Jun/090
Employment Tribunal Awards to become less hassle and less time consuming
New measure brought in by Jack Straw will aid the Employment Tribunal Awards in becoming clearer for claimants. There are to be new leaflets outlining important details and a telephone enquiry line for more information should it be needed.
This new movement has come around since research showed that over 50% of those employees granted awards have not received the full payment awarded to them, and over 30% have not received payment at all.
It is hoped these new measures will help employees get what is owed to them, and those that do not pay will have consequences to face.
Jun/090
Company sued for discrimination
Airlink Management services were taken to the Employment Tribunal in Glasgow because they dismissed an employee due to the fact she was pregnant. The ex employee was informed that she was to be made redundant due to a switch around within the company and her position was no longer needed. However, the employee had her suspicions that the real reason for her redundancy was the fact she was pregnant.
The tribunal heard that she later discovered she had been replaced by phoning the company and asking for herself. The tribunal agreed that the employee had been dismissed due to her pregnancy and awarded her over £5000 compensation.
Jun/090
Bath Players Stand-off Against Club
As part of a their contract, 5 or more Bath players have been asked to provide urine, blood and hair samples to quash rumours there has been drug taking at an end of season party. The players have said they will provide urine and blood samples but refuse to provide hair samples.
Though Cocaine can be traced through hair follicles for up to 3 months, it cannot be said as to when exactly the cocaine was taken, which therefore leads to the debate as to what time is for work, what time is the players free-time. If the cocaine was taken during their personal time should they still be held accountable?
By the players refusing to give any one of the required tests, they are in breach of contract and their actions will then be held against them.
Jun/090
Redundancy Advice
Employers are facing claims that they have not dealt with redundancies in the way outlined by established law. It shows that in many cases there is bad communication between employers and employees. The law states, and in the current economic climate are re-enforcing, that when dealing with redundancy there needs to be plenty of notice given. Whether it be full redundancy or pay cuts, the employee needs to have a set amount of notice period.
If there is just one person facing redundancy, the employer must let the employee know in a one to one consultation 1 one month minimum prior to the redundancy being enforced. If there are over 100 employees to be made redundant, there should be a notice period of at least 90 days. Those employees who have not received this notice are now going to the Employment Tribunal to make claims against their employers.
Jun/090
Racist BBC World Service?
2 disgruntled ex employees are accusing the BBC World Service of being racist and unfair.
1 employee made claims that the newsroom was overpopulated by white, typical journalist types and that she never received any chance of promotion. Though the BBC strongly denies this, they settled the claim out of court.
Now another employee feels the same after his contract was terminated after he provided the BBC with 10 years of loyal service. The BBC claims that the employee was dismissed because he was not performing satisfactory and is surprised to be coming against racial accusations.
Jun/090
Young Vets To insist on Contract Of Employment
A survey has found that around 24% of young vetinarian graduates are working without a contract of employment. Worse still, most of these graduates know they are working without a contract but have not asked for one because they know bosses are dismissing them.
Contracts of Employment are extremely important within any working network as it outlines employee’s rights and roles within the company. Duties and responsibilities are addressed in a contract and without one there is no way to defend against unfair dismissal or other problems that come about.
The British Veterinary Association’s Young Vet Network are campaigning to make new graduates and existing young vets aware of Contracts of Employment, why they are important and why they must be in place.
They are hoping this campaign makes less young vets vulnerable within the work place.
Jun/090
Saatchi fights back after being dismissed
After the company Saatchi and Saatchi terminated Maurice Saatchi’s contract, and are looking to have his surname removed from the company title, Maurice Saatchi is fighting back claiming they are in breach of contract.
Saatchi’s solicitors are claiming that the terms of the employment in which Saatchi entered into were misleading. However Saatchi and Saatchi are claiming that Maurice Saatchi deliberately tried to harm the company though as yet they have not detailed how.
The company claims that as Mr Saatchi prepares to bring a writ against their company, they also likely to bring more legal proceedings against Mr Saatchi.
Jun/090
DJ’s Contract Terminated
Virgin Radio felt that Chris Evans was in breach of his contract this week when he claimed to be ill and didn’t turn in for work 6 days running. Further to this, Chris Evans will lose shares that he invested in the parent station that he was due to receive in March.
Virgin Radio claims that though Evans rang to tell them he was sick, there were rumours he was out binge-drinking. This, amongst other problems Virgin had with the DJ has forced them to end his contract.
Jun/090
Employment Law - A Summary
Employment law is the legal rights and restrictions on workers, employers and their organizations. This regulates the relationship between workers, employers and trade unions. Employment law covers aspects such as employment discrimination, workers’ compensation and workplace safety etc. it is in place to protect the employee from things such as unfair dismissal and breach of contract.
Jun/090
National Minimum Wage
This year the National Minimum Wage is 10 years old.
From the 6th April 2009 employers will face a penalty if HM Revenue and Customs discover they have failed to pay the National Minimum Wage and workers will be entitled to have arrears of wage repaid to them at the current rate. These changes have been introduced by The Employment Act 2008.
If HMRC find that there has been an underpayment of the National Minimum Wage in an investigation that is ongoing from the 6th April 2009 they may issue a notice of underpayment requiring the employer to repay arrears to the workers and to pay a financial penalty to the Secretary of State. Employers will be able to appeal against the notice of underpayment to an Employment Tribunal.
The Employment Act 2008 also makes changes to the way that criminal offences under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 are investigated and enforced and from the 6th April 2009 the most serious cases will be triable in the Crown Court. The Act also gives HMRC the power to use search and sieze powers in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 when investigating criminal offences under the National Minimum Wage Act.
This now means that employers who deliberately fail to pay the minimum wage may face stiffer penalties.
 |
 |
