🌟 Need Legal Help? Chat with Lexi! đźŚź
Speed up your claim assessment with Lexi! Click the chat icon at the bottom right now for instant help. Get started today! đź‘‡đź‘‡

Nick Clegg unveils government plans for flexible parental leave

Employment law is in the headlines again as Nick Clegg outlined Coalition plans to enact legislation which would allow parents to take flexible parental leave between them depending upon their personal circumstances. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) also sets out the results of its consultation process on flexible working hours for all … Read more

Change in whistleblowing protection coincides with Jimmy Savile and BBC allegations

In light of the Jimmy Savile scandal, and whether employees and directors of the BBC were aware of his alleged paedophilic activities, the issue of whistleblowing in a corporate environment has come to the fore. The biggest scandal to hit the BBC in 50 years has led to Jimmy Savile falling from one of the … Read more

What will be the impact of “landmark” equal pay ruling from the Supreme Court?

Employment law experts are now debating the long-term importance of a Supreme Court ruling relating to a discriminatory equal pay issue. Birmingham City Council was appealing against a decision which said that women previously employed by the council could make an equal pay claim in relation to bonuses awarded to male employees. Equal pay claims … Read more

New plans will allow parents to share maternity leave

The Government have announced their intention to introduce a system of “flexible parental leave” which will allow fathers to take time off work and claim benefits if the mother chooses to return to employment. This new system would work well for families where the mother was the main breadwinner, as she would be able to … Read more

Why is reinstatement after unfair dismissal so rare?

One of the options pursuant to an unfair dismissal claim is reinstatement or re-engagement of the claimant within the company. In the period 2011-2012, only 5 orders for reinstatement or re-engagement were given by employment tribunals. Re-engagement might work well in a large limited company or plc, which has a number of separate and diversified … Read more

Osborne: “Give up your employee rights and own a slice of the company”

George Osborne resurrected controversial plans to dilute workers’ rights by announcing at the Conservative Party Conference that employees can give up some of their legal rights at work in return for shares in the company. Already being called “Beecroft by the back door”, referring to the divisive report on employment legislation by venture capitalist and … Read more

Age Discrimination less likely following abolition of Default Retirement Age

The Default Retirement Age was abolished in October 2011, but today, 5 October 2012, is the final say upon which anyone could effectively be forced to retire at the age of 65, which could result in age discrimination. Whereas many employers used the DRA as a means of removing “older” employees and re-employing younger, cheaper … Read more

Sacked for putting too much chocolate on a McFlurry

A “crew member” is taking the fast-food giant McDonalds to an employment tribunal, claiming unfair dismissal after she was sacked for sprinkling too many pieces of chocolate on a McFlurry dessert. Sarah Finch, aged 19 from Carmarthenshire,  says that a colleague, who was purchasing the dessert, had asked her to “make it a nice one”. … Read more

Government consulting on revisions to Equality Act 2010

Developed under the previous Labour Government, the Equality Act 2010 brought together all UK discrimination legislation in one place, and has been in force since October 2010. However, the Coalition has decided not to implement certain elements of the Act, including the allowance of claims based on a combination of protected characteristics, and delayed the … Read more

Streamlining confirmed for employment laws, designed to boost business

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced today new steps to give firms greater flexibility and confidence in managing their staff, and also to reduce the burden of red tape for businesses. The changes, which echo proposals announced earlier this year, are most likely to benefit small businesses. It should be said that there … Read more