Sexual harassment can damage your business’s reputation, harm your employees’ well-being and lead to expensive litigation. How can you stop it? The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a helpful checklist and action plan. It was developed for the hospitality industry, but you can adapt it for your workplace. What does it say? Here…
Hybrid working
Data from the Office of National Statistics show that in May nearly a quarter of workers are hybrid working (24%), a rise of 11% from February 2022. 78% said that working from home either exclusively or in a hybrid way had improved their work-life balance. Over half said that they were less distracted (53%) and…
Stopping hotdesking for a short time is a reasonable adjustment
In Baker v House of Commons Commission, an employment tribunal held that the employer had breached its duty to make reasonable adjustments when it failed to prevent the use of a disabled employee’s modified workstation as a hot desk during her one-day absence. What happened? Ms Baker’s musculoskeletal symptoms made her disabled. Following an occupational…
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Five potential reasonable adjustments for hybrid workers
1 Allow more time at home Your policy may require full-time employees to spend, say, two days a week in the office. Be flexible. That may not work for everyone. Disabilities may make commuting difficult for some, they may need to be close to their home bathroom or they have specialist equipment at home. Consider…
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A one-off bonus to help with the cost of living
In April 2022, the law firm, Irwin Mitchell, decided to pay most of its staff a one-off bonus of £900 to assist them with the cost of living crisis. If you’re considering paying a bonus, this is what you should consider Reason What, when and why. Explain why you are paying the bonus. Is it…
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Data protection
The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued new guidance in light of the relaxation of government measures reminding organisations to review their approach to collecting any information to ensure that ‘it is still reasonable, fair and proportionate to the current circumstances, taking the latest government guidance into account’. You should securely dispose of any additional information…
Ten practical steps to reduce work-related Covid-19 claims
The Government’s Living with Covid Strategy has significantly deregulated Covid-19 measures in the workplace, but employees can still bring claims connected with its risks. How can you protect your business? 1 Stay away! Be clear that employees should not attend work for at least five days if they have tested positive for Covid-19. Government public…
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Should you ignore a grievance from a former employee?
No. Even if you do not follow your full formal grievance procedure, you should do something. In Base Childrenswear Ltd v Otshudi, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) upheld a decision to award a 25% compensation uplift to reflect the employer’s unreasonable failure to comply with the code when a grievance was submitted after dismissal. So,…
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Can you lawfully search your employees?
Yes, in certain circumstances. In Harding V Oldham College an employee who was sacked after her employer searched her bag and found illegal drugs inside has lost her claim for unfair dismissal. What happened? Zero tolerance Oldham College (O) operates a zero tolerance policy in respect of illegal drugs on its premises. Amy Harding (H)…
Working elsewhere during sickness absence
You have discovered that an employee who’s been off sick is working elsewhere for another employer. Does this give you automatic grounds for disciplinary action on the basis that their sickness absence is fraudulent? Check Approach with caution. Always check your sources. Consider whether the person reporting the moonlighting has a malicious motive or they…
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A guide on the Equality Act sex and gender reassignment provisions
On 4th April 2022, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published guidance for service providers operating a separate or single-sex service and their approach to trans people’s use of the service. This includes guidance on the Equality Act 2010 gender reassignment provisions, which allow such service providers to exclude, modify or limit access to trans…
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April 2022 employment law changes: ten tasks for HR
1 Publish your gender pay gap report Organisations have 12 months to publish their gender pay gap figures from the relevant snapshot date. The reporting deadline is 30th March 2022 for public-sector employers and 4th April 2022 for private-sector and voluntary-sector employers. Organisations must publish reports on their website and the gender pay gap reporting…
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