News and Knowledge

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…

Vento Guidelines – Annual Update 2023

Employment law in the UK is constantly evolving, and it is important for both employees and employers to stay up to date with any changes or updates to the regulations.   One area that has seen recent changes is the Vento guidelines, which relate to the amount of compensation that can be awarded in discrimination…

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…

Christmas party harassment – £19K compensation awarded

A female worker from company, Starplan, has been awarded £19,000 after being sexually harassed at a work Christmas party.   Shirley Lyons alleged that a colleague had touched her bottom, hugged her from behind without consent and commented on her breasts. The resulting Employment Tribunal deemed that it amounted to unlawful sexual harassment. Ms. Lyons…

Holiday calculations of term time only workers

We have recently had a number of enquiries regarding holiday calculations for employees and specifically those concerning term time only workers. Further clarification on this was provided by the Supreme Court in 2022.   On 20th July 2022, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case of Harpur Trust v Brazel, which addressed…

The insanity of out-of-date employment contracts

Like Russian Roulette, not having up-to-date contracts in place is potentially a lethal game of chance, but instead of it being your life on the line, it is your business which is at stake.   With all the doom-laden talk is of ‘a cost-of-living crisis’, record inflation rates and a rapidly shrinking economy; the prevailing…

Unfair dismissal of train driver

A train driver who engaged in racially charged posts on Twitter ruled to be unfairly dismissed   *This article contains references to derogatory slurs and offensive language*   Mr Paul Weller started his role with First MTR South Western Trains Limited (‘the Respondent’) in June 2008, initially as a train guard before qualifying as a…