A new duty came into force on 26 October 2024 requiring UK employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act...more
The Employment Rights Bill was introduced to Parliament on 10 October 2024, representing the biggest change to UK employment law since the 1990s. Delivering on its promise to introduce legislation within 100 days of coming...more
Employers have a new duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 (the Act). After receiving...more
As projected, the King’s Speech of 17 July 2024, outlining the UK government’s legislative agenda, made reference to the Labour Party’s “New Deal for Working People” among other proposed legislation for the Party’s first 100...more
The 2024 UK general election resulted in a victory for the Labour Party, marking the party’s return to government after 14 years. Prior to this election, the Labour Party set out various proposals that could impact UK...more
The High Court of England and Wales in USDAW & Others v Tesco Stores Limited granted an injunction on 3 February preventing an international retailer, Tesco, from deploying “fire and rehire” to phase out an employee benefit....more
On 23 September, the UK government published a consultation document, “Making flexible working the default”, which proposes various reforms to the right for employees to request flexible working arrangements—particularly in...more
The UK’s Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) found on 10 June 2021 in Maya Forstater v CGD Europe and others that gender-critical beliefs—including believing that one’s biological sex is immutable and not to be conflated with...more
6/16/2021
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equality Act ,
Freedom of Expression ,
Gender Identity ,
Harassment ,
International Labor Laws ,
LGBTQ ,
Transgender ,
UK ,
UK Employment Appeal Tribunal
With the United Kingdom’s vaccination programme well underway, many employers are struggling with the best course of action for how to approach COVID-19 vaccines and their workforce. As mantras like “No Jab, No Job” circulate...more
As businesses continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic in the spring of 2021, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has granted companies a six-month extension to report their gender pay figures. ...more
3/4/2021
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Grace Period ,
International Labor Laws ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Reporting Requirements ,
UK ,
Wage and Hour
With growing reports of an increase in online harassment during government-imposed pandemic lockdowns, a recent UK Employment Appeal Tribunal case alerts employers to their obligations with respect to tackling bullying,...more
2/15/2021
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Harassment ,
Hostile Environment ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
UK ,
UK Employment Appeal Tribunal ,
Workplace Bullying
The United Kingdom on 2 December became the first country to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19), with approximately 500,000 people receiving the vaccine in the first two weeks of the largest...more
Businesses in the United Kingdom which engage contractors through intermediaries should prepare now for changes to the “IR35” rules that will take effect in April 2021. ...more
In a judgment handed down on 13 November 2020, the High Court held that the UK government failed to provide workers with the right not to be disadvantaged for taking steps in response to serious and imminent danger and did...more
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy published a statement on 30 July announcing that furloughed employees will receive statutory redundancy pay based on their normal wages, rather than a reduced furlough...more
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) handed down its judgment on 14 July on Jess Varnish’s landmark appeal against the decision of an Employment Tribunal (ET) in relation to her employment status claim against British...more
From 4 July, pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, hotels and other outdoor activities in the United Kingdom reopened but are required to comply with new guidance announced 23 June. To facilitate their opening, the...more
7/9/2020
/ Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Furloughs ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Redundancy Payments ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Social Distancing ,
UK ,
Workplace Decontamination
In recognition of growing concerns regarding the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the UK economy and the profound social impact of lockdown measures, the government has this week unveiled its strategy for exiting the...more
The UK government published updated guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on 4 and 9 April, providing clarity on such issues as which employees can be furloughed, what activities are permissible during furlough...more
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread in the United Kingdom, employers must ensure that they remain compliant with current employment and data protection laws in dealing with the myriad of issues that may arise,...more
3/17/2020
/ China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Data Privacy ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Personal Data ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
UK ,
Workplace Safety
The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued technical guidance setting out a detailed explanation of the law relating to harassment and sexual harassment, and offering employers practical recommendations...more
2/10/2020
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) ,
Human Rights ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Sexual Harassment ,
UK
In the United Kingdom, gender diversity and equal pay have been hitting the headlines. Halfway through the UK's first gender pay reporting year and with less than six months to go until the deadline for publication of...more
The changes affect the areas of antenatal appointments, equal pay audits, national minimum wage, Reserve Forces membership, whistleblowing, and shared parental leave....more
The statistics show a huge fall in the number of claims, which may be due to the introduction of tribunal fees....more