The Bribery Act 2010, which is expected to come into force in April 2011, is a piece of legislation designed to promote anti-bribery practices amongst businesses. Introducing a new corporate offence for failure to prevent bribery by persons working on behalf of a business the Act will also create a criminal offence for the giving, [...]
This year, the age at which workers become eligible to the full national minimum wage will drop from 22 to 21, at a cost of nearly £50 million to employers. Employees of that age and above will, moving forward, be entitled to a minimum wage of £5.93 per hour. Employees aged 18 to 20 will [...]
In Willoughby v CF Capital Plc [2010] Ms Willoughby’s employers presumed that she had accepted a move to being self employed and therefore wrote to her confirming this change and terminating her employment. However when they realised that Ms Willoughby had not in fact accept the change they attempted to withdraw the termination on the [...]
Four assistant referees have won their challenge against a default retirement age of 48 imposed by the company Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) which provides referees for professional football matches. The disputed regulations confirm that officials can apply to be retained beyond age 48 but if they are refused and any subsequent appeal is [...]
The government has announced details, in which, from the 1st September 2010, ministers must identify current regulations to be removed when introducing new regulations imposing costs on business.
In ‘The Coalition: our programme for government’, they state that they will ‘cut red tape by introducing a ‘one-in, one-out’ rule whereby no new regulation is brought in [...]
Simon Cowell taken to Employment Tribunal
A snubbed contestant on Britain’s Got Talent is taking the programme and Simon Cowell to the Employment Tribunal under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 for failing to take into account her medical condition, which she says affected her performance on the show.
Things did not turn out as contestant Emma [...]
Court widens scope of Disability Discrimination Act to include third parties
In the recent case of Coleman v Attridge Law the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that the Disability Discrimination Act should be widened to include non-disabled persons who are discriminated against for being associated with disabled persons.
Ms Coleman alleged that she was forced to resign from [...]
Disability discrimination update
Section 4A (3) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has been subject to a recent decision from the Employment Appeal Tribunal. DWP v Alam held that it was necessary for the following two questions to be addressed when deciding if the employer breached its obligation to make reasonable adjustments:
1. Was the employer [...]
Hospital chef sacked for eating garlic bread awarded £25,000
A hospital worker who was sacked for eating a piece of garlic bread- despite braving February’s record snowfall to get to work on that day- has been awarded £25,000 in compensation.
Hamid Elkhiyari was dismissed from his head chef job at Kingston Hospital when his employer, ISS Mediclean, [...]
Christian sex counsellor loses job over failure to provide gay therapy
Gary McFarlane, a Christian counsellor who worked as a sex therapist for Relate Avon Ltd has lost his appeal in the Employment Appeal Tribunal for bringing a claim for discrimination under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.
Mr McFarlane was required to provide advice [...]
