Background On 20 March 2025, the government made two sets of regulations implementing the new statutory rights to neonatal care leave and pay: These regulations follow the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 and will come into force on 6 April 2025. They apply to children born on or after that date. Key points … Read more
When dismissing an employee for misconduct, employers must show the reason was fair and that dismissal was within the range of reasonable responses (section 98, Employment Rights Act 1996). The Court of Appeal has upheld a decision that a school inspector’s dismissal for a single incident of non-harmful physical contact with a pupil was unfair. … Read more
Acas have released a draft code of practice in anticipation of the upcoming changes to flexible working requests. It is important to note that this is only in draft format and consultation is taking place. Once the final version is released; a failure to follow the Code does not, in itself, make a person or … Read more
Acas commissioned YouGov to ask British businesses about their redundancy plans in the next 12 months. The poll revealed that 2 in 5 (41%) large businesses are likely to make redundancies and 1 in 5 (20%) small and medium sized (SME) businesses said that were likely to do so. Employers should consider all possible options … Read more
ACAS has released new guidance for Employers on reasonable adjustments for mental health. The guidance covers the following topics: Here is a link to the new guidance: What reasonable adjustments for mental health are: Reasonable adjustments for mental health – Acas
Acas has launched new advice for employers on managing stress after a third of British workers (33%) believe that their organisation is not effective at managing work-related stress. Stress is defined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’. … Read more
Acas has published new guidance to advise employers on how to consider and handle staff suspensions at work, specifically during investigations. The guidance covers deciding whether to suspend someone, the process for suspending someone, supporting an employee’s mental health during suspension and pay and holiday during suspension. Acas recommends that because of the risk of breaching … Read more
In Rentplus UK Ltd v Coulson [2022] EAT 81, the EAT upheld the employment Tribunal’s decision to award a 25% uplift to compensation due to the employers failure to comply with the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance procedures. Facts The claimant joined the respondent as Director of Partnerships in 2015, soon after … Read more
On 16 February 2022, ACAS published new guidance, Time off work for a bereavement. The guidance is designed to help employers handle staff bereavement at work and understand an employee’s legal right to time off. The guidance explains the statutory rights that a bereaved employee may be entitled to, including dependant’s leave, parental bereavement leave, … Read more
For some people, coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection. This is called Long COVID and its symptoms could affect someone’s ability to work or cause them to take sickness absence. The usual rules for sickness absence and sick pay apply when someone is off work because of Long … Read more
© 2025 - Cook Lawyers
Cook Lawyers Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with Company No. 10104256
VAT No. 238 084 010
