This week we cover certain selected areas of the Employment Rights Bill, published on 10 October 2024. It is Labour’s flagship employment legislation....more
The UK’s new Labour government published its highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill last week. In total, the draft Bill contains 28 stand-alone employment law reforms (including many of the changes that we outlined in our...more
The UK Government has published the much anticipated Employment Rights Bill. Dubbed the “biggest shake-up in UK employment law in over 30 years", the Bill proposes numerous reforms that will impact both employers and...more
Labour is introducing its flagship “Plan to Make Work Pay” in the form of the new Employment Rights Bill into Parliament today. The Government is proposing a raft of nearly 30 employment law changes, including enhancing...more
On 10 October 2024, the government published the text of its Employment Rights Bill (the Bill). The Bill, which was announced in the King’s Speech over the summer, includes sweeping changes to the employment law landscape in...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
Introducing an Employment Rights Bill within 100 days of taking office was one of the Labour government’s core pledges. The Bill was published today and includes many, but not all, of the policies in the “Plan to Make Work...more
After winning the general election last month, the new UK government has started to focus on the implementation of its manifesto pledges, as discussed in our previous alert. The King’s Speech, which took place on 17 July...more
Here is a look at recent developments in UK employment law: The Labour Party has proposed key changes to UK employment laws. The Employment Appeal Tribunal considered whether an employer was justified in printing documents...more
The King’s Speech confirms that the UK government will introduce an Employment Rights Bill into Parliament in the next session. This should be published within 100 days. Although the Speech and supporting papers provide more...more
A recent British legal case, which could impact U.S. and other international companies, has reinforced the complexities of cross-border employment, particularly where group companies are involved. The fact that a US company...more
Changing employment terms by dismissing and re-engaging employees has become increasingly controversial. The government does not want to make so-called “fire and re-hire” illegal, but it also wants employers to view the...more
This month we explore a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case relating to the termination of employment by mutual agreement despite the employee receiving a dismissal letter. We also explore a recent Employment Tribunal case...more
Last year the UK government promised to introduce a statutory Code of Practice setting out the standards employers should observe if they are considering dismissing and re-engaging staff as a way of changing employee terms...more
In Rodgers v. Leeds Laser Cutting Ltd, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) upheld a decision that dismissal of an employee who refused to work due to COVID-19 safety concerns was not unfair....more
The High Court of Justice for England and Wales has prevented an employer from dismissing employees and offering to re-engage them on new terms. As the employer was seeking to remove a right to enhanced pay that it had...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
As expected, in the United Kingdom there has been an increase in employees seeking to bring claims of automatic unfair dismissal where they have been dismissed for...more
Our November update considers key employment law developments from October 2021. It includes recent cases on age discrimination, anonymity in the employment tribunal and automatic unfair dismissal on health and safety grounds...more
Using “fire and rehire” as a way to implement changes to terms and conditions of employment has become increasingly controversial in the UK in recent years. In October the government blocked legislation that would have made...more
First tribunal guidance on "serious and imminent" danger in context of COVID-19 - In Rodgers v Leeds Laser Cutting Ltd the Employment Tribunal considered whether an employee had been unfairly dismissed for refusing to attend...more
Turning a blind eye – one-off act not a PCP - In Ishola v Transport for London the Court of Appeal confirmed that it was not a provision, criterion or practice to require an employee to return to work before a proper...more
Timing is everything – acts pre-dating disability not discrimination - The EAT decision in Tesco Stores Ltd v Tennant confirmed that an employee could not bring a discrimination complaint in relation to acts that pre-dated...more
Gathering clouds – flawed investigation made dismissal unfair - In Sunshine Hotel Ltd t/a Palm Court Hotel v Goddard the EAT agreed that failing to hold an investigatory meeting does not necessarily make a dismissal...more
It's no secret – protected conversation potentially admissible - The EAT decided in Harrison v Aryman Ltd that a claimant could potentially rely on a protected conversation in evidence. This was the case even though she...more