Article Category: Employment Law & HR – Insight & Opinion

A recruitment agency has taken the revolutionary measure of rewarding employees with four extra days of annual leave, for not smoking at work. Managing Director, Don Bryden of KCJ Training and Employment Solutions in Swindon, has introduced the measure despite being a smoker himself. He states “If you say it’s three 10-minute smoke breaks a… Read more »

Ms Ahmed brought a claim under s.69 of the Equality Act 2010 after she found out that she was paid £440 per episode of Newswatch and Jeremy Vine was paid £3,000 per episode of Points of View. She argued that they were like work and therefore the only reason for the difference in pay could… Read more »

In short, no. This stems from the case of Ms. H Munro v Sampson Coward LLP where the Employment Tribunal had to consider whether comments regarding Ms Munro’s 50th birthday amounted to age discrimination and harassment. Ms Munro also claimed that she suffered a detriment and was dismissed on the grounds of whistle-blowing. In relation… Read more »

Mr Steve Easterbrook, the now former Chief Executive of McDonald’s, has mutually agreed for his employment to be terminated following a consensual relationship with another employee. This follows the resignation of Mr Brian Krzanich, former Chief Executive of Intel Corp, in June 2018 who resigned following a consensual relationship with another employee. These cases exemplify… Read more »

The employment tribunal are considering the case of Casamitjana v League Against Cruel Sports, where for the first time ethical veganism — the philosophical belief by an ‘ethical vegan’ — comes into question. Should it qualify for protection under the Equality Act 2010 and what does this mean for employers? Jordi Casamitjana is an ethical… Read more »

During a heated discussion, an employee told me he’d had enough and stormed out. The next day he confirmed that he didn’t mean to resign and wants to withdraw the resignation. Do we have to agree or can we just accept his resignation? The answer to this question will depend entirely on the circumstances. Notice… Read more »

In Ms H Munro v Sampson Coward LLP, the Employment Tribunal considered whether comments regarding Ms Munro’s birthday amounted to age discrimination and harassment. Ms Munro also claimed that she suffered detriment and dismissal on the grounds of whistleblowing when she informed her employer of the comments. Background Ms Munro, a legal secretary in the… Read more »

If you are an employee, Salaried Partner or Director and have been offered a settlement agreement but you are unsure what to do next, here are some FAQs to consider: 1. What is a Settlement Agreement? A settlement agreement is a legally binding document that, in most circumstances, will set out the terms on which… Read more »

10th October 2019 marked World Mental Health Day, an annual campaign designed to raise awareness of mental health illness. According to the most recent statistics provided by Mental Health First Aid England, there were 526,000 cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in Great Britain which accounts for approximately 72 million working days lost, costing… Read more »

My employee has not turned into work for the last couple of days with no phone call. Can I presume that he has resigned and process him as a leaver?  Unfortunately, no you can’t. When considering whether termination of employment has occurred, either by resignation or dismissal, both parties should understand what has taken place… Read more »