The government is introducing a new Code of Practice that will place a legal duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. The code will contain several measures including protections for volunteers and interns. The government says it wants to introduce the code so employers better understand their legal responsibilities to protect their
The government has unveiled what it describes as the “largest upgrade in a generation to workplace rights”. Ministers say the extensive new measures contained in its Good Work Plan will give businesses greater clarity on their obligations and ensure the enforcement system is fair and fit for purpose. The new legislation will close a loophole
A recruitment agency’s employment contracts, which failed to specify the required number of working hours, have been ruled unlawful by the Employment Tribunal. The case was brought by 191 workers. They were employed under different contracts, but their terms and conditions were materially the same. They were guaranteed “”a rate of pay at least equivalent
The law provides wide-ranging protection against disability discrimination but that does not extend employees who’ve been found guilty of stealing. This was illustrated in a recent case involving Mr A Wood, who worked for Durham County Council. Mr Wood was found to have taken some items from Boots the Chemist without paying. He was accused
The Court of Appeal has ruled that British Airways treated a part-time employee unfavourably in comparison to full-time staff. The case involved crew member Florence Pinaud, who claimed her contract required her to be available for proportionately 3.5% more days than a comparable colleague who worked full time. She had to be available for work
The gig economy has suffered another blow with the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling that taxi drivers with the company Addison Lee should be classed as workers. Three drivers brought claims asserting an entitlement to holiday pay and to the national minimum wage, which would only exist if they were workers for the purposes of the
An employee with a blood phobia was not subjected to disability discrimination when he was required to escort patients to and from hospital wards. Andrew Brangwyn was an occupational therapy technician with South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. He had a phobia about blood, injections and needles. In January 2011, he was informed that he had
The naming of Sir Philip Green as the businessman trying to prevent his identity being published over sexual and racial harassment claims has thrown the spotlight on workplace Non-Disclosure Agreements. The issue arose after five employees at Sir Philip’s Arcadia group made allegations about his “discreditable conduct”. All the complaints were settled before any details
Prime Minister Theresa May has announced plans for a series of measures to remove the barriers facing ethnic minorities in the workplace Mrs May has launched a consultation on ethnicity pay reporting in response to the recent Race Disparity Audit, which revealed significant disparities in the pay and progression of ethnic minority employees compared to
A compliance officer with an international bank who was “side-lined” after having a baby has won her claims of maternity and sex discrimination. Jagruti Rajput joined Commerzbank AG in London as a senior compliance advisor in 2012. By 2015 she was being considered as a possible candidate for head of department. In 2016, she went