The Queen’s Speech is to be given any minute now and most employment lawyers will probably be watching the speech with a mixture of interest and trepidation.
The Institute of Directors (IOD) weighed in saying that today was the last chance for the Government to save the economy by “unleashing business”. A survey of IOD members showed that 65% of them thought the economic conditions were having a negative effect on their business and 45% blamed too much regulation. The press release said;
Sponsored Post
This infographic by Stephens Scown Exeter has highlighted the fact that employment in the UK continues to be driven by small and medium enterprises [SMEs]
![Employment The Jobs The Money The Issues1 e1367528483158 Employment The Jobs, The Money, The Issues [Infographic] miscellaneous stuff](http://michaelscutt.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Employment-The-Jobs-The-Money-The-Issues1.jpg "Employment The Jobs, The Money, The Issues [Infographic] photo")
Guest Post
Under new government plans, injured workers will have to fight harder to get the compensation they deserve. Making employees prove the company’s negligence favours insurance businesses over the average taxpayers.
Compensation will be reduced for injured employees to reduce the need for companies to bulletproof their health and safety system. It’s believed that this will increase the number of courtroom battles, even if the amount of claims are reduced, thanks to a new clause in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform bill.
What Does This Mean for Employees?
Guest Post by Linder Myers
The government has made a number of employment law changes in April 2013 that employers need to know about.
Through having a clear understanding of the alterations and amendments usually made in April and October every year, employers can make sure that their policies and procedures reflect any changes, which can serve to protect them from falling into pitfalls that could result in Employment Tribunal claims being brought against their business.
Redundancy procedure
Employment lawyers can get very excited about clients resigning from employment. How much notice has to be given or why the person is resigning are often key questions; legal claims may be envisaged as a consequence of resigning. For instance, when an employment relationship has gone seriously pear shaped, careful consideration may be given to resigning immediately and claiming constructive dismissal. In most cases then the discussion is about timing, or the reason for leaving.
Guest Post
A new survey carried out by research company OnePoll suggests that pregnant women and new mothers could be being discriminated against by employers looking to lay off staff.
One thousand women were questioned as part of the research, and their answers reveal a problem that appears to be escalating. Pre-recession, it was estimated that 30,000 women per year were losing their job unfairly as a direct result of their pregnancy. It is thought that this figure is likely to be much higher now.
The responses revealed that:
If you are worried about your health and safety in your workplace, Roberts Jackson explores the regulations an employer must implement to protect you from harm.
Both employers and employees should be aware of the health and safety regulations that must be adhered to in an office environment.
A business should use good management and common sense to perform a risk assessment and implement sensible measures to combat potential hazards to workers. Meanwhile, employees should adhere to policies put in place to protect themselves and others from harm.
Guest Post
March 14 saw the announcement of the introduction of new rules regarding employment tribunals, with the government attempting to streamline the process.
Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson made the announcement, bringing to an end a long running review which began in November 2011. Employment tribunals had previously been a lengthy process, surrounded by a great deal of complicated legislation. The changes announced by Swinson are designed to make the process easier for both employees and employers alike, helping to ensure a swifter resolution to any workplace issues. The proposals are expected to come into place during the summer of 2013.
What do an Oxford Librarian, a school teacher and a group of miners in Western Australia have in common?
Answer: they’ve all been sacked for performing the Harlem Shake at work.
The Harlem Shake, m’lud, is the latest You Tube craze in which groups of people dance in a wild, unco-ordinated fashion, in fancy dress, to a piece of music by a fellow called Baauer. It’s not to be confused with the song “Harlem Shuffle” by the Rolling Stones, a band with whom you might be familiar m’lud. Yes, you may have seen it at the English National Ballet, m’lud.
It’s been a colourful week for ukemplaw. A tale of Apprentices, sharks and headmasters being sacked for wearing Hawaiian shirts and pink socks. There’s also a good deal of symmetry, with both cases below involving husband and wife teams dismissed for alleged misconduct, and both couples coming from Wales.
On more serious matters, gagging clauses in NHS compromise agreements have been abolished and the new, lighter, thinner, smarter etc Tribunal rules due to come into force next month, have now been been delayed until the summer, rather than the week after next.