Employment Law News

Over seven in 10 working mums had furlough requests denied
Almost three-quarters of working mothers who have applied for furlough funding have had their request denied, new research shows. New research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) shows the toll of navigating a COVID working world for mothers as over seven in 10...

Government urges employers to support workers dealing with domestic abuse
Business Minister, Paul Scully, has encouraged employers to instate policies that would support workers who are victims of domestic abuse. The Government stated that employers have a "duty" to support staff that are victims of domestic abuse, especially during a time...

Majority of companies have not prepared yet for IR35 reform
Research shows that over half of firms may not be preparing for IR35 changes in April 2021. This comes after over half of contractors stated that their end client had not yet contacted them about the off-payroll working rules, despite change being only three months...

Home Office suddenly changes policy for employees awaiting visas
The Home Office has changed the policy for employees awaiting visas, meaning that new EU hires may not be permitted to work in the UK until their visas have been processed. An analysis by Bates Wells, a City Law Firm, has revealed that some firms may have been left...

Can working parents be placed on furlough or flexible schedules due to childcare responsibilities?
Due to the Prime Minister's recent announcement of a new national lockdown, including schools in England and Wales being shut until mid-February, many employers and employees alike have been wondering what these new changes will mean for working parents. On Monday,...

Calls for employers to offer more support regarding extended paternity leave
A recent study by the CIPD showcases men's attitudes about taking extended paternity leave and explores what this group would like to see implemented in the workplace. It further suggests what employers can do to support new fathers' requests and cultivate an open...

HR calls for greater clarity regarding COVID-19 vaccination
A HR firm that offers advice to employers has urged Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to offer more clarity regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and what this means for employers and employees alike. McLean HR, a HR firm, has...

Improving working conditions will help to attract and retain staff post-Brexit, study states
A new report analyses the impact of Brexit on the labour market and outlines key recommendations based on what employers should do to attract and retain new talent, especially in sectors which will face staff shortages. New research conducted by Resolution...

HMRC’s IR35 tool fails to determine employment status in a fifth of cases
The online tool created by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has failed to determine around 20 per cent of users' employment status over the past year, leading to criticism of the tool. With IR35 changes set to come into force from April 2021, many individuals...

Can an employee attend work if their child is sent home from school due to COVID-19?
As the tier system comes into full force and some workers return to their workplace, HRreview asks whether an employee can attend work if their child is sent home from school due to COVID-19. With the ending of the national lockdown in England and the introduction of...
Employment Law Analysis

Dave Chaplin: How to take reasonable care when hiring contractors under the new IR35 rules
Following the introduction of the Off-Payroll legislation that is due to take effect from April 2021, hiring organisations have just a couple of months to get their hiring plans in order so that they can continue to take on contractors for projects with as little...

Claire Nilson: Remote working will shape the future but what about sponsor workers?
This article was co-authored by Claire Nilson, Counsel, and Hodon Anastasi, Associate, at Faegre Drinker. Before COVID-19, office workers were often geographically tied to their offices, and it was mainly business travellers and the lucky few digital nomads who...

Giles Newman: It’s time to change perceptions of whistleblowing
Listening to staff is a fundamental part of the human resources function. Only with clear communication will the business know if something is – or isn’t – working well. While this may seem obvious, recently-published data suggests European organisations are...

Shakeel Dad: What lessons can we take from 2020 to prepare for future HR challenges?
After a challenging year for the UK economy, it has never been more important for HR to be on top of the rapidly changing legal landscape. As 2020 draws to a close, we look at what themes and trends have emerged from employment law in 2020, upcoming changes in 2021...

Mini Setty: Regional race to secure sponsor licenses
Regional race to secure sponsor licenses For almost 70 years, British employers have had rich pickings from the European talent pool and foreign workers have made up vital proportion of the UK’s workforce, thanks to free movement among European Economic Area (EEA)...

Barry Ross: Positive action versus positive discrimination & what this means for HR
Is the Rooney Rule lawful in the UK? The Rooney Rule is an important rule implemented by the American National Football League (the NFL) in 2003 and named after the late chair of its diversity committee, Dan Rooney. Originally, the rule required NFL teams to interview...

Razia Aziz: How to ensure workplace investigations are water-tight for the COVID age
The number of employment rights under which an employee could make a tribunal claim has more than trebled since the 1980s. The level of complexity has spiked over the past five years: the break from the old assumption that senior figures in an organisation make the...

Jackie Penlington: An employer’s checklist-Preparing for the end of UK’s Brexit transition period
An employer’s Brexit checklist: preparing for the end of the UK’s transition period With the Brexit transition period ending in a matter of weeks and a new immigration system in place, HR teams will face significant changes ahead. Most critically, at 11pm on 31...

Mark Kaye: What does the extension of furlough scheme mean for employers?
A second lockdown for England – what does this mean for employers? On Saturday 31 October 2020, the Prime Minister announced a second national lockdown in England and an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”). The lockdown came into force on...

Jonathan Beech: The cost of being non-compliant with new 2021 immigration rules
On 1 January 2021 the new Immigration Points Based system comes into law ending free movement and forcing the majority of UK organisations to hold a sponsor licence in order to recruit non-settled EU and non-EU workers. New EU arrivals including those from non-EU...
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