In January 2017, in response to a report from the Women and Equalities Committee,the Government committed to “strengthen existing protections and…to review the position in relation to redundancy” for pregnant employees. Faced with increasing requests for help to their advice line, the charity Maternity Action have produced a report which calls on the Government to urgently act on its commitment. What are the implications of this report for employers?
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Articles by ‘Kate Benefer’
The recent leak of the Home Office paper titled “Border, Immigration and Citizenship System after the UK Leaves the EU” highlights the Government’s plans to overhaul the UK immigration system post Brexit. It is clear that change is ahead with a strong focus towards ending the unconditional free movement of people. While the exact plans remain unclear, if you currently employ EU nationals, it is worth considering what steps you can take now to ensure your staff’s working rights in the UK.
In July, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that Employment Tribunal fees prevented access to justice and were unlawful. Here I examine one of the first cases to have been affected by this decision.
Kate Benefer, a senior associate in our Employment & HR team in Oxford discusses some of the issues involved in undertaking a strategic HR review and how it fits into wider business planning.
With effect from 6 April 2017, a skills charge is payable by organisations which sponsor skilled workers under Tier 2 of the points-based system. For large employers, the charge is £1,000 per sponsored migrant, per year, payable at the time the certificate is assigned to the migrant.
The Government’s new apprenticeship levy which comes into force in April, will encourage more Oxfordshire businesses to take on apprentices, according to a recent survey.
This afternoon an employment tribunal gave its judgment on the high profile case against Uber, which has been awaited with bated breath by many companies who use freelance hires in the ‘gig economy’.
Uber has hit the headlines once again with a number of drivers calling into question their rights as an employee. An employment tribunal next week will determine whether these drivers are actually employees rather than self-employed. The decision could have a huge impact on flexible business models.