Covid-19: Employment in a time of coronavirus – what should employers consider now?

Kim Sartin and Rachel Farr look at the issues facing employers now that the UK is in lockdown and employees are expected to work from home if possible ‘The Health and Safety Executive advises that employers should consider how they will remain in touch with employees.’ A month is a long time in politics and …
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Coronavirus: Alternatives to dismissal during the Covid-19 outbreak

Christopher Hitchins and Emma Phillpot look at the government’s planned job retention scheme and at the law on lay-offs and short-time working ‘Under the job retention scheme, all UK employers with a UK bank account are eligible to access support to continue paying employees’ salaries where those employees are paid via PAYE.’ In responding to …
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Equality: Government suspends gender pay gap reporting

With employers getting a year’s respite from gender pay gap reporting, Nicola Ihnatowicz and Anna Scott explain how to use the time to address problems with the organisation’s pay structures ‘Employers should monitor equal opportunities measures and ensure that there are equal resources for development for men and women and that they receive equal professional …
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Unfair dismissal: Terminations for behaviour outside work

Two EAT decisions have examined whether it can be fair to dismiss an employee for alleged conduct in their private life that could bring their employer into disrepute. Suresh Patel reports ‘When deciding whether a dismissal is fair, an employment tribunal is required to assess whether the sanction of dismissal involves a disproportionate and unjustified …
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Staff procedures: Create or update an employee surveillance policy

Joe Aiston, Joe Pengelly and Sean Nesbitt continue our series with some advice on reviewing your monitoring strategy in light of changing technology ‘Surveillance typically fans fears of a dystopian future, but this desire to improve understanding of how employees feel about work and increase their wellbeing signals a largely positive and welcome intention.’ The …
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Legal news: Employment update

Jo Broadbent rounds up recent case law and developments affecting employers and their advisers ‘For an act to constitute a PCP, there must be some sense that it would inform how similar cases are generally treated or would be treated.’ One-off act not necessarily a PCP The courts and tribunals take a wide approach to …
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Law reforms: April changes go ahead minus revised IR35 regime

Emma Bartlett sets out the changes to employment legislation that employers need to comply with from this month ‘While all employers need to revisit their template contracts to ensure compliance, the most challenging scenarios will be where casual workers on flexible arrangements are involved.’ The government has announced that, in the light of the COVID-19 …
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