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The DfE have updated their ‘Handling strike action in schools’ guidance. The guidance has been updated to provide further information on prioritising pupils, the law on industrial action and picketing, providing free school meals to eligible pupils and calculating pay deductions for part time workers. Here is a link to the guidance: Handling strike action in … Read more

The 2022 NJC pay settlement for England, Wales and Northern Ireland gave all support staff an increase of one day of annual leave from 1 April 2023. For full year staff this will simply be an additional one day and pro rata for part time, full year staff. In relation to Term Time Only staff … Read more

The EAT has upheld an employment tribunal’s decision that an employee’s conduct when he came into conflict with colleagues was not something arising in consequence of his disabilities for the purposes of a discrimination arising from disability claim under section 15 of the Equality Act 2010. Under section 15(1) of the Equality Act 2010 (EqA … Read more

We have received a number of enquiries recently about this topic.  The link to the Gov guide for employers is here  and below – Shared Parental Leave and Pay: employer guide: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Parents do not have to use the SPL system. The default position on the birth of a child is that … Read more

In Meaker v Cyxtera Technology UK Ltd the claimant was employed in a heavy manual night role. He suffered back injuries in August 2016 and November 2018. Following the second of these he was off work for an extended period. At a certain point it was agreed that limitations on his ability to do heavy … Read more

The Government Equalities Office (GEO) has published new statutory guidance for employers on gender pay gap reporting. The GEO has updated the format of its previous guidance to make it clearer and simpler, locate it in one place on GOV.UK, and remove any unnecessary duplication and repetition. The GEO advises that there have been no … Read more

Under Teacher pensions Ill-health | Life events | Working Life | Teachers’ Pensions (teacherspensions.co.uk): There are two different levels of Ill-health benefits that can be awarded. Accrued benefits are awarded if the member is assessed as being permanently unable to teach but can still work in another role. With accrued benefits, a member’s service won’t be enhanced. Enhanced … Read more

The Claimant was employed as a manager and contracted to work 39 hours per week over five days. She was on maternity leave and before returning to work submitted a flexible working request to reduce her days to three fixed days per week. This request was refused by her employer and the Claimant appealed. On … Read more

In Lloyd v Elmhurst School Limited [2022] EAT 169, the EAT considered whether a term-time salaried hours learning support assistant was entitled to receive the national minimum wage for unworked basic hours falling outside school terms. Ms Lloyd worked as a learning support assistant, she was paid a salary in equal monthly instalments and she … Read more

This guidance was originally published on 20 January 2023 and remains current.  The updated questions are from question 15 onwards, including detailed guidance on picketing.   The NEU has said seven days of teacher strike action will take place in February and March this year. The full list of projected strike days is as follows: Yes.  … Read more