousands of workers are left fearing for their jobs at Wilko as the rescue deal lead by Doug Putman, the owner of HMV, collapsed on Monday. It was revealed that Mr Putman has ended talks with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) over a slimmed-down…

Mental wellbeing in the workplace

A recent LawCare report found that 61% of those that participated had often experienced anxiety within the last year.   Likewise, the International Bar Association’s Mental Wellbeing in the Legal Profession: A Global Study found that 56% of professionals in the legal sector had experienced anxiety. It must also be pointed out that this 24/7…

Dominic Raab resigns following bullying report

On the 21st April 2023, Dominic Raab announced his resignation from the position of Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary.   He resigned from all three positions. He has recently faced allegations of bullying and mistreatment of his staff during his time in government. The accusations have raised concerns about the prevalence of…

Workplace mental health adjustments – New ACAS guidance

Mental health is an essential aspect of overall wellbeing, and it affects every aspect of our lives, including our ability to work.   As awareness and understanding of mental health issues continue to grow, it is crucial for employers to create a supportive and inclusive workplace that accommodates employees with mental health conditions. To assist…

April 2023 Case Law Updates

There has been a flurry of important case law decisions recently. Here our Employment team break down another two of these decisions.   Document marked ‘without prejudice’ was found to be a valid termination letter Despite being marked ‘without prejudice’, a letter was found to amount as an effective letter of termination for the purposes…

Employment Law changes expected in 2023

Further to our recent article on important employment law case law from 2023, there are proposed further changes in 2023 that are proposals and changes to legislation that are important to note for employees and employers.   Below is a summary of some of the additional changes that have been proposed and are likely to…

Case Law Updates – Q1 2023

As the end of the first quarter of 2023 is now in the past, there have been a few important case law updates of note.   These cases are discussed below, alongside their implications for employers and employees alike.   Redundancy pool Deciding on which employees to include in a redundancy pool is usually straightforward.…

Update: the annual increase in tribunal limits according to the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2023

The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2023 has brought in a new wave of increases to the Employment Tribunal limits.   This annual increase in tribunal limits is an important development for both employers and employees in England & Wales as it affects the maximum amounts of compensation that can be awarded by employment…