Blog

Revised Vento bands confirmed following consultation

Last month, we reported that the Presidents of the Employment Tribunals had issued a joint consultation statement seeking views on RPI-linked increases to the bands of awards for injury to feelings in discrimination cases, which had not risen since 2009. The Presidents have since released a Joint Response confirming the following revised bands: Lower band: £800 to £8,400: suitable for one-off and isolated incidents where the nature of the prohibited conduct is less serious Middle band: £8,400 to £25,200:

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14th September 2017

Pregnancy-related issues for the Duchess of Cambridge – An employer’s guide

As the Duchess of Cambridge cancels her official duties due to severe morning sickness, we look at what the Palace would need to know if it were deemed to be her employer Risk Assessment As soon as it was notified it would be required to undertake a risk assessment to identify any particular risks to her or to her unborn 5th in line to the throne – perhaps stress on joints caused by constant public walkabouts, swollen ankles exacerbated by

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6th September 2017

When HR and charitable fundraising collide!

Our Director and Head of HR, Chris Nagel, has signed up to the challenge of completing the 12 mile Tough Mudder obstacle course at Cholmondeley Castle on Sunday, 10 September 2017. Although the wisdom of this is questionable, given the fact that he’s no spring chicken anymore, it’s all for a good cause in raising funds for Cancer Research following the untimely death of both parents of a close friend earlier this year. It would be much appreciated if

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25th August 2017

It’s official – voluntary overtime should be included in holiday pay

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has confirmed that voluntary overtime payments should be taken into account when calculating holiday pay if they are regular enough to constitute “normal pay”. In the first binding decision on this point, the EAT upheld the Employment Tribunal’s judgment in the case of Brettle and Others v Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, which marked a further development in the evolution of case law surrounding the correct basis for calculating a worker’s entitlement to holiday pay.

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2nd August 2017

Tribunal consults on Vento bands

The Presidents of the Employment Tribunals have issued a joint consultation statement seeking views on RPI-linked increases to the bands of awards for injury to feelings in discrimination cases, which have not risen since 2009. To explain, the lower band is intended to capture less serious cases of discrimination, such as a one-off act of relatively minor harassment or discrimination. The middle band is for cases which are serious, but cannot reasonably be said to fall into the upper

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2nd August 2017

Employment Tribunal Fees to be Abolished

The Supreme Court has today published its landmark decision in the long-running legal battle between the Government and UNISON regarding the legality of Employment Tribunal fees. The Court has ruled that the current system effectively prevents access to justice, and is unlawful. The Ministry of Justice has said that it will take immediate steps to stop charging. Fees for bringing a claim in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal were introduced in 2013, with claimants having to pay up to £1200

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26th July 2017

Accommodating Ramadan in the workplace

We are currently in the midst of Ramadan which, for many Muslims, is a period of religious observance. Failing to account for this in the workplace can give rise to employee relations issues and risk exposure to tribunal claims. Here, we look at ways in which employers can support their Muslim employees during this period. Ramadan is the annual four week period during which Muslims fast from dawn until dusk, pray and give to charity. Its observance is a part

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15th June 2017

Full pay awarded during paternity leave

Since the introduction of Shared Parental Leave arrangements, many organisations providing enhanced maternity pay have considered whether similar increased benefits should be provided where fathers/partners access paternity and shared parental leave. In the case of Ali vs Capita Customer Management, Ali succeeded in his claim for full pay during shared parental leave on the basis that the Company provided (under protected terms from his previous employer) 14 weeks full pay as an enhanced maternity package. Ali took 2 weeks paternity

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5th June 2017

An Introduction to Health Surveillance

What is Health Surveillance? Health surveillance is a system of ongoing health checks on those working within an organisation which allows for early detection of ill-health and helps identify any corrective action needed. Health surveillance may be required by law if your workers are exposed to: noise vibration solvents fumes dusts biological agents other substances hazardous to health work with compressed air All the above areas of surveillance are required by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations

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19th May 2017

Is Theresa May’s pledge to protect workers’ rights all it seems?

Certain employment-related elements of the Conservative Party’s manifesto were announced earlier this week. However, the Tory pledge to protect all workers’ rights currently guaranteed by EU law might not be as bold as it appears. Chris Nagel, EML’s Director / Head of HR, comments: “As UK legislation has already enacted a large proportion of EU employment law, it will remain effective until amended. Such changes would require Parliamentary approval which, of course, would take time. Given the rigmarole involved, it

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18th May 2017

Does your employment documentation discriminate on the grounds of age?

When was the last time you reviewed you employment documentation to ensure you aren’t discriminating against age? Age discrimination occurs when you unfairly disadvantage someone on the grounds of age for reasons that you can’t objectively justify. Examples include: Stipulating age restrictions on job advertisements Forcing employees to retire at a certain age Only recruiting employees from specific age groups Using ageist language such as referring to someone as a “youngster” or “old timer” Asking for a date of birth

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17th May 2017

Fines for H&S offences on the rise following introduction of new sentencing guidelines

The increase follows a change in legislation made effective February 2016 by the Sentencing Council, under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. The new guidelines were imposed for health and safety, food hygiene and corporate manslaughter offences. The court must now consider culpability, seriousness and likelihood of harm as well as the size of a business / its turnover when imposing fines. Health and Safety offences are concerned with failures to manage risks to health and safety and do not

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16th May 2017

Gender pay gap data now accessible online

Further to the implementation of the Gender Pay Gap Regulations, the information published by organisations is now publically accessible via the gender pay gap viewing service. This can be accessed here. By way of a reminder, the Regulations required large private and voluntary sector employers (i.e. those with 250 employees or more) in England, Wales and Scotland to take a snapshot of pay and bonuses as at 5 April 2017 (although it was 31 March 2017 for public sector organisations).

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8th May 2017

Mediation – An efficient and effective means of managing conflict in the workplace

How do you deal with conflict in your workplace? What do you do when employees fall out and can no longer work together? Workplace conflict, if not dealt with effectively, can quickly escalate to more serious problems, such as stress-related absenteeism, grievances and even tribunal claims. Endeavouring to resolve workplace conflict via formal procedures can be time consuming, costly and will often fail to resolve matters to the satisfaction of all parties. So what alternative do you have as

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30th March 2017