Research lays bare gender disparities in publicly funded advocacy – Legal Futures

Posted January 5th, 2021 in barristers, equality, legal aid, news, queen's counsel, remuneration, reports, women by sally

‘There are “significant gender disparities” in barristers’ access to work and pay across both criminal and civil publicly funded work, research by a circuit judge has found.’

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Legal Futures, 5th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Big firm reveals 23% pay gap between white and BAME staff – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 15th, 2020 in diversity, law firms, minorities, news, remuneration, reports by tracey

‘Listed firm DWF has published its ethnicity pay gap for the first time, admitting it is “not where it needs to be” in terms of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) representation at senior levels. According to the firm’s annual pay gap report, BAME employees and partners earn 23% less on average than their white colleagues. The combined ethnicity bonus gap is 22% in mean terms.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th December 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society: Race inclusion in profession not improving quickly enough – Legal Futures

‘Actions to improve race inclusion in the solicitors’ profession are not delivering change quickly enough, Law Society research has found, highlighting a significant ethnicity pay gap.’

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Legal Futures, 9th December 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Boris Johnson ‘acted illegally’ over jobs for top anti-Covid staff – The Guardian

‘Boris Johnson and his health secretary, Matt Hancock, acted “unlawfully” when appointing three key figures – including the head of NHS Test and Trace, Dido Harding – to posts in the fight against Covid-19, according to a legal challenge submitted by campaigners to the high court.’

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The Guardian, 21st November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Justifying Austerity – Not Solely a Question of Cost – Littleton Chambers

Posted November 19th, 2020 in age discrimination, budgets, news, probation, remuneration by sally

‘On 11 November 2020, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal in Heskett -v- Secretary of State for Justice [2020] EWCA Civ 1487, holding that the “pay freeze” imposed on probation officers as the result of the Government’s austerity measures, which might otherwise have been regarded as indirectly age discriminatory, was capable of being justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.’

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Littleton Chambers, 12th November 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

Legal aid lawyers under severe pressure because of Covid – Legal Futures

‘Four-fifths of legal aid lawyers have experienced stress as a result of the pandemic, with more than half of them blaming longer working hours, according to a survey.’

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Legal Futures, 18th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Is “Compensation” Back to the Fore in Financial Remedy Proceedings – Becket Chambers

‘The brief facts of the matter are that the parties cohabited and were married for a total of 11 years. They had two children, aged 8 and 10. When they met both the Husband (H) and the Wife (W) were working as solicitors with H an associate and W a trainee although W became an associate on qualifying in 2001. They started a relationship in 2002/3 and in that year, H became an equity partner. By 2019 he earned net of tax just short of £1m per annum. In 2006 W became a managing associate, and in 2007 cohabitation started. Later that year W left the firm to be an in-house lawyer at a bank (on the promise she could work part time if she had children). In 2010 she was made a director, although after her maternity leave she found she was not permitted to work part time in the legal department, and took a part time role in the business team. In 2016 she was made redundant, and she did not work after that.’

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Becket Chambers, 2nd November 2020

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

The Skilled Worker Route – What’s Changing? – Richmond Chambers

Posted November 17th, 2020 in employment, immigration, news, remuneration, visas by sally

‘The Skilled Worker Route will open to new applications on 1 December 2020, replacing the Tier 2 (General) route which will close on the same day.’

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Richmond Chambers, 9th November 2020

Source: immigrationbarrister.co.uk

“Shocking discrepancies” in Bar gender pay gap analysis – Legal Futures

Posted November 12th, 2020 in barristers, fees, news, remuneration, statistics, women by tracey

‘The gender pay gap at the Bar is “alive and well”, the chair of the Bar Council said yesterday, after new figures looking at individual practice areas revealed “shocking discrepancies”.’

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Legal Futures, 12th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Research lays bare Bar’s gender and ethnicity pay gap – Legal Futures

‘Female barristers and those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are likely to earn less than male and White counterparts by every measure, new research has found.’

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Legal Futures, 6th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New BSB research on income at the Bar by gender and ethnicity – Bar Standards Board

Posted November 5th, 2020 in barristers, gender, minorities, news, remuneration, reports, statistics by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published a new report analysing its data on barristers’ income by gender and ethnicity. It shows that female barristers are likely to earn less than male barristers and that those from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are likely to earn less than White barristers. This holds true when looking at the income of barristers practising within the same area of law, within the same parts of the country, and amongst those with similar seniority in terms of how long they have been practising.’

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Bar Standards Board, 5th November 2020

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

UK ‘unique in its light-touch approach’ to gender pay gap – The Guardian

Posted October 14th, 2020 in employment, equality, gender, government departments, news, remuneration, women by sally

‘The UK is “unique in its light-touch approach” in not requiring private employers to produce a plan to tackle gender pay gaps, a report has found.’

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The Guardian, 14th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government paying junior barristers less than national minimum wage – The Bar Council

‘Some barristers are being paid the equivalent of £6.25 per hour by the government, less than the National Minimum Wage, despite their central role in clearing the 500,000-plus backlog of cases in the criminal courts, says the Bar Council in its Spending Review submission to the Treasury.’

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The Bar Council, 1st October 2020

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Tribunal awards 10 UK homecare workers £10,000 each in back pay – The Guardian

‘Ruling says travel and waiting time between cases should be treated as working time.’

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The Guardian, 15th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

What does the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme mean for employers? – Doughty Street Chambers

Posted August 27th, 2020 in coronavirus, dismissal, employment, health & safety, news, redundancy, remuneration by sally

‘The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the Scheme) is winding down in advance of its complete closure on 31 October 2020. This short article will discuss some of the practical and legal challenges that employers face in bringing workers back to work and how these can be met.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 26th August 2020

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

Re Debenhams Retail: do the wages of furloughed employees enjoy super priority in an insolvency? – Hardwicke Chambers

‘The Appellants were the Joint Administrators of Debenhams Retail Ltd (“the Company”), which had entered into administration on 9 April 2020. This had followed decisions in late March to place some 14,000 of its employees on furlough under the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the Scheme”).’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 11th August 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

What price solidarity among legal aid lawyers? – Legal Futures

Posted August 13th, 2020 in barristers, fees, judicial review, legal aid, news, remuneration, solicitors, working time by sally

‘Solidarity – or not – between legal aid lawyers is under the spotlight this week, with solicitors from 200 law firms coming together to force a change to immigration fees, but criminal firms falling out over Saturday work.’

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Legal Futures, 13th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Worker Status Sent Spinning: Case summary of Varnish v British Cycling – 3PB

‘Ms Varnish (the Claimant) is a talented cyclist. She holds world records for track cycling and has won medals at the European Championships, World Cup and Commonwealth Games. She entered into an “Athlete Agreements” with British Cycling (the Respondent). This agreement expressly stated that it was not a contract of employment, that the Respondent would develop an Individual Rider Plan and provide the Claimant with support required, and that the Claimant would, among other things, train to the best of her abilities. The agreement provided for suspension and termination by the Respondent in certain circumstances.’

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3PB, 3rd August 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Furlough Fraud – The Coming Storm – 33 Bedford Row

Posted July 30th, 2020 in coronavirus, fraud, money laundering, news, remuneration, tax evasion by sally

‘On the 8th of July 2020 the first reported arrest took place in the West Midlands of a 57-year-old man suspected of “furlough fraud”. The arrest and search of his property has been reported widely in the national media. It was reported that following arrest the man had his computers, digital devices and documents seized in relation to an alleged £495,000 fraud. His bank accounts have been frozen.’

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33 Bedford Row, 27th July 2020

Source: www.33bedfordrow.co.uk

Redundancy pay to be protected for furloughed workers – BBC News

Posted July 30th, 2020 in coronavirus, news, redundancy, remuneration by sally

‘Furloughed workers losing their jobs will be eligible for redundancy pay based on their normal wages – not the furlough rate – from Friday.’

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BBC News, 30th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk