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Book Review: All things to all people

Nicholas Stott reviews the third edition of The Employment Tribunals Handbook: Practice, Procedure and Strategies for Success The Employment Tribunals Handbook: Practice, Procedure and Strategies for Success Alan Payne, John-Paul Waite  and Jonathan Dixey 3rd ed., 2011, Bloomsbury Professional Ltd £60.00 ISBN: 978 1 84766 672 7 This book, written by three barristers, is a …
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TUPE: Quick fix or in a fix?

Fixed-term employment can be a useful tool in an outsourcing situation but there are dangers when such contracts come up for renewal, writes Nicola Ihnatowicz ‘TUPE operates to transfer employees with their existing contractual rights, so an employee who is in the middle of a fixed-term contract will transfer with that same contract of employment.’With …
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Unfair Dismissal: It’s time to simplify the law

The leaked Beecroft report may not go the right way about it but there is a case for far-reaching reform of the unfair dismissal regime, argues James Davies ‘It is fair to say that there are serious flaws with unfair dismissal law that would warrant a fundamental review of its purpose and effectiveness.’Abolishing unfair dismissal …
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Discrimination Awards: Why the cap doesn’t fit

Christopher Hitchins casts doubt on the government’s ability to limit damages for discrimination given the restraints of EU law ‘The government is considering implementing a system of caps on discrimination awards in the UK. Some of these changes have already been announced and a proposed implementation date has been set.’ Against the backdrop of the …
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Overseas Workers: Beyond borders: the scope of UK employment rights

Michael McCartney and Rebecca Johns discuss the UK courts’ jurisdiction to hear claims brought by employees working abroad ‘The territorial limits that apply to the various statutory employment rights will also only be relevant if the tribunal is applying English law to the dispute in question.’ The issue of which UK employment rights overseas workers …
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Varying Terms And Conditions: The route to re-engagement

In light of a recent EAT decision, Lee Rogers looks at how organisations can successfully make changes to workers’ contracts of employment by dismissing and re-employing them ‘An employer would be well advised to embark on a period of consultation with its employees or any recognised trade unions to try and secure their express consent …
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Illegality: Mistake or misrepresentation?

Sarah Young analyses a recent case on whether a worker knew he was not entitled to claim self-employed status ‘As a general rule, an illegal contract is unenforceable and most statutory employment rights, such as the right to bring an unfair dismissal claim, cannot be enforced under it.’ The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has recently …
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Retirement Notices: Moving the goalposts

A recent EAT ruling means that the repealed statutory retirement procedures could come back to bite employers, warn Michael Cole and Charlotte Stafford ‘Under the Regulations, employers needed to serve employees with notice of retirement six to 12 months before the intended date of retirement.’ In the diary of most employers, 5 April 2011 was …
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Grievance Hearings: Beware of apparent bias

The presence of a person on an employer’s grievance hearing panel who was perceived to be biased could amount to a fundamental breach of contract and give rise to a constructive unfair dismissal, explains David Ludlow ‘The principles of natural justice require that the hearing afforded to the employee is, in all the circumstances, a …
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