Latest News within Employment Law

Employers need to protect the mental health of those who work alone. This blog gives you an overview of what you should be considering.

For many, 2020 will go down in history as the year that changed everything, and one of the most significant changes was the way in which we work.

As the UK prepares for the end of the Brexit transition, new laws will be coming into place from 1st January 2021 which will affect businesses, as well as the people who work in them. But what are the expectations on you as an employer?

Here, our employment law team cover some of the most commonly asked questions relating to holiday during the pandemic.

As a business owner, we know you try to plan for every possible situation but unfortunately, nobody could have predicted what 2020 had in store.

Head of Employment Law, Katie Ash answers this frequently asked question "Unless you are volunteering for your employer under Public Health England guidance, then the guidance to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) confirms that no work must be undertaken by employees during a period of furlough.

Over recent weeks there has been a huge amount of emphasis on dealing with the lockdown.
Businesses and business owners have worked tirelessly to get their heads around the terms of furlough under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, ensuring staff who need to work can do so remotely, and that the office, factory or other workspace remains safe for those who do need to physically attend the workplace.

Furlough leave is a government scheme that will allow businesses to continue paying a contribution to the salariesof employees who are not required to work “by reason of circumstances as a result of coronavirus or coronavirus disease”. The furlough scheme is known as the CJRS.

As the country continues to grapple with the evolving situation relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses and business owners are reacting in real time to the government advice relating to social distancing and non-essential travel.

When the first cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported last month, it was widely assumed it would run its course relatively quickly, with a minimal number of people affected resulting in little impact on the UK economy.

Whilst the end of the calendar year can often prove busy from an operational perspective within many organisations spanning many sectors, for business owners and decision makers the period leading up to the financial year end is usually the most demanding.

No business owner likes to think about the things that can go wrong when running a company, but it is just as important to plan for such eventualities, as it is to plan for when things are going well. Arguably more so.
Redundancy is one such challenge that many organisations have to face at one point or another, but getting it wrong could cause more issues than had been anticipated, including potential employment tribunal proceedings.

As a working parent it can often feel like you overcome one obstacle only to be met with another. The start of the new school year brings with it the challenge of fitting the school run in to an already full working day. The average school day is between 9am until 3pm, give or take 15 minutes either side, which is shorter than the traditional 9-5 working day. Whilst wrap around school care is often available to cover the gap, this is not always a feasible or desired solution.

The weather is finally getting warmer and it looks like summer has almost arrived. There is a buzz around the office as people are getting ready to jet off on their holidays.

In a previous article, we looked at the impact of the country’s ageing population on the UK workforce, and the subsequent impact that it was having on employers and businesses large and small.