An oil-rig supervisor has had his racial harassment claim upheld after he overheard his superior using the ‘n-word’. The supervisor, who is black, made a complaint to his employer after he overheard his Manager say “All I have done is work like a f***ing n*****.”
4 April 2018 is the deadline for large UK employers in the private sector to report gender pay gap figures.
Two of the UK’s high profile chain of restaurants have been fined an undisclosed sum after it failed to pay workers the National Minimum Wage.
In an important decision that strengthens the hand of employers facing hard times, the High Court has ruled that a financial services company had legitimate business reasons for placing a highly-paid bond trader on garden leave.
Can employers be held liable for the criminal actions of rogue workers who disclose colleagues’ personal data on the Internet? In an important test case arising from a huge data leak from the personnel files of a supermarket chain, the High Court has answered that question in the affirmative.
Judges take a tough line against health and safety breaches at work and are intent on sending out a message to employers that laxity will not be tolerated. In one recent case, a packaging company was hit with a six-figure fine after a worker’s toes were amputated by an industrial machine.
When workers are dismissed for poor performance, it is understandable that some employers might wish to soften the blow by giving some other reason. However, as one case showed, there is a duty not to mislead employees and such deviations from the truth can cause a host of difficulties.
After losing its case in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, which found that Uber drivers are workers and thus have the right to be paid the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage and to receive holiday pay (Uber B.V. and Others v Aslam and Others), Uber disputed the finding and continues to insist that its drivers are self-employed and value the fact that they can choose if, when and where to drive.
The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommended rates for the National Living Wage (NLW) and the National Minimum Wage (NMW) that will apply from 1 April 2018.
Those who work with children or vulnerable adults are required to have extended criminal record certificates (ECRCs) so that prospective employers can judge whether they are fit to perform such sensitive roles. However, as one Court of Appeal case showed, a careful balance has to be struck between disclosure of information and the serious blight that might cause to an individual’s career.