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Employee status and ‘umbrella’ contracts

Can an individual employed as 'bank staff', with no guaranteed hours, be an 'employee'? Ms Lane-Angell worked for Hafal assisting vulnerable adults in police detention. Her contract said there were...

Variations of contract

How easy is it for an employer to impose a pay freeze? In Abrahall v Nottingham City Council, the Court of Appeal decided that a group of employees had not...

Whistleblowing – protected disclosures

Sections 43A-43L of the Employment Rights Act 1996 protect workers who report malpractice (a 'disclosure') by their employer and are then treated badly. For a disclosure to be protected it...

Disciplinary action for high sickness absence

High sickness absence can place huge pressure on a business. How easy is it to take disciplinary action against a disabled employee for high sickness absence? The Employment Appeal Tribunal...

Constructive Dismissal

The law on constructive dismissal has been under the spotlight recently. Sometimes, employees claim constructive dismissal because of a 'last straw' which pushes them over the edge. The courts have...

“Worker status” and the gig economy

There has been a lot of publicity lately about the employment status of individuals working in the gig economy. Employees and workers have more rights than the genuinely self-employed, so...

Discrimination arising from disability

An employer will not be liable for disability discrimination unless it knew about the employee's disability (or should have known about it). But what if an employer disciplines someone for...

Business Given Largest Ever Fine for Fire Safety Failings

The former owner of a London hotel has been hit with what is said to be the largest ever fine for fire safety failings. Salim Patel formerly owned the Radnor...

Drugs and Driving

The drug driving law changed on 2 March 2015 to make it easier for the police to catch and convict drug drivers under the influence of both illegal and certain...

Changes to Employment Law – April 2015

The changes to Employment Law coming into effect as of April are as follows: 1. Shared Parental Leave and Pay The new system of shared parental leave and pay is...

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