Grief affects us all differently, so you need to tailor the support that you provide to bereaved employees. Acas has published guidance on time off and pay in Time off work for a bereavement It covers statutory rights including dependant’s leave, parental bereavement leave, maternity leave, adoption leave, shared parental leave and paternity leave. Where…
Can you prevent an asymptomatic employee from attending work if they test positive for coronavirus?
The legal requirement for people who test positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) to self-isolate was removed in England on 24th February 2022. Yet, as an employer, you must still comply with your legal obligations to protect the health and safety of your employees and others. The requirement to self-isolate after testing positive remains in place in…
Don’t say ‘we have no alternative but to dismiss you’
Having carefully considered all the evidence in a case of misconduct, you’ve decided to dismiss the employee. Why should you never say to them that you have no alternative? Because you do: don’t dismiss. Investigation You may have many reasons to dismiss: an act of gross misconduct or repeated misconduct such as not following instructions…
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Employment tribunal award limits increase
The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2022 increases the limits applying to various tribunal awards and other amounts payable under employment legislation, They include: a week’s pay (basic award and redundancy payment) – £571 (from £544) maximum compensatory award – £93,878 (from £89,493) The new limits will apply to dismissals occurring on or after…
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Can you recruit after redundancy and, if so, when?
It depends. There is no set period for which an employer cannot recruit after redundancies have been made. However, depending on the facts, recruiting for the same role as that of the ex-employee could compromise the fairness of the dismissal. Genuine redundancy The dismissal could be unfair if the role is the same as that…
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Care sector employers planning to maintain Covid-19 restrictions
The legal requirement to self-isolate for those who test positive for Covid-19 and unvaccinated close contacts of positive cases is expected to end in England by 24th March 2022 or sooner. However, to protect residents and to minimise transmission to other staff, employers in the care home sector reportedly intend to continue to require workers…
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Government ends working from home guidance
Speaking in the House of Commons, Boris Johnson said: ‘From now on, the Government is no longer asking people to work from home….People should now speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office and, having looked at the data carefully, the Cabinet concluded that once regulations lapse the Government will no longer…
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New guidance on flexible working
Usefully, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (‘CIPD’) has published practical guidance on hybrid working. CIPD: Hybrid Working Practical Guidance (3 December 2021) The guidance suggests that you: define hybrid working in your business consider your strategic goals decide how to effectively recruit and manage hybrid workers ensure that your hybrid working policies and…
Permanent digital system for the right to work checks from April
It is a criminal offence for an employer knowingly to employ an individual who does not have permission to work in the UK, or whom it has reasonable cause to believe does not have permission to work in the UK. By carrying out right to work checks, and follow-up checks where required, employers may have…
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Is the fear of contracting Covid-19 a protected belief?
Not in this case. In X v Y, the tribunal had to decide if an employee’s fear that she might catch Covid-19 and needed to take steps to protect herself and others, amounted to a protected belief under the Equality Act 2010. The law Section 10 of the Equality Act protects employees who suffer discrimination…
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The workplace of the future
The working world has changed. We see stringent health and safety measures, a digital toolbox to connect to clients and colleagues alongside a greater emphasis on balancing living and working. There are other changes, including the nature of our conversations at work. Previously office-based, many of us are no longer physically attached to a workplace….
Tesco loses employment records
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 1.17 million job vacancies in October 2021: 400,000 more than before the pandemic. Post-furlough redundancies have done little to fill the gap. To entice candidates, employers are offering more money, better training and greater flexibility. Starting salaries for both permanent and temporary positions have risen…
