Articles in ‘Employment & Immigration’ Category

Draft Regulations have been published requiring care home staff to be vaccinated. The Regulations will need to be approved by Parliament before becoming law, which is expected to happen in July, followed by a 16 week grace period for staff to be vaccinated after the law comes into effect.

It is a fact that we are now living in an age of increased connectivity as a result of technological advances. Between the multiple Covid-19 lockdowns and the inability to travel abroad for holidays, many employers are concerned about the knock-on effect on the mental and physical health of their employees and consequently the negative impact on business performance and productivity.

The fact that women generally bear a greater burden of childcare responsibilities than men which can limit their ability to work certain hours (“childcare disparity”) is something that employers must take into account when making decisions.

Last week, the FT reported that the government would shortly be announcing updated guidance for businesses with regards Covid-19 restrictions in the workplace.

Our Employment & HR team brings its monthly review of new legislation, guidance and case law.

Employers will from today, Monday 19 July, no longer have to comply with Covid restrictions set by the Government. However, the removal of restrictions does not mean an easy situation for employers.

Another casualty of the pandemic is the employment tribunal system, according to the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA).

Protection from sexual harassment has been included in the UK’s equalities law for several decades, yet unfortunately harassment in the workplace remains a significant issue. We welcome the government’s recent announcement, via its recently published consultation, that it is looking to widen and increase the protection afforded to people in the workplace against sexual harassment.

Prior to March 2020 the term ‘furlough’ was little understood. Over the last 18 months it has become a well known device used to save thousands of employees from losing their jobs.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is facing an £87.9 million tax bill for incorrect determination of the IR35 status of its contractors. This is despite the fact that the DWP used the HMRC’s Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) system to check the status..

The bill concerns missing tax and national insurance contributions owed to HMRC from between 2017 and 2021.

According to a recent survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), there has been a 7% rise in incidents of violence and abuse against shop workers compared to the previous year.

Our Employment & HR team brings its monthly review of new legislation, guidance and case law.