Employment status: Revenue v Customs Commissioners v Professional Game Match Officials Ltd [2020] 5 WLUK 118 – 3PB

‘Professional Game Match Officials Limited (“PGMOL”) is a company whose 3 members are The Football Association Ltd (“the FA”), The Football Association Premier League Ltd (“the Premier League”) and the Football League Ltd (“the Football League”), now referred to as the English Football League (“the EFL”).’

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3PB, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Post-termination Restrictive Covenants & Constructive Dismissal – Square Global Limited v Leonard [2020] EWHC 1008 (QB) – 3PB

‘Mr Leonard was recruited as a Broker by Square Global Limited (“Square”) in February 2015. He resigned summarily on 11 November 2019. For around seven months prior to his resignation, Mr Leonard had been in discussions with a rival financial services business, Market Securities, about leaving Square and joining them instead.’

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3PB, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Changing contractual terms (or not!) in a TUPE Transfer – Ferguson and ors v Astrea Asset Management Ltd [2020] UKEAT0139/19 – 3PB

‘This was EAT decision involving 4 individuals – Mr F, Mr K, Mr L and Mr P. They were all directors of Lancer; Mr F and Mr K were employees of that company, and Mr L and Mr P were employed by companies which contracted their services to Lancer.’

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3PB, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Changes to terms and conditions; Individual and Collective Redundancy Consultation – 3PB

‘With employees starting to return to work (be that on a part-time basis or otherwise) and employers continuing to assess the viability of their businesses as going concerns, how might employers make changes to an employees’ contractual terms lawfully in order to avoid redundancies, for instance agreeing a reduction in wages?’

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3PB, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Guidance on making staff take holiday during the Coronavirus outbreak – Cloisters

Posted June 2nd, 2020 in contract of employment, coronavirus, EC law, holidays, news, working time by sally

‘In this article, Declan O’Dempsey considers the implications of the Guidance issued by the government on 13 May 2020 on holiday entitlement and pay during coronavirus (Covid-19) and urges employers to use considerable caution in seeking to follow the Guidance ordering workers to take annual leave on dates specified by the employer. Employers who choose to order staff to take holidays on specific dates within the Coronavirus outbreak shut down may face contractual or tribunal claims later. Further, the legal uncertainty may mean that they will face claims for penalising those who assert a right to take annual leave at a non-Covid 19 affected time or who refuse to take the leave as annual leave.’

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Cloisters, 19th May 2020

Source: www.cloisters.com

The Implied Term of Trust and Confidence and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: a Reply – Old Square Chambers

‘On 14 April 2020, our colleague Stuart Brittenden published an article arguing that the implied term of mutual trust and confidence (“the implied term”) requires employers to make use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”) for agency workers, zero-hour contract workers, and employees, generally.’

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Old Square Chambers, 19th May 2020

Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk

Covid 19 Employment Law Series: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Direction: Where are we now? – Parklane Plowden Chambers

Posted May 29th, 2020 in contract of employment, coronavirus, news, remuneration by sally

‘With its publication on Friday 22 May 2020, immediately before the bank holiday weekend, you can be forgiven for having missed HMRC’s revised Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”) Direction, dated 20 May 2020 (“the Direction”). All claims for payment under the CJRS, made after 22 May 2020, must comply with the Direction. The Direction modifies the previous version dated 15 April 2020 and clarifies many, but not all, of the questions that arose therein.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 27th May 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

The Court of Appeal provides confirmation on the implications of the use of the Government’s coronavirus job retention scheme by companies in administration: Re Debenhams Retail Limited [2020] EWCA Civ 600 – Radcliffe Chambers

‘In a judgment handed down on 6th May 2020 in Re Debenhams Retail Ltd (in administration) [2020] EWCA Civ 600, the Court of Appeal provided confirmation on the implications for office holders and insolvent estates of using the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in administrations, following the previous first instance decisions on the issue in Re Carluccio’s Ltd [2020] EWHC 886 (Ch) and Re Debenhams Retail Ltd [2020] EWHC 921 (Ch). Matthew Weaver considers the judgment and its implications in this briefing.’

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Radcliffe Chambers, 13th May 2020

Source: radcliffechambers.com

Injunction to prevent a breach of mutual trust and confidence: Smo v Hywel Dda University Health Board [2020] EWHC 727 (QB) – 3PB

‘The Court found in favour of the Claimant, a Consultant Surgeon, to restrain the Defendant from continuing a working relationships investigation into his alleged conduct, competence or behaviour, whilst carrying out disciplinary proceedings in parallel. The Defendant’s breached a duty of mutual trust it owed to the Claimant when they decided to embark on a working relationships investigation which was not decided through the exercise of a discretionary power expressly or impliedly conferred on it by the Claimant’s contract of employment.’

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3PB, 1st May 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

COVID-19: Frustration & Contracts of employment – 3PB

‘Frustration is a common law doctrine where a contract is treated as discharged by operation of law when an event has occurred which renders continued performance impossible, illegal or radically different to that contemplated by the parties when they entered into the contract. The doctrine was first established in Taylor v Caldwell (1863) 3 B&S 826, where a music hall had been destroyed by fire, but has developed thereafter.’

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3PB, May 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Pregnant healthcare worker sues NHS agency over employment rights – The Guardian

Posted May 14th, 2020 in contract of employment, coronavirus, health & safety, news, pregnancy by sally

‘A pregnant healthcare assistant is mounting a legal action against NHS Professionals, an employment agency owned by the Department of Health and Social Care, for refusing to put her on furlough, in what could be a landmark action for other vulnerable workers bearing the brunt of the lockdown.’

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The Guardian, 13th May 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Law Commission unveils employment tribunal reform package – Litigation Futures

‘Doubling the time limit for launching claims to six months and allowing workers to bring breach of contract claims while still employed are among Law Commission recommendations for employment tribunal (ET) reform.’

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Litigation Futures, 30th April 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Call for employment tribunals to have more power to protect workers – The Guardian

‘Employment tribunals should be given powers to make awards of up to £100,000 for breach of contract and to deal with disputes where staff are still in work, the Law Commission has recommended.’

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The Guardian, 29th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Covid 19 Employment Law Series: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Parklane Plowden

‘The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”) on 20th March 2020 with the aim to protect jobs during the crisis. A recent estimate is that this could cost £30-£40 billion over three months[1] and the take-up by businesses is much higher than expected such that 50% of companies are putting most of their staff into the scheme. We are all becoming familiar with the term ‘furlough’ (i.e. to allow or force someone to be absent temporarily from work) and up to nine million workers are now expected to be furloughed. The Scheme was necessarily hastily written in response to an unforeseen crisis and, despite government guidance issued on 27th March 2020 which was updated on 4th April 2020 and then again on 9th April 2020[4], employment lawyers are finding themselves advising on the gaps in the regime. The online service through which employers can make a claim is expected to be up and running by the end of April 2020 however in the interim employers, with the help of their advisors, are having to interpret the guidance to inform significant business decisions.’

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Parklane Plowden, 14th April 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Pandemic Law by Twitter: How the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has already changed – Old Square Chambers

‘The Updated Guidance alters the scope of the CJRS in significant ways, most importantly by extending it to individuals who are not employees but are taxed through PAYE, and answers a number of questions about the way the CJRS is intended to work which were left unanswered by the Original Guidance.’

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Old Square Chambers, 6th April 2020

Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk

Covid 19 Employment Law Series: Frustration: (Largely) unprecedented measures for unprecedented times? – Parklane Plowden

‘A contract may come to an end by operation of the doctrine of frustration when an unforeseen event makes performance impossible or radically different to what the parties originally intended. The doctrine applies to employment contracts as it does to other types of contract. However, it is an issue rarely encountered by employment lawyers. Tribunals are generally reluctant to find that an employment contract has been frustrated, largely because the doctrine allows employers to sidestep statutory protections afforded to employees. However, unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures, and frustration may become a useful tool in certain employers’ fight against the disruption caused by the Covid 19 pandemic.’

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Parklane Plowden, 1st April 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Coronavirus job retention scheme: what employers should do – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 20th, 2020 in contract of employment, coronavirus, employment, holiday pay, news, remuneration by tracey

‘The UK Treasury has now published the formal rules of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in the form of a Treasury direction, as well as announcing that the scheme will run until at least 30 June 2020.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th April 2020

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

The essential contents of a furlough letter/email/agreement – 3PB

‘If you are reading this article with alacrity, chances are you are in charge of a business contemplating adoption of the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the Scheme) in preference to laying-off or making redundant some or all of your workforce; that, or you will be looking to advise such people on what to include within a furlough letter.’

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3PB, 7th April 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Pump Court Chambers

‘The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the Scheme”) was announced by the government on 20th March 2020.’

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Pump Court Chambers, 4th April 2020

Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com

The implied term of trust and confidence & the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Old Square Chambers

‘The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the Scheme”) is a grant that, for those eligible, covers 80% of the usual monthly wage costs up to a ceiling of £2,500 per month plus associated employer NICs and employer pension contributions paid on the furlough pay up to the level of the minimum automatic enrolment employer contribution. Employees can be on any type of employment contract, including full-time, part-time, agency, flexible or zero-hour contracts. Foreign nationals are also eligible to be furloughed.’

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Old Square Chambers, 14th April 2020

Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk