Government names new chief to lead crackdown on worker exploitation – The Guardian

Posted January 5th, 2017 in employment, gangmasters, immigration, minimum wage, news by tracey

‘The government has moved to crack down on unscrupulous employers by appointing a new boss to lead the collection of government bodies tasked with stamping out exploitation in the workplace. Prof Sir David Metcalf, a founding member of the Low Pay Commission and former chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, was named on Thursday as the first director of Labour Market Enforcement.’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gangmasters agree to pay more than £1m to settle modern slavery claim – The Guardian

‘A Kent-based gangmaster couple have agreed to a landmark settlement worth more than £1m in compensation and legal costs for a group of migrants who were trafficked to work on farms producing eggs for high street brands.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th December 2016

Source; www.guardian.co.uk

Employment law brief – New Law Journal

‘Ian Smith examines the recent cases that have been driving employment law.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 18th November 2016

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Is new employment law really necessary to protect the gig workers? – The Independent

Posted November 22nd, 2016 in employment, employment tribunals, news, self-employment by sally

‘Significant number of the self-employed are neither enjoying the advantages of self-employment nor benefiting from the rights associated with employment.’

Full story

The Independent, 21st November 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

SFO asks for private hearing in unfair dismissal claim by ex-Barclays banker – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2016 in banking, employment, fraud, news, private hearings, unfair dismissal by sally

‘The Serious Fraud Office will on Monday ask a London employment tribunal to hear an unfair dismissal claim by a former senior banker at Barclays in private.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Vexatious’ barrister loses High Court appeal against disbarment – Legal Futures

‘A barrister who was disbarred after the Employment Appeal Tribunal made a ‘restriction of proceedings’ order (RPO) to prevent him bringing further vexatious claims, has had his appeal to the High Court rejected.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 18th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Employment Appeal Tribunal confirms that judges don’t work for a living… – Cloisters

‘… they do, however, faithfully and diligently discharge their office and can be, of course, in an employment relationship.’

Full story

Cloisters, 31st October 2016

Source: www.cloisters.com

See you in court: judges prepare to sue lord chancellor – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Ministry of Justice has refused to comment ahead of a potentially embarrassing case in which serving judges will sue the lord chancellor over their pension arrangements.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 10th November 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Whistleblowing Detriment and the Liability of Co-Workers: Valuable or Valueless? By Daniel Northall – Littleton Chambers

Posted November 9th, 2016 in appeals, compensation, employment, news, whistleblowers by sally

‘The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 introduced a substantial amendment to s.47B Employment Rights Act 1996. The newly inserted subsections (1A) – (1E) allowed a worker to bring an action for whistleblowing detriment against a co-worker or agent of the employer directly.’

Full story

Littleton Chambers, 7th November 2016

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Some Lessons from Uber – No. 5 Chambers

Posted November 9th, 2016 in appeals, employment, news, self-employment, taxis, tribunals by sally

‘Anthony Korn highlights some lessons from the much publicised and controversial tribunal ruling in Aslam and Farrar v Uber BV, Uber London Ltd and Uber Britannia Ltd (case Nos 2202551/2015).’

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No. 5 Chambers, 31st October 2016

Source: www.no5.com

Preservation of Evidence and Misconduct During Employment: Is the Law Right? – Littleton Chambers

Posted November 9th, 2016 in confidentiality, disclosure, documents, employment, news, wrongful dismissal by sally

‘An employee believes that the working relationship with her employer is breaking down. She anticipates future disputes about a bonus, and any imminent future termination. Wanting to ensure that she has key documents available in case she needs to seek advice or prove a future claim, she emails some of them – including confidential documents – to a hotmail account. Has she done anything wrong?’

Full story

Littleton Chambers, 4th October 2016

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Workers’ rights in the gig economy – Technology Law Update

Posted November 7th, 2016 in employment, news, taxis by sally

‘Last week a UK employment tribunal case came down on the side of a group of Uber drivers. It said that they qualified as “workers” and should receive certain protections and benefits.’

Full story

Technology Law Update, 1st November 2016

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Employed barristers call for greater recognition of their abilities – Legal Futures

Posted November 7th, 2016 in barristers, employment, news, remuneration, reports by sally

‘The majority at the employed Bar “do not feel supported or that their work is recognised”, both by the self-employed Bar and the Bar Council, research released yesterday by the latter has found.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 4th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Employed barristers point to financial security & work/life balance as reasons for going in-house – The Bar Council

Posted November 3rd, 2016 in barristers, employment, press releases, reports by tracey

‘New research from the Bar Council, the representative body for all barristers in England & Wales, on employed barristers’ experiences shows that financial security, a good work/life balance, pension and an interesting and diverse range of work are key factors in choosing to work in-house.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 3rd November 2016

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Uber drivers: legal documentation has little impact on relationship between worker and engager, expert says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 1st, 2016 in employment, employment tribunals, flexible working, news, self-employment, taxis by sally

‘Much has been made of the new flexibilities the so-called ‘gig economy’ offers to businesses and workers. However, whether these flexibilities truly exist will depend on the actual relationship between the parties, as last week’s decision against Uber shows.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 31st October 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Transferring the blame? – New Law Journal

Posted October 31st, 2016 in employment, news, transfer of undertakings by sally

‘John McMullen examines the conditions of TUPE.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 28th October 2016

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Uber awaits tribunal ruling over drivers’ status as workers – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2016 in employment, employment tribunals, news, taxis by sally

‘An employment tribunal in London will decide whether Uber drivers should be treated as workers with basic employment rights, in a case that could affect tens of thousands of other people working across the gig economy.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Maternity leave sackings cost £280m a year, says equality watchdog – The Guardian

Posted October 28th, 2016 in employment, equality, maternity leave, news, pregnancy, redundancy, sex discrimination by sally

‘British businesses are losing hundreds of millions of pounds every year as a result of women being forced out of jobs after having a baby, a damning report from the equalities watchdog has revealed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prisoner resettlement scheme raises concerns – BBC News

Posted October 4th, 2016 in employment, housing, news, prisons, probation, recidivists by sally

‘A flagship government policy to support and supervise inmates leaving jail has been severely criticised by inspectors.’

Full story

BBC News, 4th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Are you a killer?’ The quiet discrimination shutting military veterans out of the workplace – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 3rd, 2016 in armed forces, employment, news, recruitment, statistics by sally

‘Stereotypes about Armed Forces veterans as potentially “mad, bad and sad” are driving an unspoken discrimination against former servicemen and women in the civilian jobs market, according to the Royal British Legion.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 2nd October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk