Offensive comments made in the workplace can cause untold distress and amount to harassment for which employers may well be required to carry the financial can. However, in a guideline decision, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) found that a doctor’s ill-judged joke that a young
With headlines continuing to be dominated by the global spread of coronavirus, new guidance has been released by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to set out the steps that employers should be taking to help protect staff. Developed in case coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads
Whistleblowers perform an invaluable role in exposing often inconvenient truths, but their efforts are sadly not always welcomed by employers. A case in which a casino compliance officer won the right to substantial compensation, however, showed that workers’ ability to speak their minds is protected
Workplace misconduct may appear so serious that dismissal is the only option – but it is vital to take into the account the impact that mental health disabilities may have on such behaviour. A case on point concerned a teacher who admitted that he was
Self-employed people enjoy certain tax benefits and often place a high value on their independence. However, an instructive Employment Tribunal (ET) decision in the context of the building industry illustrated the serious disadvantages of not having employment status. The operator of a general building firm
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has expressed deep concern about a gap in the law which enables overseas recruiters of British seafarers to engage in flagrant discrimination if the vessels on which they wish to serve are foreign-flagged and operate outside UK territorial waters. A
An important Supreme Court ruling concerning the pension rights of part-time judges has removed a potential obstacle in the way of justice being obtained by part-time workers who are treated less favourably than comparable full-time colleagues. Depending on their length of service, full-time, salaried judges
In small family businesses, disagreements are often patched up informally. However, as an Employment Tribunal (ET) ruling showed, it is vital to remember that legal standards of fairness in employment relationships apply to them in just the same way as to giant corporations. The case
Workplace disciplinary proceedings must always be thorough and fair, but that is all the more the case where an employee is accused of dishonesty. An Employment Tribunal (ET) succinctly made that point in awarding substantial damages to an employee who was accused of making a
Can the reason for an employee’s dismissal ever be other than that given in good faith by the decision-maker appointed by the employer? The Supreme Court has answered that burning question in a test case concerning a whistleblower who was sacked on the basis of
