Andrew Peters

After the long-awaited separation of the UK from the European Union, you may be left wondering how employment laws could change and the affect it could have on managing your employees. From 31 December 2020, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) can no longer...

After the long-awaited separation of the UK from the European Union, you may be left wondering how employment laws could change and the affect it could have on managing your employees . From 31 December 2020, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) can no...

From today, if a Claimant commences ACAS Early Conciliation, the conciliation period will last for a standard period of six weeks unless brought to a close sooner by either party indicating that it does not wish to conciliate or on reaching a legally binding...

Following on from yesterday’s blog confirming the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) until 31 March 2021, the Guidance is now available. In addition to the key points and changes identified in our ...

The Chancellor announced an extension to the availability of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to 31 March 2021. The reason for the extension is based on evidence of the economic effects of COVID-19 on business lasting longer than the duration of the restrictions.

The Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Robinson v DWP has clarified what an employee will need to show to succeed in a claim for discrimination arising from disability . The Court of Appeal decision means that tribunals must look at the...

In Sullivan v Bury Street Capital Limited [2020] UKEAT/0317/19/BA, the Employment Tribunal has accepted that a Claimant had paranoid delusions for a certain period, but found that those delusions were not expected to have a substantial and long term...

With all the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and increasing unemployment rates, being told that your employment is ending will undoubtedly be a distressing and worrying time. Some employers are offering Settlement Agreements (a legally binding agreeing...

Statutory redundancy payments (what the law says an employee is entitled to be paid if they have been continuously employed for 2 years and are made redundant) are calculated based on an employee’s length of service, their age and a...

Update correct as at 6 August 2020 The Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) (No.5) Regulations 2020 came into force on 5 August 2020. They extend the entitlement to Statutory Sick Pay from 7 to 10 days where an individual self-isolates...

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that employees can pursue an unfair dismissal claim even though no compensation may be awarded, provided the claim has a reasonable prospect of success. In Evans v London Borough of Brent , Dr Evans...

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has had a slow start and Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been forced to overhaul the scheme following pressure from small business owners, primarily at the paltry level of loans sanctioned compared to...

In addition to compensation for financial loss, Employment Tribunals may award compensation for injured feelings in discrimination claims . As neither the Equality Act 2010 or previous legislation provided guidance on the level of award for injury...

On Saturday 4 April 2020, HMRC issued updated guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The updated guidance clarifies some but not all of the unanswered questions that many employers have been left grappling with following the initial guidance...

The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal ruling that Morrisons (WM Morrison Supermarkets plc) is not liable for a data breach committed by its ex-employee, Mr Skelton. Skelton uploaded payroll data online, including personal details of Morrisons’...

Some employers took steps to make workers redundant prior to the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). Others are still making redundancies irrespective of the CJRS due to the uncertainties that remain or because they cannot afford to...

The Government’s further guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme sets out who will be eligible to use the scheme and answers some questions on how it will operate. Who can use the retention scheme? All...

As at Monday 9th March 2020 The situation regarding the coronavirus, officially known as Covid-19, is changing daily. From an employment perspective, it raises questions of immigration, health and safety, data protection and employment law issues. The...

Every year, Time to Change run the campaign, Time to Talk Day with the aim of getting the nation talking about mental health. The intention is that by having conversations, misconceptions and barriers around mental health can be reduced. It is...

Rectifying a commercial contract, how do the Courts do it? If you are the owner of a business, it will be common for you to work with commercial contracts. It is important to note that the terms of a contract do not have to be written down to bind parties...

Is vegetarianism a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010? This was the question that a recent Employment Tribunal had to answer when Mr Conisbee, a waiter at a hotel, brought a claim against his former employer, Crossley Farms Ltd claiming...

Data protection: Should businesses be worried? With British Airways (BA) and Marriott receiving notices of proposed fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the regulatory body that enforces data protection policies in the UK,...

When an employee is dismissed from their employment, it is natural for that person to feel as if they have been treated unfairly. An employer is entitled to dismiss an employee provided they can show that the reason for the dismissal was one of five...

What is a cookie? We’re not talking about the chocolate chip variety! A cookie is a small text file that is downloaded onto ‘terminal equipment’ such as a computer, when the user opens a website. This allows the website to identify...

The advent of smartphones means that it could not be easier to make an audio recording of an internal meeting without the other party’s knowledge. Employees may feel confused and vulnerable and want the protection of recording exactly what the...

Do you feel physically and emotionally exhausted all the time and lack motivation at work? Do you have a demanding job that constantly makes you feel stressed? You could be suffering from ‘burnout’. The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced...

The 26 th July is recognised as Aunt and Uncle’s day in the United States, and what better way to celebrate than by spending time with nieces and nephews. If you’d like to make the arrangement more permanent but can’t because of your...

The Court of Appeal has handed down its first judgment in a case concerning disability discrimination by perception. In the case of Chief Constable of Norfolk v Coffey , Coffey, a police officer, brought proceedings against the Chief Constable of...

The Supreme Court has overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Tillman v Egon Zehnder Ltd , a case concerning the enforceability of a non-competition clause in an employee’s contract of employment. Non-competition clauses are...

In the case of Base Childrenswear Ltd v Otshudi , the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has held that a Tribunal is not confined to making an award for injury to feelings from the lower band of the Vento bands where there is a one-off act of racial...

In the recent case of Baldeh v Churches Housing Association of Dudley and District Ltd , Baldeh was dismissed following the expiry of her probationary period, for concerns relating to her performance. During the appeal process, Baldeh disclosed...

For a dismissal claim such as unfair dismissal, an employee has 3 months less one day from the last day of employment to bring a claim in the employment tribunal. For a discrimination claim, an employee has 3 months less one day from the last act of...

Retirement is something that many look forward to. For those who have invested years of hard work into a business to make it a success, it is a time to reap the rewards. One could be forgiven for wanting to expedite the whole process and book a...

Employees spend most of their time at work and in the company of their colleagues. Unfortunately, bullying in the workplace is more common than we would like to believe and can create an uncomfortable and unhealthy working environment. Bullying at...

Inevitably, all businesses will have different priorities from one another in terms of income generation and business development. These can range from product and brand development, to increasing market share, increasing revenue, or growing client lists....

Employment tribunal judgments and written reasons have been published online since February 2017. The publication of such judgments is likely to be a key consideration when deciding, in the case of a employee, whether to litigate and in the case of both the...

In November we wrote about the guidance published by the Advertising Standards Authority (“ ASA ”) clarifying the rules that apply to social media influencers. Now, further guidance on the rules regarding social media endorsements has...

Following a visit from an independent Lexcel assessor, BakerLaw is pleased to announce that the Firm has passed the re-accreditation process retaining its quality mark for practice management and client care. As one of only 1,700 firms in the UK and the...

From 6 th April 2019 employers will be required to provide all workers with an itemised payslip. Current legislation requires employers to provide itemised payslips to ‘employees’ for each pay period showing gross pay and any deductions made. ...

Mrs Lamb was employed by a School, The Garrard Academy from September 2010 but was dismissed on grounds of ill-health on 25 February 2014. She brought claims of unfair dismissal, race and disability discrimination to the employment tribunal. Mrs Lamb went...

Tennis legend Andy Murray (aged 31) has revealed plans to retire once he has competed in Wimbledon this year, as a result of his ongoing recovery from hip surgery. As Andy Murray is a professional athlete, he is entitled to retire at whatever age he...

With the 29 th March 2019 fast approaching, it is, for good reason, becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the “B” word. In this article, we consider contractual measures that businesses may consider implementing in their preparations...

Emily Scott, a former trainee solicitor, reports that she feels let down by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA), the legal professions’ regulatory body, after she was struck off alongside two partners who she ‘blew the whistle...

As a new year begins, we bring news of the employment law changes expected in 2019 and beyond. Although Brexit is, of course, the hot topic of legal uncertainty to look forward to this year, there are also other employment developments that should not be...

As we welcome 2019 and vow to stick to our New Year’s resolutions, the return to work can be a very stressful and often dreaded time of year. The New Year can bring with it various physical and mental impairments that employers should remain vigilant...

We are finally at that time of year where it’s considered socially acceptable to eat lots, drink plenty and be merry! With companies making plans or hosting their highly anticipated work Christmas parties, giving all employees the opportunity to relax...

As most will be aware, an employer can terminate an employee’s employment either by giving notice or without notice where an employee is found to have committed an act of gross misconduct. However, an employer should have a fair reason for the...

It’s good news for employers as the Government has announced that it has delayed plans (for a second time) to make termination payments in excess of £30,000 subject to employer national insurance contributions (NICS). This will now take effect...

In landmark legal case, due to be heard in March 2019, an Employment Tribunal will be asked to consider whether veganism constitutes a philosophical belief. Jordi Casamitjana alleges he was dismissed by his employer, League Against Cruel Sports (the...

It has recently been reported that hackers stole the personal data of as many as 500 million guests who had made reservations using Marriott’s Starwood booking system. The personal data which has been the subject of the breach includes guest’s...

Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling dismissed her Personal Assistant, Amanda Donaldson in April 2017 for gross misconduct. Ms Donaldson is reported to have used her business credit card to shop at high end stores such as Jo Malone and Molton Brown,...

The Court of Appeal has confirmed in the recent case of Timis v Osipov [2018] EWCA Civ 2321 that individuals can be personally liable for the unlawful dismissal of a whistleblower. A whistleblower is an individual who discloses wrongdoing within an...

The advertising landscape changes quickly; those in the industry are constantly looking for novel and captivating ways to reach their desired audiences. This has led to an influx of brands working with influencers to promote various products and...

To be considered disabled, you must have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. People who suffer from cancer, HIV or multiple sclerosis are...

Today marks World Menopause Day, a day designed to raise awareness for women who face health issues when approaching, during and beyond the menopause. With three quarters of women saying that the menopause caused them to change their life and over half say...

The government is considering introducing a duty on employers to consider whether a job can be performed flexibly, and to make that clear when advertising. The potential introduction of further flexibility within the workplace is designed to support those...

The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day every year on the 10 th October. This day is designed to raise awareness of mental health conditions and how it can affect people’s lives. A recent survey conducted by charity,...

Further to my previous article on Parental Bereavement Leave on 16 th October 2017 , the government has now approved the Bill that provides employees a right to paid time off (Parental Bereavement Leave) on the death of their child. The Parental...

In recent case Tarn v Hughes & Ors UKEAT/0064/18/DM , the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) overturned the Tribunal’s order that a GP was only entitled to pursue the ten most serious and recent allegations of sex and pregnancy discrimination....

We are delighted to announce that our Managing Partner, Amanda Glover is one of two finalists for the Visionary Leadership Award at the CILEx National Awards 2018 . The CILEx National Awards showcase and celebrate the excellent work, and...

There are various claims an employee can bring against their employer at an Employment Tribunal. Once a claim has been issued, the Employment Tribunal will send a copy to the employer to give them an opportunity to defend or respond to the claim. Following...

The Court of Appeal has handed down a landmark judgment in Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake where a carer challenged her employer’s policy to pay her a fixed sum, significantly lower than the National Minimum Wage (NMW), for time spent sleeping...

A freelance teacher, Mrs Bradley, has successfully appealed a finding by an employment tribunal that she was not subjected to discrimination by requiring her to arrive at work by 8.45am. Bradley had consistently struggled to arrive at the required time...

In Ali v Torrosian and others (t/a Bedford Hill Family Practice) UKEAT/0029/18 , the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) considered whether the tribunal had fallen into an error of law by not considering whether the employer could have achieved its...

Following our recent article: Carers: who cares when you can’t? posted during Carers Week, we are pleased that the Department for Health and Social Care has published a two-year action plan to support carers, and in particular those who are...

In the decision of City of York Council v Grosset the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has upheld a claim for disability discrimination despite the fact that the employer was not aware of the disability at the time the discrimination took place. ...

On 13 th June 2018 the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Pimlico Plumbers and upheld rulings (by the Employment Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal) that a plumber was a worker for the purposes of the Employment Rights Act...

Where an employer decides to dismiss an employee without knowledge of the employee’s pregnancy but it discovers, prior to dismissal, that she is pregnant, a tribunal may be asked to consider whether the dismissal was related to the employee’s...

Data protection is an issue that is making ever-more frequent appearances in news headlines. With the deadline for compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation being set at 25th May 2018, businesses found to be in breach of the new regulations...

When considering Employment Tribunal Claims a key point to be established is the Effective Date of Termination (EDT). This date marks the end of the period of continuous employment and is often the date on which the time limit for presenting a claim runs...

Regulation 12 of the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) entitles workers to take a rest break of not less than 20 minutes if their daily working time exceeds six hours. Mr Crawford, a relief cover signalman for Network Rail has brought an employment...

We have today circulated our quarterly Employment Law Newsletter. In this edition you can indulge in the following articles and news: A fresh start for the New Year - Are your employment documents in order? Key...

A pizza restaurant, based in Ireland, has recently come under criticism for posting a job advert which specifies that the applicants should be female and requiring a photo. The manager who posted the job advert explained the reasoning behind the gender...

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has handed down a landmark decision in King v The Sash Windows Workshop Limited C-214/16 relating to holiday pay which is bound to send a shiver down employers’ spines. What are the facts? Mr King...

What’s the big deal? A worker’s employment status is relevant to the question of their employment rights. These differ depending on whether you are a worker, employee or self-employed. Worker...

Update: Following our previous report of 24 th October 2017, which can be found here, the initial trial period for the refund of Employment Tribunals fees refunds has now ended. The refund scheme is now open to everyone to apply if...

Coffee chain Pret a Manger has faced heavy criticism across the media this week after an employee was spotted wearing a badge which said “I am new, kiss me”. Pret a Manger has stated that they “definitely don’t ask our employees to...

Sydney Hardy, Managing Director of Nippy Bus, dismissed his entire workforce by memo stating “ I have had enough and realise I cannot work with you, the people I employ, a moment longer ”. He advised the staff that they should not turn up...

Emily Yeardley, Associate Employment Solicitor at BakerLaw LLP, has been invited to host a webinar for the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) on 11th December 2017. The webinar is open to SOM members, please contact nick.llewellin@som.org.uk ...

The Employment Tribunal has recently heard a case ( Mrs R Tiffin –v- Chief Constable of Surrey ) brought by a police officer who resigned having repeatedly failed a fitness test. Ms Tiffin stated she had an underactive thyroid gland which was the cause...

Following the recent ruling that Employment Tribunal Fees are unlawful the Government has now announced its fees refund scheme. In addition to refunding all fees paid, 0.5% interest will be paid to claimants calculated from the date of the original payment...

A new bill has been published to introduce parental bereavement leave. The Current Position Under current legislation an employer has no obligation to allow parents paid time off to grieve if they have lost a child under the...

Mental health issues can affect anyone, any day of the year, but today marks World Mental Health Day, a day to show your support for better mental health and start looking after your own wellbeing.” ACAS has estimated the cost of mental ill...

We are pleased to announce that our Managing Partner, Amanda Glover has been awarded Professional Negligence Lawyer of the Year UK in the Finance Monthly Global Awards 2017. The Finance Monthly Global Awards recognise and celebrate companies and individuals...

The recent Employment Tribunal case of Ms C Gomes v Henworth Ltd t/a Winkworth Estate Agents and Mr G Gold demonstrates the importance of thinking before you speak and choosing your words carefully to avoid the risk of discrimination claims. In this case Ms...

Holiday pay has featured heavily in the news over the last year but until now the question of all overtime (both compulsory and voluntary) worked and whether it should be included in the holiday pay calculation has remained a grey area. Employers commonly...

Following an appeal by UNISON (one of the UK’s largest trade unions) the Supreme Court (the highest Court within the UK’s legal system) has ruled that the requirement to pay the fees for issuing a claim and hearing a claim in the Employment...

BakerLaw LLP has bolstered its Employment Law Department with the appointment of a new Associate. Emily Yeardley is an experienced employment law solicitor advising businesses and individuals on employment related matters ranging from unfair dismissals...

It looks as though 2017 will be a busy year for employment law, with a number of important cases set to be decided. We have commented upon just a few of these below, dealing with: employment status and the gig economy, holiday pay, Employment Tribunal...

From 1 October 2016, the national minimum wage hourly rates increase. The national living wage for workers age 25 years or above remains at £7.20 per hour. The table below sets out the previous and current hourly rates for each category of...