UK People Reward and Mobility Hub
The latest updates in employment, benefits, pensions and immigration
In the recent case of Benkharbouche v. Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs & Anor the Supreme Court agreed with the EAT and the Court of Appeal and unanimously held that sections 4(2)(b) and 16(1)(a) of the State Immunity Act 1978 (SIA) cannot protect embassies from Employment Tribunal claims brought by domestic staff in the UK.
In the recent case of HMCI v. The Interim Executive Board of Al-Hijrah School, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s finding that a school’s complete gender segregation of pupils from year five onwards was not direct sex discrimination.
On 13 October 2017, the government published the Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Bill. This will offer two weeks’ paid leave to any employed parent who loses a child under the age of 18.
The EU and UK have concluded their fifth round of negotiations. Progress has been made on coming to an agreement in relation to the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. Some points are still to be negotiated.
As highlighted in our September Round-Up, we are participating in the call for evidence of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
Following last years Employment Tribunal decision that Uber drivers were workers rather than self-employed, Uber’s appeal hearing at the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) concluded today.
The case of Ms Carolina Gomes v. Henworth Limited t/a Winkworth Estate Agents & anor. serves as a useful reminder to be careful when selecting your choice of words when talking to employees.
Failure to correctly plan pilots’ holidays will result in Ryanair cancelling hundreds of flights over the next six weeks.
The EAT upheld the previous Tribunal ruling that female employees who work in Asda’s retail stores are entitled to compare their work to that of the higher paid male employees that work in its distribution centres. The EAT agreed that the value of work between these two groups of staff is of equal value and, therefore, that their pay should be comparable.
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will apply in the UK from 25 May next year. With increasingly tighter requirements around how employers must maintain and process personal data, and with the number of fines issued for breaches of UK data protection laws on the increase, many employers are already looking to employ permanent staff dedicated to ensure compliance with the new rules.
In the recent case of Agoreyo v. London Borough of Lambeth [2017] EWHC 2019 (QB), the High Court has held that suspension as a “knee-jerk” reaction to an allegation of misconduct may in itself be sufficient to breach the implied contractual term of trust and confidence.
Pimlico Plumbers has now been granted permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. The decision reached by the Supreme Court will be significant as the highest authority on the employment status of purportedly self-employed contractors. It is likely to have implications for the so-called “gig economy”.
