UK work restrictions continue for Bulgarians and Romanians – UK Border Agency

Posted December 19th, 2008 in employment, immigration, press releases by sally

“Bulgarians and Romanians will not get free access to the British labour market, the Government announced today.”

Full press release

UK Border Agency, 18th December 2008

Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Ruling frees asylum seekers to work – The Observer

Posted December 15th, 2008 in asylum, employment, human rights, news by sally

“A landmark legal ruling has paved the way for thousands of asylum seekers in the UK to be allowed to work. The High Court has ruled that current laws preventing an Eritrean asylum seeker from taking a job are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Full story

The Observer, 14th December 2008

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/

Criminal checks ‘forced’ on staff – BBC News

Posted November 17th, 2008 in criminal records, employment, news by sally

“Some public bodies and firms working on government contracts force staff to submit to criminal records checks, a BBC investigation has found.”

Full story

BBC News, 16th November 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Employment Act 2008

Posted November 14th, 2008 in employment, employment tribunals, legislation, trade unions by sally

Employment Act 2008 published

Full text of Act (PDF)

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

Simplified Code for workplace disputes needs only Parliament’s approval – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 12th, 2008 in codes of practice, disciplinary procedures, employment, news by sally

“A Code of Practice for resolving workplace disputes has been approved by the Department for Business and awaits final Parliamentary approval. The revised Acas Discipline and Grievance Code of Practice is shorter and simpler than its predecessor.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Virgin Atlantic sacks 13 over Facebook comments – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 5th, 2008 in employment, internet, news by sally

“Virgin Atlantic has dismissed 13 staff because of comments they made on social networking site Facebook. The staff, all cabin crew, broke the company’s policies, the airline said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

One in ten tribunal awards ‘ignored by rogue employers’ – The Times

Posted October 14th, 2008 in employment, news, tribunals by sally

“About 1,500 people who win tribunal claims each year over their treatment in the workplace do not receive their awards because of a flaw in the system, a report concludes.”

Full story

The Times, 14th October 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Codes of practice for the sponsored skilled workers tier – UK Border Agency

Posted September 19th, 2008 in codes of practice, employment, immigration, press releases by sally

“We have published the codes of practice for Tier 2 (sponsored skilled workers). If you want to sponsor a skilled migrant, you must use the codes of practice to check the skill level and appropriate rate for the job, and for advice on where to advertise the job.”

Full press release

UK Border Agency, 17th September 2008

Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Employers of non-European workers face radical change to rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 12th, 2008 in employment, immigration, news by sally

“Employers have less than a month to change completely the way they deal with workers from outside Europe in what one expert has called the biggest shake-up in 40 years in the way that migrant workers are employed.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th September 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Employers fear extension of Equalities Bill – The Times

Posted August 11th, 2008 in employment, equality, news, remuneration by sally

“Business groups are stepping up pressure on the Government amid growing fears that the forthcoming Equalities Bill will set new requirements for pay audits in the private sector and increase other regulations.”

Full story

The Times, 11th August 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Podcast 77: Usefully Employed on Employment Law – Charon QC

Posted August 11th, 2008 in barristers, employment, podcasts by sally

“Today I am talking to a solicitor turned barrister who writes the very useful employment law blog Usefully Employed. His ‘About’ section explains all – but I shall ask him why he changed from a reasonably stable part of the profession to the more precarious side – at least in terms of weekly cashflow.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 10th August 2008

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

MPs ‘should not employ children’ – BBC News

Posted August 6th, 2008 in children, employment, news, parliament by sally

“MPs should not be able to employ their children using taxpayers’ money, the government has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th August 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Restaurant tipping law to change – BBC News

Posted July 31st, 2008 in employment, news, remuneration by sally

“Employers are to be banned from using tips and service charges to ‘top up’ staff pay to meet the minimum wage, under government plans.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th July 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Victory for fair tips campaign as ministers act – The Independent

Posted July 28th, 2008 in employment, news, remuneration by sally

“The Government is to outlaw the practice under which restaurants pay staff less than the national minimum wage and make up the rest in tips, following The Independent’s ‘fair tips, fair pay’ campaign.”

Full story

The Independent, 28th July 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Restaurants chains accused of taking tips from waiting staff – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 15th, 2008 in employment, news, remuneration by sally

“A campaign to stop restaurants from keeping a portion of the £4 billion tips left for low-paid waiting staff each year is gaining momentum. MPs are now calling for a loophole in the law to be closed, to stop major restaurant chains from using the service tips left by customers to top up earnings so they reach the minimum wage, or meet costs.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th July 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Centrum voor gelijkheid van kansen en voor racismbestrijding v Firma Feryn NV (Case C-54/07) – WLR Daily

Posted July 14th, 2008 in EC law, employment, law reports, race discrimination by sally

Centrum voor gelijkheid van kansen en voor racismbestrijding v Firma Feryn NV (Case C-54/07); [2008] WLR (D) 234

Public statements that persons of particular racial origins were not acceptable as candidates for an employment post prima facie constituted direct discrimination for the purposes of Directive 2000/43 on equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, even if no particular complainant could be identified, but it was open to the employer to establish that no infringement of the principle of equal treatment was involved.”

WLR Daily, 11th July 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Revealed: legal staff the UK’s happiest workers – The Lawyer

Posted May 30th, 2008 in employment, news by sally

“Legal employees are the happiest workers in the UK, according to a new survey of office professionals.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 30th May 2008

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Minister signals end of business regulation era – The Guardian

Posted May 29th, 2008 in employment, news by sally

“Britain has reached the end of the era of major legislation regulating business, the business secretary, John Hutton, will say today in a speech challenging the idea that workplace exploitation is tackled by new laws.”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th May 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bone v Newham London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted May 2nd, 2008 in employment, law reports, sex discrimination, tribunals, victimisation by sally

Bone v Newham London Borough Council [2008] EWCA Civ 435; [2008] WLR (D) 134

Where an employment tribunal had held that a complaint of direct sex discrimination and victimisation or constructive dismissal had not been proved, it was not open to the tribunal subsequently to amend its decision to find that her dismissal had been an act of direct sex discrimination and victimisation. Where the Employment Appeal Tribunal concluded that the tribunal had erred in law in so amending its decision, it was inappropriate for the EAT simply to allow the appeal and leave the original and unamended decision to stand.”

WLR Daily, 1st May 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Waiters’ tips laws under scrutiny – BBC News

Posted April 23rd, 2008 in employment, news, remuneration by sally

“The government is to look into laws around tips in restaurants, saying it was ‘not clear’ if owners who kept a share were breaking the law.”

Full story

BBC News, 22nd April 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk