“Fear, paranoia, insecurity.” With this apocalyptic triangle, Rose Beauchamp, Stephen Heidari-Robinson and Suzanne Heywood describe in their article Reorganization without Tears the environment in which the reorganization of companies takes place. And in this article they are only referring to the non-legal aspects of change processes. A quick glance at ... Read More »
Category Archives: Employment law
Feed Subscription<Disguised remuneration: Window to claim transitional relief on investment growth extended
November 21, 2016
Currently, the Finance Act 2011 provides tax relief on amounts earned in disguised remuneration schemes (employee benefit trusts), with a tax charge applying only to the amount invested. This relief is due to be withdrawn as part of the Government’s crackdown on employee benefit trusts. In order to encourage settlement ... Read More »
Sexual harassment in the workplace: beyond a joke?
November 18, 2016
A recent survey by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) shows that sexual harassment in the workplace is widespread despite legislation outlawing it. Adam Grant and Jemma Pugh offer tips on how employers can reduce the risk of liability. According to the TUC report, “Still just a bit of banter? Sexual ... Read More »
BHS – The latest score between Philip Green and the Pensions Regulator
November 15, 2016
Summary of the parliamentary inquiry Since our last update on the BHS saga, in the July 2016 edition of Pensions Compass, the parliamentary inquiry and public sessions run by the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee (the Select Committee) have ended and Frank Field MP (Field), who sat on the Select ... Read More »
Employer tips: managing workers with serious medical conditions
November 14, 2016
ACAS has issued new guidance to assist employers in managing staff who have long-term or potentially life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis. ACAS has published its guidance in light of projections drawn up by Macmillan Cancer Support in 2013 which estimated that by 2020 47% of the ... Read More »
Disability discrimination: What amounts to a reasonable adjustment?
November 3, 2016
Companies often ask what adjustments need to be made if they employ someone with a long term illness. The recent case of G4S Cash Solutions appears to take the steps that need to be considered that bit further. The G4S case The G4S case involved an employee who had a ... Read More »
Check, One-Two. Check, One-Two: Sounding Off In Favor of Employee Background Checks
August 15, 2016
Employee background checks can provide an abundance of useful information and a world of legal risk. Properly informed employers, however, can wield this double-edged sword with precision to find the best person for the job while avoiding liability for poor hiring decisions. In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits of ... Read More »
Pensions liberation: Has the High Court opened the floodgates for fraudsters to exploit both individuals, and flaws within the system?
July 6, 2016
The High Court has overturned a decision of the Pensions Ombudsman which supported Royal London’s decision not to transfer a member’s benefits to another pension arrangement due to pensions liberation fears. This could have serious repercussions for pension scheme trustees, and for the Pensions Regulator’s crusade against unlawful liberation activity. ... Read More »
A spring clean – important rate changes in April 2016
July 5, 2016
April 2016 saw a number of important changes to employment rates with the introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW) and increases to compensation and redundancy limits. National Living Wage The NLW came into force on 1 April 2016 and applies to all workers aged 25 and over. The initial ... Read More »
Does an employee sacrifice childcare vouchers during maternity leave?
June 13, 2016
There has been a recent decision in the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in relation to continuing childcare vouchers during maternity leave which may be of interest to those of you who provide these vouchers by way of a salary sacrifice scheme. Entitlements during maternity leave During ordinary maternity leave (which ... Read More »
Promises, promises… (of a pensions nature)
June 10, 2016
The Pensions Ombudsman has held that an employer “unjustifiably” stopped a member’s monthly pension payments which it had funded for some years following the winding-up of its occupational pension scheme. Background Mr Royston Muller, a 95 year old former employee of the County Tyre Group of Companies (the Company) retired ... Read More »
EU referendum (should we stay or should we go?) – Employment implications
June 1, 2016
On Thursday, 23rd June 2016, the public will determine whether the United Kingdom remains in the European Union. A lot has been written and said by the ‘Brexit’ and ‘Bremain’ camps about the impact of that decision, most recently by the US President. However, casting political allegiances aside, what could ... Read More »
New Federal Trade Secrets Law Almost Here
May 13, 2016
The Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”), passed by both houses of Congress, is headed to President Barack Obama for his signature and his office has stated it “strongly supports” the legislation. On April 4, the U.S. Senate passed the DTSA by a vote of 87-0. The Senate bill passed in ... Read More »
The termination agreement – Key aspects under German labour law
May 9, 2016
There are many reasons why, in individual cases, the parties to an employment contract wish to part company or one party unilaterally terminates the employment relationship. One possible reason is the avoidance of dismissal proceedings, which entail risks for both parties. Alternatively, the parties may wish to quickly and smoothly ... Read More »
How Employers Can Prepare For the DOL’s New Overtime Rules and Protect Against the Skyrocketing Number of Wage and Hour Claims
April 15, 2016
Wage and hour claims are both skyrocketing in number and quickly becoming the largest source of employment-related liability. In 2015, employees filed three times as many wage and hour actions as they had just a few years earlier. These claims have cost employers significantly, with the average wage and hour ... Read More »