Employment Law Changes – October 2015 Round-up The government and decision makers have been very busy! There are a number of employment law changes that are due to take effect from October 2015 and we have decided that it is best to give you the key details on these so that you can look to…
Marriage Allowance – What is it? If you are married or in a civil partnership you may be entitled to get up to £212 a year with the governments introduction of the marriage allowance. The marriage allowance was introduced on the 6th April 2015. It allows up to 10% of a spouses or civil…
Associative Disability Discrimination – Operations Manager Unfairly Dismissed An employment tribunal has found an employer has committed associative disability discrimination against one of their employees. The employee indicated that he would be spending more time caring for his daughter, who has cystic fibrosis, in order to help care for her and was dismissed shortly after.…
Changes to Laws on Tobacco, E-Cigarettes and Smoking We have all heard and seen in various publications the dangers of second-hand smoke, in particular the risks they pose to children. Through studies the chemicals we breathe in have been linked to causing serious health conditions such as cancers, meningitis, bronchitis and pneumonia, to name…
National Minimum Wage Fine Increased for Non-conforming Employers The maximum fine for an employer’s failure to pay an employee the National Minimum Wage has been increased. Until the 25th May the maximum penalty that could be imposed was £20,000 per notice of national minimum wage underpayment, which was the same fine regardless of the number…
Should Smoking Policies Include the Use of E-Cigarettes? A recent employment tribunal ruling has highlighted the need for employers to consider whether the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) should be included within their smoking policies. Currently the legislation prohibiting smoking in the workplace defines smoking as lit tobacco or any other substance that can…
Employed or Self-Employed? There has been much commentary in recent months around the subject of bogus self-employment as a tax avoidance measure. With the HMRC clamping down on the misuse of self-employed workers, it is important that employers are making the correct distinction between the hiring of employees, contractors and workers. Aside from…
Abolition of the Counterpart to the Photocard Driving Licence From 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be issued by DVLA. The counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photocard. These details include some…
National Minimum Wage Changes Announced The Government has announced an increase in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) which will come into force on 1st October 2015. The announcement sees the largest real-terms increase in the adult pay rate since 2008 and the Government has claimed the above inflation 3% increase will benefit more than…
Bus Driver Unfairly Dismissed After Positive Drugs Test A Bristol bus driver has won his claim for unfair dismissal after proving his employer’s drugs test results were wrong. Alan Bailes was employed by First Bus for 22 years and had a clean disciplinary record. He participated in a random saliva test for drugs…
