News and Knowledge

McDonald’s faces one or two sexual harassment claims every week, admits boss

A McDonald’s boss has admitted that the fast-food giant receives ‘between one and two’ sexual harassment claims a week following, a BBC investigation.   McDonald’s UK chief executive, Alistair Macrow told MPs the restaurant chain had sacked 18 people since July, after receiving more than 400 complaints from staff. A BBC investigation discovered that workers…

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…

Disabled director at leading firm unfairly dismissed, tribunal rules

An employment tribunal has ruled that the disabled director of a leading firm was unfairly dismissed from work over absences and his failure to report them.   The tribunal also partially upheld claims of disability discrimination and the failure to make reasonable adjustments. According to employment judge, Emily Gordon Walker, Mr Orogbu started work as…

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…

Interim Relief Applications in the Employment Tribunal: Safeguarding Employee Rights in England

Recently we have received a number for enquiries from clients that have made interim relief applications on their own behalf.   Interim relief is a relatively subtle topic in Employment Law and in my 15 years as an Employment Solicitor I’ve been involved in approximately 10 applications (6 for Claimants and 4 opposing acting for…

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…

Vodafone set to cut 11,000 staff as part of new CEO’s turnaround plan

This week, telecommunications giant Vodafone has announced a significant reduction in its workforce, resulting in the global layoff of 11,000 employees over the next three years.   This will be the largest round of cuts in the troubled telecom group’s history. These job cuts mark the first big move by Margherita Della Valle, who was…

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…

Former corporal speaks out about RAF sexual assault

An ex-RAF corporal says she was ‘hung out to dry’ after being assaulted in her sleep.   Sam, who hasn’t revealed her real name, claims to have suffered “vile misogyny, homophobia and sexual abuse” during her decade in the air force. She left the force after being sexually assaulted by a male colleague, who was…