News

In the case Bathgate v Technip UK Ltd and others the Employment Appeal Tribunal has held a settlement agreement cannot compromise a discrimination claim that has not yet arisen. In this case the Claimant signed a voluntary redundancy agreement which settled his claims against his employer. There was a specific waiver which set out a … Read more

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled a dismissal was unfair when the Employer made the decision to dismiss the Claimant on the grounds that her contract was the first to expire which meant the pool for redundancy selection was reduced to one. The Claimant was a nurse employed through a series of fixed term … Read more

A maternity rights charity called ‘Pregnant Then Screwed’ has carried out a survey into dads and other parents who may take paternity leave. The findings have raised concerns and there is a strong argument to say paternity rights and benefits should be improved. 8 in 10 dads said that their employers are not doing enough … Read more

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an updated version of its statutory guidance to create ‘Keeping children safe in education 2022’. This guidance will come into effect from 1st September 2022. The changes to the previous document include: Additional information about domestic abuse; The importance of schools talking to parents and carers regarding a child’s access to … Read more

The Fawcett Society has released a new report on menopause and the workplace, published in April 2022. The report delves into women’s experiences at work and is the largest representative survey of menopausal women conducted in the UK. It says change is needed urgently as workplaces are failing menopausal women. Its key findings show: One in … Read more

Sickness absence increased last year following the end of the furlough scheme official figures show. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the sickness absence rate in the UK in 2021 rose to 2.2%, from a record low of 1.8% in 2020; this is the highest it has been since 2010, when it … Read more

Presidential Guidance on employment tribunal awards for injury to feelings has been issued for claims presented on or after 6th April 2022. The Addendum outlines the following updates to Vento bands which have been adjusted to take account of the RPI measure of inflation: A lower band of £990 to £9,900 for less serious cases. … Read more

In White v HC-One Oval Ltd [2022] EAT 56, the EAT held that the employment tribunal was wrong to determine that a claim for unfair dismissal had no reasonable prospect of success because the employee had volunteered for redundancy. In September 2018, care home operator HC-One Oval Ltd announced it was reducing the number of … Read more