tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86309864392263729002024-03-14T10:03:05.891+00:00 Paul Murray HR ......Practical Employment Law Advice.....My Blog relating to all things to do with Employment Law advice and what you need to know to keep up to date.Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-17718827779013575612018-10-02T12:02:00.002+01:002018-10-02T12:02:39.910+01:00Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gldR8-JONs/W7NQNea3V2I/AAAAAAAAAxE/yV32mLuBhLEFLeBKbWnbxf6N0gigeYT2gCLcBGAs/s1600/bereavement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gldR8-JONs/W7NQNea3V2I/AAAAAAAAAxE/yV32mLuBhLEFLeBKbWnbxf6N0gigeYT2gCLcBGAs/s320/bereavement.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=fd1611c557&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Parental Bereavement (Leave and
Pay) Act 2018</span></a> has received Royal Assent. It provides a right to two
weeks of time away from work for those employees who have lost a child under
18.<br />
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All the detail will appear in supporting Regulations (not yet published) which
will contain, amongst other things, details of how much remuneration will be
payable during the leave. The Government has said it anticipates introducing
Regulations and bringing the Act fully into force by April 2020.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em><strong>My Comment : </strong>I actually think that this is quite appropriate, it's not a huge burden on an employer, but should give some help to those who need it, it's not that much, but a step in the right direction. </em></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em> </em></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em> My thanks again to Daniel Barnett site for the story , <a href="http://www.danielbarnett.co.uk/" target="_blank">see their page here</a> </em></span>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-30669299056977787802018-10-02T11:10:00.001+01:002018-10-02T12:10:57.576+01:00TUPE: Removal of Unjustified Travel Allowance not Void<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%;">Is the removal by an employer of an 'outdated and unjustified'
contractual allowance void under TUPE when it comes after a transfer? <br />
<br />
No, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=b61e01729c&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Tabberer v Mears Ltd</span></a>,
dismissing the Claimants' appeal.<br />
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The Claimants were electricians, formerly employed by Bristol City Council,
who had a historic entitlement to an 'Electricians Travel Time Allowance'
(ETTA), which dated from 1958, itself replacing a productivity bonus. ETTA
was held to be contractual. With changes in working practices, the Respondent
gave notice to vary the Claimants' contracts to end ETTA, describing it as an
'outdated and unjustified' allowance. The Claimants argued that the variation
was void under Regulation 4(4) of TUPE as connected with a transfer.<br />
The tribunal disagreed, accepting that the Respondent's reason for ending the
ETTA was not connected with a transfer, but because it was outdated. The EAT
held that the tribunal was entitled to have found that the Respondent's
reason was not connected with a transfer.<br />
The EAT noted that the parties had approached the question of the reason for
the variation as a question of fact rather than one of fact subject to a
legal assessment. The EAT summed up the approach as 'The question to be asked
is: what is the reason? What caused the employer to do what it did?'. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%;"><strong><em> My Comment, of particular interest to most of my client this, the thing to remember is, is the change DUE or AS A RESULT OF the TUPE ? If the variation is not connected to the transfer but for another substantial and quite reasonable reason, then the change can be brought about . </em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%;"><strong><em> As always my grateful acknowledgment to the DANIEL BARNETT site for his excellent source material <a href="http://www.danielbarnett.co.uk/" target="_blank">see them at</a> </em></strong></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-57206473374861223522018-10-02T10:58:00.000+01:002018-10-02T11:02:23.933+01:00Disability Discrimination: Establishing Disability<h1 class="h1" style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;">Disability Discrimination: Establishing
Disability:<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Can
an employee prove disability without leading evidence on the impact of his
impairment on normal day to day activities?<br />
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Does an employer have constructive knowledge of disability if an employee has
denied having one?<br />
<br />
No, and not on these facts, held the EAT in <a href="mhtml:file://C:\Users\paul\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Outlook\SCX9TOHE\email.mht!https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=dd2f7a91f8&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Mutombo-Mpania v Angard Staffing
Solutions Ltd</span></a>.<br />
<br />
The Claimant worked for an organisation providing casual staff to the Royal
Mail Group. On joining he did not indicate disability on his application
form and failed to disclose a disability on a health form.<br />
<br />
He sought to rely on his impairment of Essential Hypertension to avoid working
regular night shifts. Despite medication his symptoms included headaches,
fatigue, breathing difficulties and lack of confidence.<br />
<br />
The Claimant provided no evidence for the tribunal of the functional impact of
his impairment on his ability to carry out normal day to day activities. The
burden of proof is on the Claimant to demonstrate substantial adverse effect.
He failed to do so and did not meet the section 6 <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Equality Act 2010</span></em> definition.<br />
<br />
On the issue of knowledge, even if the employer was under a duty to ask
questions, a vague reference to a "health condition" did not infer
constructive knowledge. The employee had worked night shifts before and had
denied having a disability.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><em><u>My Comment:</u> The employee here was trying to not do the unpopular night shift by claiming a disability, so.....whilst the insurers in this industry have palpitations the moment anybody mentions the "D" word, we can remember that anybody claiming (especially a hidden) disability might be called upon to show that this is the case</em></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-25077919076544533062018-09-06T15:23:00.000+01:002018-09-06T15:23:27.305+01:00SEPTEMBER EDITION EMPLOYMENT LAW NEWS <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="templateContainer" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; width: 600px;"><tbody>
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<![endif]--> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-align: left;" valign="top"><strong><em>Hello Dear Readers, colleagues and chums ,</em></strong><br /><br /> If you can find a minute, do try and find time to read the full article on my blog page on the "Coffee & Doughnut Item" it's a long piece but makes a salient point about your diminishing position as an employer! My comment says <em> "</em>this is the sort of decision that makes my blood boil! What is the point of having a rule/regulation that says a permitted delay of no more than 5 days to allow for a companion, if, whenever an employee chooses a companion who is not available, the tribunal just disregard the rule and declare the decision unfair on <strong>that </strong>fact, (that the employer would not allow a 2 week delay) ? Grrrr, this means any time an employee wants to drag out a legitimate procedure, they just have to request a companion who is patently not available ! And this was a <strong>trade union </strong>representative !! what kind of tin pot union is this that they only have ONE representative, why didn't they send a colleague ?<br /><br /><em><strong> Read on for details, and, as always, call me or mail me if you have any concerns or need more information about this edition's content.<br /> Kind regards, Paul </strong></em> <div style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 164.4pt 8pt 0cm; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: navy;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: 18px;">First The News:</span></strong></em></span><br /> <h2 style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64) !important; display: block; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -0.75px; line-height: 125%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
AGENCY WORKER STATUS</h2>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQfZt1odVH0/W4z4bSBGyyI/AAAAAAAAAvk/pg_2RUg_344yhFeHZ5C2avBm3fmnfAU7gCLcBGAs/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; clear: right; color: #6dc6dd; float: right; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="168" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQfZt1odVH0/W4z4bSBGyyI/AAAAAAAAAvk/pg_2RUg_344yhFeHZ5C2avBm3fmnfAU7gCLcBGAs/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: auto !important; text-decoration: none;" /></a></div>
<h2 style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64) !important; display: block; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -0.75px; line-height: 125%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Could an employee on a zero hours contract be an agency worker if his position was temporary rather than permanent?</span><br /><br /> Yes, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=996b318940&e=8203e43310" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Matei v Brooknight Guarding Limited</span></a>.<br /> The Claimant was employed as a security guard on a 'zero hours contract' by the Respondent. He was assigned to different sites for different clients as and when required but he worked mostly for one particular client, Mitie. He was dismissed after 21 months.<br /><br /> The Claimant claimed that he was an agency worker, and therefore entitled to the same basic working conditions as the Mitie staff after 12 weeks' service. The tribunal agreed, on the basis that he had been supplied to work temporarily for the hirer (Mitie) and worked under their supervision and direction. His employer appealed.<br /> The EAT upheld the tribunal's decision on 'employee status'. The employer argued that the fact he worked on a zero hours contract did not necessarily mean he could not be a permanent employee. The EAT rejected this. The position was temporary as it was not permanent or indefinite. The tribunal had adopted the correct approach to this, and even the employer's evidence suggested that the arrangement had been temporary.</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>MY COMMENT : you may have to read this more than once, I certainly had to, it is written in "legalese" a bit, but it goes to show, you must assume nothing, about employment law matters, the guarding company took an "employee" (my emphasis ) in all good faith, albeit a zero hours contract to meet the needs of the business, but the employee decides to challenge his status (that he agreed to when he signed up) in order to gain the additional benefits of a different status, ie that of agency worker ! </em></span></h2>
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<br /><br /><span style="color: navy;"><em><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>COFFEE & DOUGHNUT ITEM, </strong></span></em></span> <div>
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unfair dismissal | disciplinary hearing postponements | availability of companion <div class="post-header">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blHxfbjnBKI/W4z8LjRkQII/AAAAAAAAAv0/kITeymkNP242WWRIDFOdU5l4Sye0GSBdQCEwYBhgL/s1600/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; clear: right; color: #6dc6dd; float: right; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="480" height="132" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blHxfbjnBKI/W4z8LjRkQII/AAAAAAAAAv0/kITeymkNP242WWRIDFOdU5l4Sye0GSBdQCEwYBhgL/s200/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: auto !important; text-decoration: none;" width="200" /></a></div>
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In <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Talon Engineering Ltd v Smith</em>, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that an employer's refusal to postpone a disciplinary hearing for two weeks to allow the employee's union official to accompany her made the dismissal unfair.</div>
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Implications for employers</div>
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Under the right to be accompanied, where a worker's chosen companion is unavailable for a scheduled disciplinary hearing, the worker can propose an alternative time that is both reasonable and within five working days of the original hearing. The employer must postpone the hearing to that alternative date and time, unless it is reasonable to reject the proposal.</div>
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To reduce the risk of unfair dismissal, employers may wish to reschedule a disciplinary hearing if the employee has compelling reasons for asking for a postponement. In this case, a combination of the employee's long service, her absences, the relative shortness of the delay and unavailability of her companion combined to make the dismissal unfair.</div>
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Holding a disciplinary hearing in an employee's absence should be a last resort. It may be an option if the employee has persistently failed to attend scheduled hearings for no good reason.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="-ms-zoom: 1; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Talon Engineering Ltd, a medium-sized family business, initiated disciplinary action against Mrs Smith, a long-serving employee, over allegations that she had made inappropriate comments about a number of unnamed colleagues in emails to a business contact in another company. These included allegedly describing one unnamed colleague as a "knob". It was also alleged that Mrs Smith deleted some of these emails to cover her tracks. Mrs Smith was suspended on 29 July 2016 and attended an investigatory meeting on 9 August. On 26 August, she was invited to a disciplinary hearing to take place on 5 September, which was postponed because Mrs Smith was ill and then on annual leave.</span></span><br /> <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 400 13.93px/19.89px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
On 19 September, Mrs Smith was invited to a rescheduled disciplinary hearing to take place on 29 September. Mrs Smith's chosen companion, a regional official from Unite, was unavailable to represent her during the week beginning 29 September. The official's first available dates were 10, 13 or 18 October.</div>
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The employer stated that it would not postpone the rescheduled disciplinary hearing, on the basis that:</div>
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a further delay would put strain on both Mrs Smith and the staff covering her work while she was on suspension; and</div>
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<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">it was entitled to reject the postponement request because the union official could not attend within five days of the date set.</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">However, Mrs Smith explained that she was not prepared to attend in the absence of her chosen companion. The employer proceeded with the disciplinary hearing in her absence and decided to dismiss her, on the grounds that:</li>
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<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">the email comments had the potential to bring the company into serious disrepute;</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">the comments amounted to a breach of the company's bullying and harassment policy; and</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">Mrs Smith had attempted to conceal the contents of some of the emails.</li>
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The employer upheld this decision on appeal and Mrs Smith claimed unfair dismissal in an employment tribunal.</div>
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<em><strong>MY COMMENT : </strong>this is the sort of decision that makes my blood boil! What is the point of having a rule/regulation that says a permitted delay of no more than 5 days to allow for a companion, if, whenever an employee chooses a companion who is not available, the tribunal just disregard the rule and declare the decision unfair on <strong>that </strong>fact, (that the employer would NOT allow a 2 week delay) ? Grrrr, this means any time an employee wants to drag out a legitimate procedure, they just have to request a companion who is patently not available ! And this was a <strong>trade union </strong>representative !! what kind of tin pot union is this that they only have ONE representative, why didn't they send a colleague ? The lesson here is, assume nothing, trust no-one. <a href="http://pmhrc.blogspot.com/2018/09/unfair-dismissal-disciplinary-hearing.html" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>read the full item on my blog page </strong></a></em></div>
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<em>My grateful thanks to XPERTHR for their excellent reporting, read the full piece on their very informative website <strong><a href="https://www.xperthr.co.uk/law-reports/unfair-dismissal-refusal-to-postpone-disciplinary-hearing-when-chosen-companion-unavailable/163510/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a></strong> </em><br /> </div>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman,serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: black;">Unfair Dismissal: Qualifying Period </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><img align="right" data-file-id="1716337" height="92" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/c325d59b-b3f1-43f4-8fb1-621b5604c241.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 92px; margin: 10px; text-decoration: none; width: 150px;" width="150" /><br /><br /><br /> Can an employee, dismissed for gross misconduct just short of qualifying for unfair dismissal, add the week's statutory notice under s86(1) ERA to obtain the right to claim unfair dismissal?<br /><br /> No, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=2c42b7c98d&e=8203e43310" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Lancaster & Duke v Wileman</span></a>, upholding the employer's appeal.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Claimant had been dismissed two days before her two-year work anniversary. She claimed unfair dismissal as, under s97(2) ERA, adding statutory minimum notice of one week would have taken her 'over the line'. The Respondent argued that s86(6) ERA allowed it to dismiss without statutory notice being added, because of the Claimant's (alleged) gross misconduct.</span></div>
<br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The tribunal erred by concluding that s97(2) ERA, a 'deeming provision', meant that statutory notice had to be deemed included in calculating service for unfair dismissal purposes. Applying s86 ERA entirely, s86(6) preserved the right of parties to terminate without notice, which includes without statutory notice. If the Respondent had been entitled to dismiss without notice, no statutory notice could be added to deemed service.<br /><br /> With no wrongful dismissal case brought, the tribunal had made no finding about whether the employee had committed gross misconduct, so the case was remitted for further findings.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 18px;">Dismissal unfair despite misuse of information</span></strong><br /><br /> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;"><tbody>
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Would the use of leaked information fall within the scope of 'trade union activities' for the purposes of a claim of automatically unfair dismissal for taking part in trade union activities (s152 ERA)?<br /><br /> Yes, held the Court of Appeal, in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=14785cb91e&e=8203e43310" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Morris v Metrolink RATP Dev Limted</a>.<img align="right" data-file-id="1680749" height="99" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/4ed7df2d-0ca9-4ffe-ab98-f80c0682d587.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 99px; margin: 10px; text-decoration: none; width: 150px;" width="150" /><br /><br /> Mr Morris was a trade union official. Metrolink underwent a restructuring exercise. This involved an assessment centre, following which 5 employees were put at risk of redundancy. Four were union members. Mr Morris received a photograph of a diary entry made by a line manager who should not have been involved in the assessment, referring to the candidate's performance. He informed HR and then raised a collective grievance. He was dismissed for storing and sharing confidential information. Mr Morris brought claims of ordinary unfair dismissal and automatically unfair dismissal.<br /><br /> The tribunal upheld both claims, but the EAT allowed Metrolink's appeal, finding that the protection for trade union activities did not extend to the wrongful or unlawful retention of confidential information.<br /><br /> The Court of Appeal upheld Mr Morris's appeal. The central issue was whether his conduct in keeping the photograph was fairly separable from the context in which it occurred - the collective grievance. There was no suggestion that he had acted in an underhand manner. He had asked for a copy to look into a potentially serious irregularity affecting the interests of his members, he had not circulated it, and he had informed HR of it. It is not uncommon for union representatives to received leaked information. Although a "strict moralist" might decline to receive it, the Court was not concerned with "an ethics seminar". The limited use the information was put to, which directly affected the members' interests, did not take it outside the scope of trade union activities.</div>
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<img data-file-id="1801169" height="181" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/026380b8-35db-413a-b55c-bf0bd541fa7a.gif" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 181px; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: 450px;" width="450" /><br /> Additionally:<br /> In you need further in depth help working out what exactly counts as minimum wage, the DBIS has produced this 55 page guide,<br /><br /><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511151/BIS-16-144-nmw-calculating-the-national-minimum-wage.pdf" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">"</a><em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511151/BIS-16-144-nmw-calculating-the-national-minimum-wage.pdf" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Calculating the minimum wage" </a> </em></td></tr>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-34044595780428473232018-09-03T12:09:00.000+01:002018-09-03T12:09:06.267+01:00Dismissal unfair despite misuse of information
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dismissal unfair despite misuse of information<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would the use of leaked information fall within the scope of
'trade union activities' for the purposes of a claim of automatically unfair
dismissal for taking part in trade union activities (s152 ERA)?<br />
<br />
Yes, held the Court of Appeal, in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=14785cb91e&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Morris v Metrolink RATP Dev
Limted</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Mr Morris was a trade union official. Metrolink underwent a restructuring
exercise. This involved an assessment centre, following which 5 employees
were put at risk of redundancy. Four were union members. Mr Morris received a
photograph of a diary entry made by a line manager who should not have been
involved in the assessment, referring to the candidate's performance. He
informed HR and then raised a collective grievance. He was dismissed for
storing and sharing confidential information. Mr Morris brought claims of
ordinary unfair dismissal and automatically unfair dismissal.<br />
<br />
The tribunal upheld both claims, but the EAT allowed Metrolink's appeal,
finding that the protection for trade union activities did not extend to the
wrongful or unlawful retention of confidential information.<br />
<br />
The Court of Appeal upheld Mr Morris's appeal. The central issue was whether
his conduct in keeping the photograph was fairly separable from the context
in which it occurred - the collective grievance. There was no suggestion that
he had acted in an underhand manner. He had asked for a copy to look into a
potentially serious irregularity affecting the interests of his members, he
had not circulated it, and he had informed HR of it. It is not uncommon for
union representatives to received leaked information. Although a "strict
moralist" might decline to receive it, the Court was not concerned with
"an ethics seminar". The limited use the information was put to,
which directly affected the members' interests, did not take it outside the
scope of trade union activities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-36391383990401705472018-09-03T12:03:00.001+01:002018-09-03T12:03:20.656+01:00Unfair Dismissal: Qualifying Period
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unfair Dismissal: Qualifying Period <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can an employee, dismissed for gross misconduct just short of
qualifying for unfair dismissal, add the week's statutory notice under s86(1)
ERA to obtain the right to claim unfair dismissal?<br />
<br />
No, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=2c42b7c98d&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Lancaster & Duke v Wileman</span></a>,
upholding the employer's appeal.<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Claimant had been dismissed two days before her two-year
work anniversary. She claimed unfair dismissal as, under s97(2) ERA, adding
statutory minimum notice of one week would have taken her 'over the line'.
The Respondent argued that s86(6) ERA allowed it to dismiss without statutory
notice being added, because of the Claimant's (alleged) gross misconduct.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
The tribunal erred by concluding that s97(2) ERA, a 'deeming provision',
meant that statutory notice had to be deemed included in calculating service
for unfair dismissal purposes. Applying s86 ERA entirely, s86(6) preserved
the right of parties to terminate without notice, which includes without
statutory notice. If the Respondent had been entitled to dismiss without
notice, no statutory notice could be added to deemed service.<br />
<br />
With no wrongful dismissal case brought, the tribunal had made no finding
about whether the employee had committed gross misconduct, so the case was
remitted for further findings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-87192400463528030682018-09-03T10:56:00.003+01:002018-09-03T10:56:41.912+01:00Caste Discrimination
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<h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Caste Discrimination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rfua4hpvtbU/W40Dx5SGmRI/AAAAAAAAAwI/oarZzedYTkQPIGVtF5GLaY3wmqz4Z9f0gCLcBGAs/s1600/gavel-book-150x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rfua4hpvtbU/W40Dx5SGmRI/AAAAAAAAAwI/oarZzedYTkQPIGVtF5GLaY3wmqz4Z9f0gCLcBGAs/s1600/gavel-book-150x150.jpg" /></a></div>
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Government has decided <u>not</u> to add
'caste' as a protected characteristic within the <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Equality Act 2010</span></em>.<br />
<br />
The main reason is difficulty drafting a precise legal definition of 'caste',
which includes the difficulty in differentiating 'caste' from 'social class'
(and hence introducing 'social class' as a protected characteristic). At first
blush, this sounds a bit like a rationalisation to justify a predetermined
decision. But reading the consultation response actually shows these are both
very real problems.<br />
<br />
Instead, the government will rely on emerging caselaw such as <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=6e95f75af4&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Chandhok v Tirkey</span></a> in the
expectation the courts can provide some measure of protection against
discrimination on grounds of caste through the 'ethnic origin' route.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em><strong>MY COMMENT: </strong>Could this conceivably be a rare moment of common sense?<strong> </strong>I wouldn't hold my breath though, imagine if we did include this sort of category, from, what is in essence, another culture ! </em></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em> </em></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em> As always my thanks to the Daniel Barnett site for their material <a href="https://mailchi.mp/emplawservices/o6jbq9p3xj?e=8203e43310" target="_blank">see them here</a> </em> </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-7330325866460833702018-09-03T10:43:00.001+01:002018-09-03T10:43:51.962+01:00Philosophical Belief Discrimination
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<h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Philosophical Belief Discrimination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HFDisn3ro_s/W40CSrHiDDI/AAAAAAAAAv8/mV9SZtJ0BUkPbv5kSjYy0xNUbUzArZB-QCLcBGAs/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="334" height="144" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HFDisn3ro_s/W40CSrHiDDI/AAAAAAAAAv8/mV9SZtJ0BUkPbv5kSjYy0xNUbUzArZB-QCLcBGAs/s320/books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Can an employer discriminate on grounds of
philosophical belief where the employee is the only person to hold such a
belief?<br />
<br />
No, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=a8ebec27d5&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Gray v Mulberry</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Ms Gray worked for Mulberry. She refused to sign a standard contract clause
assigning copyright in her work to her employer, fearing it would give them
ownership over a novel and screenplay she was writing (even though the contract
was amended to exclude them). She was eventually dismissed.<br />
<br />
She claimed her belief in the sanctity of copyright law was a philosophical
belief and thus a protected characteristic. The Employment Appeal Tribunal,
after considering the necessary limbs for establishing a philosophical belief,
held that the tribunal was entitled to conclude that the belief lacked
sufficient cogency to qualify under the <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Equality
Act 2010</span></em>.<br />
<br />
Of more interest, the EAT held that even if it was wrong, there could be no
indirect discrimination because Ms Gray was (as far as the evidence went) the
only person known to hold such a belief. Accordingly there could be no
disadvantaged group, as she was not part of any group. Thus her indirect
discrimination claim had to fail. Permission has been granted to appeal to the
Court of Appeal.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em><strong>MY COMMENT : </strong>is there no limit to what people will try on ? And now it might be going to the Court of Appeal, who pays for this ? I bet it's not Mrs Gray ! </em></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Thank to the always excellent Daniel Barnett site for these reports, see them <a href="https://mailchi.mp/emplawservices/philosophical-belief-discrimination?e=8203e43310" target="_blank">HERE</a></em></span>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-22134999357311811662018-09-03T10:34:00.001+01:002018-09-03T10:34:31.407+01:00unfair dismissal | disciplinary hearing postponements | availability of companion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blHxfbjnBKI/W4z8LjRkQII/AAAAAAAAAv0/kITeymkNP242WWRIDFOdU5l4Sye0GSBdQCEwYBhgL/s1600/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="480" height="132" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blHxfbjnBKI/W4z8LjRkQII/AAAAAAAAAv0/kITeymkNP242WWRIDFOdU5l4Sye0GSBdQCEwYBhgL/s200/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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In <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Talon Engineering Ltd v Smith</i>, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that an employer's refusal to postpone a disciplinary hearing for two weeks to allow the employee's union official to accompany her made the dismissal unfair.</div>
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<div class="article-box right grid-width-3" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border: 1px solid rgb(240, 157, 197); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: right; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; height: 976px; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 22px 0px 22px 22px; orphans: 2; padding: 12px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: 186px; word-spacing: 0px;">
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Implications for employers</div>
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Under the right to be accompanied, where a worker's chosen companion is unavailable for a scheduled disciplinary hearing, the worker can propose an alternative time that is both reasonable and within five working days of the original hearing. The employer must postpone the hearing to that alternative date and time, unless it is reasonable to reject the proposal.</div>
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To reduce the risk of unfair dismissal, employers may wish to reschedule a disciplinary hearing if the employee has compelling reasons for asking for a postponement. In this case, a combination of the employee's long service, her absences, the relative shortness of the delay and unavailability of her companion combined to make the dismissal unfair.</div>
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Holding a disciplinary hearing in an employee's absence should be a last resort. It may be an option if the employee has persistently failed to attend scheduled hearings for no good reason.</div>
</div>
<span style="-ms-zoom: 1; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Talon Engineering Ltd, a medium-sized family business, initiated disciplinary action against Mrs Smith, a long-serving employee, over allegations that she had made inappropriate comments about a number of unnamed colleagues in emails to a business contact in another company. These included allegedly describing one unnamed colleague as a "knob". It was also alleged that Mrs Smith deleted some of these emails to cover her tracks.</span><br />
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Mrs Smith was suspended on 29 July 2016 and attended an investigatory meeting on 9 August. On 26 August, she was invited to a disciplinary hearing to take place on 5 September, which was postponed because Mrs Smith was ill and then on annual leave.</div>
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On 19 September, Mrs Smith was invited to a rescheduled disciplinary hearing to take place on 29 September. Mrs Smith's chosen companion, a regional official from Unite, was unavailable to represent her during the week beginning 29 September. The official's first available dates were 10, 13 or 18 October.</div>
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The employer stated that it would not postpone the rescheduled disciplinary hearing, on the basis that:</div>
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<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">a further delay would put strain on both Mrs Smith and the staff covering her work while she was on suspension; and</li>
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">it was entitled to reject the postponement request because the union official could not attend within five days of the date set.</li>
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However, Mrs Smith explained that she was not prepared to attend in the absence of her chosen companion. The employer proceeded with the disciplinary hearing in her absence and decided to dismiss her, on the grounds that:</div>
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<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">the email comments had the potential to bring the company into serious disrepute;</li>
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">the comments amounted to a breach of the company's bullying and harassment policy; and</li>
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">Mrs Smith had attempted to conceal the contents of some of the emails.</li>
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The employer upheld this decision on appeal and Mrs Smith claimed unfair dismissal in an employment tribunal.</div>
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The employment tribunal held that the failure to postpone the disciplinary hearing to enable the trade union representative to accompany Mrs Smith made the dismissal unfair. The tribunal went on to reduce Mrs Smith's basic and compensatory awards by 15% for contributory fault and made a further <a href="https://www.xperthr.co.uk/glossary/polkey-principle/150329/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a64b77; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Polkey</i> reduction</a> of 15% to her compensatory award.</span><br />
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In making these reductions, the tribunal accepted that the emails included "highly critical remarks" about colleagues, but pointed out that Mrs Smith did not breach the company's bullying and harassment policy, as the comments were not made to the individuals concerned. The tribunal also criticised the employer for an insufficient investigation into the allegation that Mrs Smith had deleted some of these emails to cover her tracks.</span><br />
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The EAT rejected the employer's appeal. The EAT stressed that the circumstances of this case involve two distinct statutory provisions. On the one hand, s.10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 provides for the right to be accompanied by a companion who meets the statutory definition. On the other hand, tribunals assess whether or not a claimant has been unfairly dismissed by reference to s.98(4) of the Employment Rights Act 1996.</span><br />
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The EAT held that the employment tribunal was entitled to:</div>
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<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">conclude that it was unreasonable for the employer to refuse to postpone the hearing for a short period of time after Mrs Smith returned from annual leave; and</li>
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">make no reference to s.10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999, so as not to make the mistake of conflating two quite different statutory provisions.</li>
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According to the EAT, once the tribunal decided that the employer had acted unreasonably in not postponing the hearing, it followed that Mrs Smith was not at fault for failing to attend the hearing. It would be unreasonable to require her to do so when the hearing had been unfairly proceeding in the absence of her chosen companion. This was a fundamental procedural defect that the employer did not cure at the appeal stage.</div>
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In upholding the employment tribunal decision, the EAT also rejected the assertions that the tribunal:</div>
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</span><br />
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">substituted its views of the dismissal's fairness for those of a reasonable employer;</li>
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">erred in its approach to reducing compensation for contributory fault and under the <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Polkey</i> principle; and</li>
<li style="background: url("https://assets.xperthr.co.uk/latest/Shared/Content/Images/Global/Bullet.gif") no-repeat 3px 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.93px; line-height: 19.89px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 20px;">was wrong to conclude that the email comments were not a breach of the employer's bullying and harassment policy.</li>
</ul>
<span style="-ms-zoom: 1; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 400 13.93px/19.89px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Overall, the EAT approved the employment tribunal's decision that it was a "gross overreaction" to dismiss Mrs Smith for the emails, given her long and unblemished service and the short further postponement to the disciplinary hearing that was needed.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 400 13.93px/19.89px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<em><strong>MY COMMENT : </strong>this is the sort of decision that makes my blood boil! What is the point of having a rule/regulation that says a permitted delay of no more than 5 days to allow for a companion, if, whenever an employee chooses a companion who is not available, the tribunal just disregard the rule and declare the decision unfair on <strong>that </strong>fact, (that the employer would allow a 2 week delay) ? Grrrr, this means any time an employee wants to drag out a legitimate procedure, they just have to request a companion who is patently not available ! And this was a <strong>trade union </strong>representative !! what kind of tin pot union is this that they only have ONE representative, why didn't they send a colleague ? The lesson here is, assume nothing, trust no-one.</em></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 400 13.93px/19.89px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<em>My grateful thanks to XPERTHR for their excellent reporting, read the full piece on their very informative website <strong><a href="https://www.xperthr.co.uk/law-reports/unfair-dismissal-refusal-to-postpone-disciplinary-hearing-when-chosen-companion-unavailable/163510/" target="_blank">HERE</a></strong> </em></div>
Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-52191330571119529932018-09-03T10:07:00.000+01:002018-09-03T10:07:22.483+01:00AGENCY WORKER STATUS <span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQfZt1odVH0/W4z4bSBGyyI/AAAAAAAAAvk/pg_2RUg_344yhFeHZ5C2avBm3fmnfAU7gCLcBGAs/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="168" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQfZt1odVH0/W4z4bSBGyyI/AAAAAAAAAvk/pg_2RUg_344yhFeHZ5C2avBm3fmnfAU7gCLcBGAs/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">Could an employee on a zero
hours contract be an agency worker if his position was temporary rather than
permanent?</span><br />
<br />
Yes, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=996b318940&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Matei v Brooknight Guarding Limited</span></a>.<br />
<br />
The Claimant was employed as a security guard on a 'zero hours contract' by the
Respondent. He was assigned to different sites for different clients as and
when required but he worked mostly for one particular client, Mitie. He was
dismissed after 21 months.<br />
<br />
The Claimant claimed that he was an agency worker, and therefore entitled to
the same basic working conditions as the Mitie staff after 12 weeks' service.
The tribunal agreed, on the basis that he had been supplied to work temporarily
for the hirer (Mitie) and worked under their supervision and direction. His
employer appealed.<br />
<br />
The EAT upheld the tribunal's decision on 'employee status'. The employer
argued that the fact he worked on a zero hours contract did not necessarily
mean he could not be a permanent employee. The EAT rejected this. The position
was temporary as it was not permanent or indefinite. The tribunal had adopted
the correct approach to this, and even the employer's evidence suggested that
the arrangement had been temporary.</span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>MY COMMENT : you may have to read this more than once, I certainly had to, it is written in "legalese" a bit, but it goes to show, you must assume nothing, about employment law matters, the guarding company took an "employee" (my emphasis ) in all good faith, albeit a zero hours contract to meet the needs of the business, but the employee decides to challenge his status (that he agreed to when he signed up) in order to gain the additional benefits of a different status, ie that of agency worker ! </em></span></h2>
Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-58601343516459818622018-08-06T09:49:00.002+01:002018-08-06T09:49:21.071+01:00Harassment
<br />
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<h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Harassment</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In two unusual cases, the General Court of the European Union
has ruled that the European Parliament and the European Investment Bank pay
compensation to employees who suffered harassment.<br />
<br />
In the <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=629b04f9d1&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">first case</span></a>, a member
of the European Parliament hired a parliamentary assistant. She subjected her
to psychological harassment consisting of humiliating and scornful language,
threats, insults and swearing. The General Court (overturning the
Parliament's internal decision) held that the degree of repetitive and
systematic intentional behaviour could not be excused (as the European
Parliament had done) on the grounds it was an inherently stressful
atmosphere, and awarded €10,000.<br />
<br />
In the <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=37615eed52&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">second case</span></a>, an
administrator claimed that her career at the European Investment Bank had
been damaged by bullying. The Bank awarded her compensation but imposed a
confidentiality requirement. The General Court held it was wrong to impose a
confidentiality requirement, as the public interest required such findings of
harassment to be open. Further, imposing confidentiality went against the aim
of preventing and penalising European Institutions which permitted
harassment. A €10,000 award was made because of the confidentiality
requirement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-6559888679339430782018-08-06T09:47:00.000+01:002018-08-06T09:47:01.182+01:00Minimum Wage: 'On Call' Sleeping In
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<h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Minimum Wage: 'On Call' Sleeping In</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FdPOKaKdeoc/W2gK7esF7BI/AAAAAAAAAvY/3opr5RToORQGzID-yNXy35T2WVwm7VBlwCLcBGAs/s1600/care%2Bworkers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="260" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FdPOKaKdeoc/W2gK7esF7BI/AAAAAAAAAvY/3opr5RToORQGzID-yNXy35T2WVwm7VBlwCLcBGAs/s1600/care%2Bworkers.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are carers who sleep at a client's home, technically being 'on
call', entitled to the minimum wage while they are asleep?<br />
<br />
No, held the Court of Appeal in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=ea16fa94ce&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">MenCap v Tomlinson-Blake</span></a>.<br />
<br />
The <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">National Minimum Wage
Act 1998</span></em> and the <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">National
Minimum Wage Regulations 2015</span></em> contain highly complex rules about
calculating the number of hours worked by a worker, which is one of the
figures needed to work out the workers' average hourly pay.<br />
<br />
Underhill LJ considered the issue as a matter of principle, deciding that
workers sleeping in under this sort of arrangement will only be entitled to
have sleep-in hours counted for minimum wage purposes where they are, and are
required to be, awake for the purpose of performing some specific activity.<br />
<br />
He then went on to review about a dozen previous authorities. He held at
least one of them to be wrongly decided, meaning that the <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=6e6c640d4c&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">EAT's decision</span></a> below
(which concluded that a multi-factorial approach should be used) was
necessarily flawed because it had been attempting to reconcile previous
caselaw that it, the Court of Appeal, now considered wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-39932622634634223212018-08-06T09:43:00.002+01:002018-08-06T09:43:56.272+01:00Philosophical Belief Discrimination
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Philosophical Belief Discrimination</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bh5asJF0hZo/W2gKOQExFAI/AAAAAAAAAvM/5yi6fuYDyZY9v4tKfzu0qpQwIk9B-43ngCLcBGAs/s1600/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="480" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bh5asJF0hZo/W2gKOQExFAI/AAAAAAAAAvM/5yi6fuYDyZY9v4tKfzu0qpQwIk9B-43ngCLcBGAs/s320/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Can an employer discriminate on grounds of
philosophical belief where the employee is the only person to hold such a
belief?<br />
<br />
No, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=a8ebec27d5&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Gray v Mulberry</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Ms Gray worked for Mulberry. She refused to sign a standard contract clause
assigning copyright in her work to her employer, fearing it would give them
ownership over a novel and screenplay she was writing (even though the contract
was amended to exclude them). She was eventually dismissed.<br />
<br />
She claimed her belief in the sanctity of copyright law was a philosophical
belief and thus a protected characteristic. The Employment Appeal Tribunal,
after considering the necessary limbs for establishing a philosophical belief,
held that the tribunal was entitled to conclude that the belief lacked
sufficient cogency to qualify under the <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Equality
Act 2010</span></em>.<br />
<br />
Of more interest, the EAT held that even if it was wrong, there could be no
indirect discrimination because Ms Gray was (as far as the evidence went) the
only person known to hold such a belief. Accordingly there could be no
disadvantaged group, as she was not part of any group. Thus her indirect
discrimination claim had to fail. Permission has been granted to appeal to the
Court of Appeal.</span>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-38129423901680083702018-08-06T09:41:00.000+01:002018-08-06T09:41:02.368+01:00Caste Discrimination<h2>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><u>The Government has decided not
to add 'caste' as a protected characteristic within the <span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Equality Act 2010</span>.</u></span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMlH_7TFzOk/W2gJi8R9sPI/AAAAAAAAAvE/C4ZpAz1v808n-tftys-SSGbBPWpJCT1dgCLcBGAs/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="168" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMlH_7TFzOk/W2gJi8R9sPI/AAAAAAAAAvE/C4ZpAz1v808n-tftys-SSGbBPWpJCT1dgCLcBGAs/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
<br />
The main reason is difficulty drafting a precise legal definition of 'caste',
which includes the difficulty in differentiating 'caste' from 'social class'
(and hence introducing 'social class' as a protected characteristic). At first
blush, this sounds a bit like a rationalisation to justify a predetermined
decision. But reading the consultation response actually shows these are both
very real problems.<br />
<br />
Instead, the government will rely on emerging caselaw such as <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=6e95f75af4&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Chandhok v Tirkey</span></a> in the
expectation the courts can provide some measure of protection against
discrimination on grounds of caste through the 'ethnic origin' route.</span>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-23548522338430620082018-08-06T09:36:00.000+01:002018-08-06T09:36:30.678+01:00Report on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-btK2dVnJPvU/W2gIJ1UQaaI/AAAAAAAAAu4/XntRH5Y4640jmfnftdKf2ilFafThA6PfgCLcBGAs/s1600/managements-responsibility-10265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="295" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-btK2dVnJPvU/W2gIJ1UQaaI/AAAAAAAAAu4/XntRH5Y4640jmfnftdKf2ilFafThA6PfgCLcBGAs/s1600/managements-responsibility-10265.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Women and Equalities
Commission (a parliamentary committee) has produced its report on <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=c99ec20f99&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Sexual Harassment in the Workplace</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Its <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=9e337d3421&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">recommendations</span></a> are:<br />
<br />
• a mandatory duty on employers to protect employees from sexual
harassment in the workplace, enforceable by the EHRC and punishable by fines<br />
<br />
• a duty for public sector employers to conduct risk assessment for sexual
harassment, and take steps to mitigate any risks<br />
<br />
• reintroducing third party harassment, so that employers are liable if
they have failed to take reasonable steps to prevent others harassing their
staff<br />
<br />
• extending sexual harassment protection interns and volunteers<br />
<br />
• extension of the time limit for bringing a claim to six months, with the
clock paused while any internal grievance process is going on<br />
<br />
• enabling tribunals to award punitive damages in sexual harassment cases
creating a presumption of costs, so that employers will ordinarily have to pay
the employee’s legal costs if it loses a sexual harassment case<br />
<br />
• limiting the ability to use confidentiality clauses in settlement
agreements to ‘government approved’ standard clauses<br />
<br />
• making it a professional disciplinary offence for lawyers (and, in
certain circumstances, also a criminal offence for the employer and the lawyer)
to propose the use of a non-approved confidentiality clause</span>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-46746647149350324852018-07-03T20:46:00.001+01:002018-07-03T20:46:52.053+01:00Amazon workers fight 'most high-profile gig economy case'<div class="article-summary" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; cursor: default; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
he case could make other companies think carefully about their treatment of self-employed workers</div>
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Delivery drivers used by Amazon are fighting for improved employment rights, in what is being described as the most high-profile gig economy case to date. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nut_fdnS-fk/WzvSKrDEWGI/AAAAAAAAAus/CulZM-fkHuAcOr6Gc2aVzyo5ff4E8ux0wCLcBGAs/s1600/amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nut_fdnS-fk/WzvSKrDEWGI/AAAAAAAAAus/CulZM-fkHuAcOr6Gc2aVzyo5ff4E8ux0wCLcBGAs/s320/amazon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Labour union GMB has announced that it is taking legal action on behalf of its members working for three delivery firms used by Amazon, arguing that the companies have wrongly classified them as self-employed. </div>
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The union said that self-employed workers face problems that full-time employees do not, despite carrying out similar duties. The issues raised by self-employed workers include having no right to holiday pay, sick pay, or overtime. </div>
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GMB said in a statement that the drivers should be regarded as employees, but “companies used the bogus self-employment model to wrongly deny them employment rights such as the national minimum wage and holiday pay”. </div>
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The union added: “The drivers were required to attend scheduled shifts that were controlled by Amazon, meaning they did not have the flexibility that is integral to being self-employed. In this situation the couriers were treated like employees in terms of their working hours, GMB Union contends they should be treated as employees in terms of their rights too.” </div>
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Two of the three claimants in the lawsuit are claiming <a href="http://hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/hr-is-in-the-firing-line-as-whistleblowing-claims-soar" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b4181e; text-decoration: none;">whistleblower status</a>, saying they were dismissed after raising concerns about working practices. </div>
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Amazon has faced <a href="http://hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/bloodworth-use-of-agencies-a-factor-in-poor-conditions-at-amazon" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b4181e; text-decoration: none;">various allegations</a> over poor working conditions. Most recently, in a members survey by GMB, people described working in their warehouses as “soul-destroying.” </div>
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Figures obtained by <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">VICE</i> under the Freedom of Information Act last week found that ambulances had been called 600 times in the past three years in Amazon’s UK warehouses. <a href="http://hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/working-at-amazon-the-other-side-of-the-story" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b4181e; text-decoration: none;">Amazon has frequently denied</a> the accusations. </div>
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In response to the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">VICE</em> figures, an Amazon spokesperson said: “It is simply not correct to suggest that we have unsafe working conditions based on this data or on unsubstantiated anecdotes.”</div>
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The latest legal challenge involving Amazon is <a href="http://hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/workers-and-employers-want-better-gig-economy-protections" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b4181e; text-decoration: none;">one of a string of lawsuits</a> related to the gig economy. In a similar case in October 2016, Uber lost an employment tribunal which had challenged the self-employed status of a group of Uber drivers, with judges deeming them workers.</div>
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Neil McKay, senior employment and discrimination lawyer at Leigh Day who are representing drivers on the case, told <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">HR </em>magazine that the case should make other companies examine their use of agencies.</div>
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"The case is significant in that it directly addresses the system that Amazon uses. They have tried to distance themselves from these companies, but all three [of the agencies it uses] operate in the same way. Amazon is ultimately in charge of determining the way workers are treated."</div>
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McKay added that unions play an important role in protecting gig workers. </div>
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"The case shows that the work that <a href="http://hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/generational-pay-gap-widens-as-union-membership-droops" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b4181e; text-decoration: none;">unions do is still is incredibly important.</a> Many gig workers are extremely vulnerable to exploitation, a lot of them are too afraid to speak out. I hope that more gig workers will join. There's a real public safety concern, not just for workers, but for others on the roads who could be hurt if Amazon drivers are working while tired."</div>
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Amy Richardson, associate solicitor at Coffin Mew, highlighted that this case is being hailed as the most high-profile gig economy case to date, with other companies also likely to change their approach to the self-employed if Amazon does.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /> </div>
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“It’s one of many cases we’ve seen from companies who choose to use gig workers," she told <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">HR</em> magazine. "[But] it stands out because of how high profile Amazon is as a company, and the amount of publicity it's received over working practices recently." </div>
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Richardson said that, though Amazon wasn't legally responsible for agency workers, it's still morally responsible. </div>
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"As Amazon is using intermediary companies it would not legally be responsible to pay compensation if it loses the case, and it has always said that employees can work directly for Amazon if they want to," she said. </div>
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"But obviously it isn’t really a good excuse. Amazon chose to use these agencies, and even if it wins the case it would face a huge media backlash. It would likely make other companies think very carefully about their treatment of self-employed workers in the future, and possibly bring about changes for gig economy workers.” </div>
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<em><strong>My Comment: </strong>it was only a matter of time before they caught up with the big guys, test the water with the Pimlico Plumbers and Deliveroos, then go after the big fish ! </em></div>
Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-66475572216286432022018-07-03T20:40:00.001+01:002018-07-03T20:40:41.160+01:00PIMLICO PLUMBERS, the last word ?
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Employment Status</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Qevuqja6tA/WzvQ0araetI/AAAAAAAAAug/ts-8Dc34-kgMnO5t3qWU8LOZYTwAMnfuQCLcBGAs/s1600/PIMLICO%2BVAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="634" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Qevuqja6tA/WzvQ0araetI/AAAAAAAAAug/ts-8Dc34-kgMnO5t3qWU8LOZYTwAMnfuQCLcBGAs/s320/PIMLICO%2BVAN.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Was the Pimlico Plumbers tribunal entitled to conclude that Mr
Smith was a ‘worker’ under s230(3)(b) of the <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Employment Rights Act</span></em>?<br />
<br />
Yes, held the Supreme Court this morning in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=f574ac9df6&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Pimlico Plumbers v Gary Smith</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Mr Smith issued several claims in the tribunal in 2011. An employment
tribunal found that Mr Smith was not an employee but was a 'worker' and 'in
employment' within the meaning of the <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Equality
Act</span></em>. This finding was upheld by the EAT and the Court of Appeal.<br />
<br />
For Mr Smith to qualify as a worker, the Supreme Court had to agree that he
had undertaken to personally perform work for Pimlico Plumbers and that the
company was neither his client nor his customer.<br />
<br />
The dominant feature of Mr Smith's contract was that he should perform the
work himself; he did not have an unfettered right to give away the work.
Although Mr Smith had the ability to swap a shift with another Pimlico
Plumber, this was a qualified right not set out in his written contract. Mr
Smith was able to reject work and bore some financial risk, but this did not
outweigh the factors pointing against Pimlico Plumbers being a client. The
company controlled Mr Smith's uniform and his administrative duties, as well
as when and how much payment he received. The relationship of subordination
was a key indicator that Pimlico Plumbers was not a client of Mr Smith.<br />
<br />
Accordingly, the employment tribunal was entitled to conclude that Mr Smith
was a 'worker'.<br />
<br />
The Supreme Court judgment adds very little to the existing caselaw on the
meaning of 'worker'; the court focused on whether the tribunal was entitled -
on the facts - to find that Mr Smith was a worker.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><strong>My Comment:</strong> well you can't say they didn't put up a fight, but the Supreme Court has ruled, that has to be the end of the matter...………….or does it ! </em></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-85114728714277433652018-07-03T20:35:00.001+01:002018-07-03T20:35:57.238+01:00Does misconduct need to be "gross" to warrant dismissal?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tvAIOeELhE/WzvPapfq16I/AAAAAAAAAuU/LGo9rZEzDP8nO-IPSFYPBFxugw4JLg1NACLcBGAs/s1600/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="480" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tvAIOeELhE/WzvPapfq16I/AAAAAAAAAuU/LGo9rZEzDP8nO-IPSFYPBFxugw4JLg1NACLcBGAs/s320/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Does 'misconduct' need to
be 'gross' to make a dismissal (without prior warnings) fair?<br />
<br />
No, held the EAT in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=ead1b4b045&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Quintiles Commercial v Barongo</span></a>.<br />
<br />
The Claimant worked in pharmaceutical sales. After failing to complete
compliance training and missing a compulsory training course, the Claimant was
dismissed with notice for 'gross misconduct'. On appeal, the employer
re-categorised the misconduct as 'serious', but nonetheless upheld the
dismissal. The ET held that the dismissal was unfair, holding that for
'serious' misconduct dismissals, prior warnings are to apply.<br />
<br />
The EAT upheld the employer's appeal. Under Section 98 (4) ERA, there was no
rule that dismissing an employee without prior warnings for conduct that is
less than gross misconduct must be unfair, although in most cases such
dismissals are outside the band of reasonable responses. The ET took a rigid
view that where conduct fell short of gross misconduct, dismissal could only be
appropriate if other warnings were in place. The ET should have considered the
entire circumstances of the case, including the ACAS code and the employer's
disciplinary procedure; it had substituted its view for that of the employer.
The case was remitted to a new ET for reconsideration.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em><strong>My Comment : </strong>Seems fair to me, if you behave very badly do you deserve to keep your job just because your actual conduct wasn't on the list on the employee handbook ? Can you ever trust someone who simply won't do as you tell them ? </em></span>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-32701844125538618172018-06-04T10:42:00.000+01:002018-06-04T10:42:03.935+01:00Can an employer be vicariously liable for the criminal actions of a rogue employee
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vicarious Liability and Data Protection Breaches</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks to <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=556d2d7674&e=8203e43310"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">James English</span></a> of Hempsons solicitors for
preparing this case summary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can an employer be vicariously liable for the criminal actions
of a rogue employee in breach of the <span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Data
Protection Act?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FpgGMM5FP0k/WxUJTyUmaKI/AAAAAAAAAuA/NStBDUjiZh4ADLQ5ZZr878qQt3Tk4vYVACLcBGAs/s1600/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="480" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FpgGMM5FP0k/WxUJTyUmaKI/AAAAAAAAAuA/NStBDUjiZh4ADLQ5ZZr878qQt3Tk4vYVACLcBGAs/s320/legal%2Bgavel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, held the High Court, in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=a677268ad1&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Various Claimants v Wm Morrisons
Supermarkets plc.</span></a><br />
<br />
In early 2014, the personal details of almost 100,000 Morrisons employees
were deliberately published on the internet and sent to three newspapers. The
culprit, a senior IT manager, had harboured a grudge against his employer
following disciplinary action the year before. Over 5,500 employees brought
claims for breach of statutory duty in relation to the <span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Data Protection Act (DPA)</span>,
the misuse of private information and breach of confidence.<br />
<br />
The High Court first considered Morrisons' primary liability under the DPA.
The IT manager responsible had been given access to the data as part of his
role, it was needed for an audit, but it had been published from his home, on
his personal computer, outside working hours and with the deliberate intent
of harming Morrisons. The court identified only one breach of the DPA
"Morrisons had not organised the deletion of the data from his work
computer" but this failure did not cause any loss, the rule being aimed
at the inadvertent retention of data rather than its deliberate misuse.<br />
<br />
As for vicarious liability, the issue was whether the employee's actions had
been in the course of their employment, that is, whether their wrongful
conduct was closely connected to their authorised duties. The manager had
been entrusted with the data, and received it and copied it as part of his
role. The court held that the breach (the later publication) was part of a
seamless and continuing sequence of events, and there was sufficient
connection with his employment and the wrongful conduct.<br />
<br />
Finally, the court granted Morrisons the right to appeal on the basis that
the employee's aim had been to cause loss to his employer, and this decision
could render the Court a witting accessory to his </span></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">criminal actions.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><strong><u>My Comment:</u></strong> Well yes, actually, who else could be liable ? he was <strong>their </strong>employee with access to their data bases as part of his employment. The fact that, on this occasion there was no "Loss" (phew) there could well have been ! Perhaps this company will introduce more stringent measures in future! ( I do accept that "more stringent measures" will have to be thought up by an "IT person" hmmmmm perhaps we might think that "<strong>IT PEOPLE" should be regulated and licenced like financial services ? </strong></em></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-38962240310314288552018-06-04T10:29:00.004+01:002018-06-04T10:29:42.322+01:00Does video surveillance of lecture halls violate a professor's right to privacy?
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Surveillance Cameras and Privacy at Work </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks to <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=837d537ece&e=8203e43310"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Karen Jackson</span></a> of didlaw for preparing
this case summary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BWjvomiwZb8/WxUGKCruRVI/AAAAAAAAAt4/97WP56mY1jMzlmWLW66xCOGZZRC9_AjWgCEwYBhgL/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="168" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BWjvomiwZb8/WxUGKCruRVI/AAAAAAAAAt4/97WP56mY1jMzlmWLW66xCOGZZRC9_AjWgCEwYBhgL/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Does video surveillance of lecture halls violate a professor's
right to privacy?<br />
<br />
Yes, held the European Court of Human Rights in <a href="https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=137d2f63f5&e=8203e43310" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5e92e4;">Antovic and Mirkovic v Montenegro</span></a>.<br />
<br />
Article 8 of the <span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">European
Convention on Human Rights</span> protects the right to respect for
private and family life. The Dean of the School of Mathematics installed
video surveillance in a public lecture theatre at a Montenegro university to
"protect safety of property, people and students". It also
recorded lectures.<br />
<br />
The data was protected by codes known only to the Dean and kept for one year.
The Personal Data Protection Agency ordered the removal of the cameras. There
was no evidence safety was an issue and therefore no legitimate grounds for
data collection. Ms Antovic and Mr Mirkovic brought compensation claims.
Domestic courts held that Article 8 had not been violated.<br />
<br />
By four votes to three the European Court ruled that although the University
is a public sphere, private life encompasses business and professional
activities. Article 8 had been breached.</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><strong>My Comment : </strong>I absolutely despair !! I could have a coronary ! What utter stupidity to make a decision like this, since when has a public "sphere" like a lecture hall in a University become the "private life" of a tutor ? What if , one day, the students had kicked off and attacked or abused the lecturer, what if the lecturer had a "funny turn" and attacked an unruly student, I bet they'd be glad of the evidence. What next, taking out the video cameras from Railway Stations, shopping malls, post offices etc, because it impinges on the rights of the staff, or is an intrusion into the private life of a shop lifter or vandal The world is going mad ! On a more down to earth note, Thank you anyway to the ever first class and informative Daniel Barnett site for this piece. <a href="http://www.danielbarnett.co.uk/" target="_blank">see his site here</a> </em></span></div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-49287974753963591902018-06-04T10:10:00.002+01:002018-06-04T10:10:26.611+01:00Can a dismissal for misconduct without prior warning be reasonable <h3>
Can a dismissal for misconduct without prior warning
be reasonable when multiple issues arise, none of which are, by themselves,
gross misconduct?</h3>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Yes, held the EAT in <a href="mhtml:file:///C:/Users/paul/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/S6WR2Q2X/email.mht!x-usc:https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=b6d68bad12&e=8203e43310" style="color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Mbubaegbu v Homerton University Hospital</a>.<br /><br />The Claimant
was a consultant surgeon, of black African origin. The Hospital had introduced
internal reporting procedures designed to address a dysfunctional working
environment. The Claimant was dismissed for multiple alleged breaches, despite
an unblemished career. His colleagues had also faced similar, less serious
allegations and none were dismissed. The tribunal held the dismissal was fair,
not discriminatory and not wrongful. There was no single finding of an act of
gross misconduct by the Claimant.<br /><br />The tribunal accepted that trust and
confidence had been undermined by the employee's conduct. The EAT noted that
<em>"it is quite possible for a series of acts demonstrating a pattern of
conduct to be of sufficient seriousness to undermine the relationship of trust
and confidence between employer and employee"</em>. It saw <em>"no reason why an
employer would be acting outside the range of reasonable responses were it to
dismiss an employee in whom it had lost trust and confidence in this
way".</em><br /><br />Another issue was whether the tribunal had erred by looking at
the discrimination allegations individually rather than cumulatively when
deciding if the burden of proof shifted to the employer. This ground also
failed; the EAT was satisfied on a fair reading of the judgment that the
tribunal had been <em>"alive to the need to consider matters in the round as
opposed to taking a purely fragmentary approach"</em>.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>My Comment: </strong>Thank goodness, a rare moment of down to earth common sense , more please EAT ! My gratitude as always to the Daniel Barnett site for this report see their site <a href="http://www.danielbarnett.co.uk/" target="_blank">HERE</a></em>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-38602661639970375942018-05-06T20:59:00.004+01:002018-05-06T20:59:56.444+01:00MAY 2018 EDITION OF EMPLOYMENT LAW NEWS <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="templateContainer" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; width: 600px;"><tbody>
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<![endif]--> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-align: left;" valign="top"><strong><em>Hello Readers, colleagues and Chums,</em></strong><br /><br /> No great earth shattering employment changes this month other than of course, on the 25th May 2018 the implementation of the new GDPR regulations of which I have mentioned previously. I trust most of you will have at least addressed the matter, do remember, for my retained clients I have a small library of fact sheets and general info and also a "a privacy statement" and a generic "Data Protection Policy" document. In template format of course, one is eight pages and the other 12 pages, you will need to fill in the relevant sections with regard to your own set up of course. <br /><em><strong> <br /> Read on for details, and, as always, call me or mail me if you have any concerns or need more information about this edition's content.<br /><br /> Kind regards, Paul </strong></em> <div style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 164.4pt 8pt 0cm; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: navy;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: 18px;">First The News:</span></strong></em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">If an employee works without protest after a variation of contract is imposed, should acceptance be inferred?<img align="right" data-file-id="1716337" height="92" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/c325d59b-b3f1-43f4-8fb1-621b5604c241.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 92px; margin: 10px; text-decoration: none; width: 150px;" width="150" /></span><br /><br /> Not necessarily, held the Court of Appeal in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Abrahall v Nottingham City Council</a>.<br /><br /> When Nottingham City Council sought to regularise a variety of pay systems, it implemented a single system with pay scales determined on a spinal column points basis. The Court of Appeal found the employees were contractually entitled to annual incremental pay progression.<br /><br /> Soon after the new system was implemented, the council brought in a two-year pay freeze. Throughout that period, there was no industrial action (save for a consultative ballot) and no affected employee raised a grievance. When Nottingham proposed an extension of the freeze, the unions activated a collective grievance procedure and then brought these claims.<br /><br /> Apart from deciding whether there was a contractual right to incremental pay progression, the key issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the employees should be taken to have accepted a variation of their contracts by working for two years under the pay freeze.<br /><br /> The Court of Appeal held that they should not, setting out a number of helpful principles on whether acceptance should be inferred, including:<br /><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1504174266498_779354">• </span>the question is to be determined objectively;<br /><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1504174266498_779354">• </span>acceptance of a variation of contract should only be inferred from conduct where that conduct brooks no other reasonable explanation save for acceptance;<br /><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1504174266498_779354">•</span> where the variation is wholly disadvantageous, acceptance is less likely to be inferred;<br /><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1504174266498_779354">• </span>collective protest may suffice to negative any inference otherwise to be drawn even if the individual employees themselves say nothing;<br /><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1504174266498_779354">• </span>an employer's reliance on inferred acceptance will be weakened where the employer represented that there was no variation of contract and thus that acceptance was unnecessary.<br /><br /><strong><em>our thanks to the ever excellent Daniel Barnett site for this informative piece. </em></strong><br /> <hr />
<br /><br /><span style="color: navy;"><em><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Newsflash:</strong></span></em></span> <br /><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: red;"><em> </em></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">In a redundancy case, must an employee specifically raise 'bumping' before an employer needs to consider it?</span><br /><br /> No, held the EAT in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Mirab v Mentor Graphics (UK) Ltd</a>. Rather, the decision not to consider 'bumping' must be viewed through the 'range of reasonable responses' test.<img align="right" data-file-id="1680753" height="103" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/d91bb1dc-ff8e-429c-aafc-760cabde2207.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 103px; margin: 10px; text-decoration: none; width: 150px;" width="150" /><br /> <br /> Bumping occurs when an employee whose role is redundant is redeployed into another role, and the displaced occupier of that (second) role is dismissed instead.<br /><br /> In <em>Mirab</em>, the Claimant's role had been made redundant and the tribunal held that the dismissal was a fair redundancy dismissal. The tribunal found that the Respondent had done enough in terms of looking for alternatives, and had not been required to consider 'bumping' any other employees because the Claimant had not raised the possibility.<br /><br /> The EAT held that that was an error. There is no rigid rule saying that an employer must always consider bumping in order to dismiss fairly in a redundancy case. Equally, there is no rule that says an employer does not need to consider bumping unless the employee raises it. The question is always for the tribunal to determine, on the particular facts of the case, whether what the employer did fell within the range of reasonable responses.<br /><br /><strong><em>The informative Daniel Barnett site has provided this interesting piece , our thanks </em></strong><br /> <hr />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Can holiday pay for term-time workers be capped at 12.07% of pay under the <em>Working Time Regulations</em>?</span><br /><br /> No, held the EAT in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Brazel v The Harpur Trust</a>, upholding a visiting music teacher's appeal on the approach to calculating her holiday pay.<img align="right" data-file-id="1801145" height="84" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/c14ee07d-dc7f-4b76-8220-544fe935bc5b.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 84px; margin: 10px; text-decoration: none; width: 150px;" width="150" /><br /><br /> The Claimant worked at the Respondent School in term-time on a zero-hour contract. The School calculated holiday pay pro rata to the proportion of the year worked, paying it at 12.07% of a term's pay (i.e. using the percentage reflecting 5.6/46.4 weeks). On a working 'year' of 32-35 weeks, the effect of this was that holiday pay came out lower that if calculated on the basis set out in s224 ERA, taking a 12-week average of pay from weeks actually worked, and ignoring the out-of-term weeks. The EAT held that basing holiday pay on the 12-week average was the correct approach.<br /><br /> The effect of the 12-week average approach is that holiday pay as a percentage of annual earnings for a part-timer on a 32-week 'year' would be 46.4/32 x 12.07% = 17.5%, giving proportionately more holiday pay than a worker working throughout the year getting 5.6 weeks paid leave.<br /><br /> The EAT noted that part-timers are entitled to be treated no less favourably than full-time workers, there is no scope for calculating holiday pay under the <em>Working Time Regulations</em> so as to avoid a 'windfall' for part-timers, or to avoid full-timers not being treated less favourably. The EAT noted that this judgment would be of importance for some schools and teachers.<br /><br /><strong><em>The Daniel Barnett site provided this timely reminder about holiday pay.</em></strong></div>
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<h2 style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64) !important; display: block; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -0.75px; line-height: 125%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: red;">Other tribunal decisions in the headlines</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Can agency workers, entitled after 12 weeks to the same basic working conditions as an end-user's employees, be compensated for less holiday or unpaid breaks by a higher hourly pay?</span><br /><br /> No, held the EAT in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Kocur v Royal Mail</a>, upholding two grounds of the Claimant's appeal. <img align="right" data-file-id="1801149" height="84" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/b4e943d8-f337-4662-afbd-37016b39a2c8.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 84px; margin: 10px; text-decoration: none; width: 150px;" width="150" /><br /><br /> Regulation 5 of the<em> Agency Workers Regulation 2010 </em>entitled the Claimant to the same basic working and employment conditions as the hirer's comparable employees. He got higher hourly pay, but 2.5 days less holiday; a 1-hour rest break was only paid for 30 minutes, not the hour. His daily pay was £1.95 higher. The tribunal found that this offset those less favourable terms.<br /><br /> The EAT disagreed; an agency or hirer cannot offset a failure to confer a specific AWR entitlement (e.g. the same annual leave) with a higher rate of pay. The entitlement is to the same basic terms and conditions as comparable employees on a 'term-by-term' basis with equal terms, not by comparing the overall package.<br /><br /> However, parity can be achieved in different ways, e.g. identical holiday pay could be provided by a lump sum at assignment end, or in 'rolled-up' holiday pay. If so, the payment mechanism must be transparent so the agency worker can readily ascertain how remuneration relates to annual leave.<br /><br /> The EAT rejected a contention that the Claimant's entitlement to the same 'duration of working time' entitled him to work the precisely the same number of hours as comparable employees (e.g. a 39-hour week); the entitlement would be to the same working time as employees, so not getting an 8-hour shift when the employees' maximum shift is 6 hours.<br /><br /><strong><em>This piece also from the Daniel Barnett site. </em></strong> <div style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
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<img data-file-id="1801169" height="181" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032/images/026380b8-35db-413a-b55c-bf0bd541fa7a.gif" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; height: 181px; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: 450px;" width="450" /><br /> Additionally:<br /> In you need further in depth help working out what exactly counts as minimum wage, the DBIS has produced this 55 page guide,<br /><br /><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511151/BIS-16-144-nmw-calculating-the-national-minimum-wage.pdf" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">"</a><em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511151/BIS-16-144-nmw-calculating-the-national-minimum-wage.pdf" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Calculating the minimum wage" </a> </em> <hr />
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<tr><td align="left" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding: 5px 9px;" valign="middle"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;" width=""><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" class="mcnShareIconContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;" valign="middle" width="24"><a href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=MAY+2018+EDITION+OF%C2%A0+EMPLOYMENT+LAW+NEWS: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2F6e826bc248ce%2Fmay-2018-edition-of-employment-law-news" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><img height="24" src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-twitter-48.png" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: block; text-decoration: none;" width="24" /></a> </td><td align="left" class="mcnShareTextContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding-left: 5px;" valign="middle"><a href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=MAY+2018+EDITION+OF%C2%A0+EMPLOYMENT+LAW+NEWS: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2F6e826bc248ce%2Fmay-2018-edition-of-employment-law-news" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fafafa; border-image: none; border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="">Tweet</a> </td></tr>
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<tr><td align="center" class="mcnShareIconContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;" valign="middle" width="24"><a href="http://us4.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032&id=3f20e9c947&e=[UNIQID]" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><img height="24" src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-forwardtofriend-48.png" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: block; text-decoration: none;" width="24" /></a> </td><td align="left" class="mcnShareTextContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding-left: 5px;" valign="middle"><a href="http://us4.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=2a892653b7baac7cf007fa032&id=3f20e9c947&e=[UNIQID]" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fafafa; border-image: none; border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="">Forward to Friend</a> </td></tr>
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<tr><td align="left" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding: 5px 9px;" valign="middle"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;" width=""><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" class="mcnShareIconContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;" valign="middle" width="24"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2F6e826bc248ce%2Fmay-2018-edition-of-employment-law-news&mini=true&title=MAY+2018+EDITION+OF%C2%A0+EMPLOYMENT+LAW+NEWS" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><img height="24" src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-linkedin-48.png" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: block; text-decoration: none;" width="24" /></a> </td><td align="left" class="mcnShareTextContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding-left: 5px;" valign="middle"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2F6e826bc248ce%2Fmay-2018-edition-of-employment-law-news&mini=true&title=MAY+2018+EDITION+OF%C2%A0+EMPLOYMENT+LAW+NEWS" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fafafa; border-image: none; border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="">Share</a> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 125%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding: 9px 18px; text-align: center;" valign="top" width="131"><strong>Call Me On </strong><br /><span style="line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>0779 269 7399</strong></span><br /><br /><br /> Or Connect with me...</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td align="center" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding-left: 9px; padding-right: 9px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnFollowStacked" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" class="mcnFollowIconContent" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-right: 10px;" valign="top"><a href="http://www.pmhrc.co.uk/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="Website" class="mcnFollowBlockIcon" src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-link-96.png" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: block; max-width: 48px; text-decoration: none; width: 48px;" width="48" /></a> </td></tr>
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<![endif]--> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnFollowStacked" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;"><tbody>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14px;">Health& Safety Myths</span></u></h2>
A light hearted look at some of the idiotic things we hear. <hr />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Case 332 - Passenger’s coffee had to be placed on table by train trolley attendant</span></span></div>
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Issue</h2>
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Enquirer was on a train and ordered a coffee off the trolley service. They were seated in the window seat and had a passenger next to them. The attendant poured a coffee and put a lid on the insulated cup. The enquirer reached across to take the cup from him but the trolley assistant insisted that he could not do this. He explained that health and safety regulations stated he could not hand him the cup, and he had to physically place it on the table.</div>
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Panel decision</h2>
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There is no specific health and safety regulation which specifies that hot drinks must be placed directly on to passengers’ tables. The measure is a policy decision introduced by the train operator to reduce the risk of scalding if people spill or drop a hot drink being handed to them at their seat, especially in the event of a sudden movement of the train. There has been a reduction in scalding incidents on trains recently, which, coupled with a rising trend in passenger numbers, tends to suggests that such policies are reasonable and can have a positive impact.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Case 331 - Coach driver unable to turn off inside overhead lights</span></span></div>
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Issue</h2>
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Enquirer was travelling on a coach when the driver made an announcement that he could not turn off two small LED overhead lights due to health and safety reasons. There were still blue LED lights running the entire length of the coach at ground level along the walkway.</div>
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Panel decision</h2>
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Overhead lights are provided to assist passengers who, for example, may want to read at night. Their use should be at the discretion of the passenger and there is no health and safety reason why they could not be switched off. If there was some other reason why the lights on this particular coach could not be turned off the driver should have provided a proper explanation instead of wrongly using ‘health and safety’ a</div>
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-82922539008972924652018-05-04T09:59:00.002+01:002018-05-04T09:59:38.454+01:00Can agency workers, entitled after 12 weeks to the same basic working conditions as an end-user's employees, be compensated for less holiday or unpaid breaks by a higher hourly pay?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mUIlr6OuzDM/WuwgWolrZFI/AAAAAAAAAtI/G3_ON7M3-x0di1u8xK2tW7uaoJSBE_KvgCLcBGAs/s1600/legal%2Bbooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FtowtYVhws/Wuwg4Pm21NI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/H_HeVxV4gNoxxNfM03NHYcf7g9J1q4aXgCLcBGAs/s1600/illegal-workers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="635" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FtowtYVhws/Wuwg4Pm21NI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/H_HeVxV4gNoxxNfM03NHYcf7g9J1q4aXgCLcBGAs/s320/illegal-workers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Can agency workers, entitled after 12 weeks to the same basic working conditions
as an end-user's employees, be compensated for less holiday or unpaid breaks by
a higher hourly pay?</span><br /><br />No, held the EAT in <a href="mhtml:file:///C:/Users/paul/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/S6WR2Q2X/email.mht!x-usc:https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=ed73831b8c&e=8203e43310" style="color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Kocur v Royal Mail</a>, upholding two grounds of the Claimant's
appeal. <br /><br />Regulation 5 of the<em> Agency Workers Regulation 2010
</em>entitled the Claimant to the same basic working and employment conditions
as the hirer's comparable employees. He got higher hourly pay, but 2.5 days less
holiday; a 1-hour rest break was only paid for 30 minutes, not the hour. His
daily pay was £1.95 higher. The tribunal found that this offset those less
favourable terms.<br /><br />The EAT disagreed; an agency or hirer cannot offset a
failure to confer a specific AWR entitlement (e.g. the same annual leave) with a
higher rate of pay. The entitlement is to the same basic terms and conditions as
comparable employees on a 'term-by-term' basis with equal terms, not by
comparing the overall package.<br /><br />However, parity can be achieved in
different ways, e.g. identical holiday pay could be provided by a lump sum at
assignment end, or in 'rolled-up' holiday pay. If so, the payment mechanism must
be transparent so the agency worker can readily ascertain how remuneration
relates to annual leave.<br /><br />The EAT rejected a contention that the
Claimant's entitlement to the same 'duration of working time' entitled him to
work the precisely the same number of hours as comparable employees (e.g. a
39-hour week); the entitlement would be to the same working time as employees,
so not getting an 8-hour shift when the employees' maximum shift is 6 hours.<br />
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<strong><em>This piece also from the Daniel Barnett site. </em></strong>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-88725121884876008682018-05-04T09:51:00.002+01:002018-05-04T09:51:22.359+01:00Can holiday pay for term-time workers be capped at 12.07% of pay under the Working Time Regulations?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YSl3MYz_vyY/WuwegHGWUaI/AAAAAAAAAs8/HSAZO0zg8TYExDEtHSXzaxtg-RlNfLE5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/holiday-pay-two-year-claim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="635" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YSl3MYz_vyY/WuwegHGWUaI/AAAAAAAAAs8/HSAZO0zg8TYExDEtHSXzaxtg-RlNfLE5wCEwYBhgL/s320/holiday-pay-two-year-claim.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Can holiday pay for term-time workers be capped at 12.07% of pay under the
<em>Working Time Regulations</em>?</span><br /><br />No, held the EAT in <a href="mhtml:file:///C:/Users/paul/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/S6WR2Q2X/email.mht!x-usc:https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=f117d89018&e=8203e43310" style="color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Brazel v The Harpur Trust</a>, upholding a visiting music
teacher's appeal on the approach to calculating her holiday pay.<br /><br />The
Claimant worked at the Respondent School in term-time on a zero-hour contract.
The School calculated holiday pay pro rata to the proportion of the year worked,
paying it at 12.07% of a term's pay (i.e. using the percentage reflecting
5.6/46.4 weeks). On a working 'year' of 32-35 weeks, the effect of this was that
holiday pay came out lower that if calculated on the basis set out in s224 ERA,
taking a 12-week average of pay from weeks actually worked, and ignoring the
out-of-term weeks. The EAT held that basing holiday pay on the 12-week average
was the correct approach.<br /><br />The effect of the 12-week average approach is
that holiday pay as a percentage of annual earnings for a part-timer on a
32-week 'year' would be 46.4/32 x 12.07% = 17.5%, giving proportionately more
holiday pay than a worker working throughout the year getting 5.6 weeks paid
leave.<br /><br />The EAT noted that part-timers are entitled to be treated no less
favourably than full-time workers, there is no scope for calculating holiday pay
under the <em>Working Time Regulations</em> so as to avoid a 'windfall' for
part-timers, or to avoid full-timers not being treated less favourably. The EAT
noted that this judgment would be of importance for some schools and teachers.<br />
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<strong><em>The Daniel Barnett site provided this timely reminder about holiday pay.</em></strong><br />
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Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630986439226372900.post-60516740216355018462018-05-04T09:45:00.001+01:002018-05-04T09:45:09.088+01:00In a redundancy case, must an employee specifically raise 'bumping' before an employer needs to consider it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XrzsiGCCrpk/WuwdEON8unI/AAAAAAAAAsw/n8pCnBrrIhw64-kiYz-frhh06VYsoB03QCLcBGAs/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="168" height="220" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XrzsiGCCrpk/WuwdEON8unI/AAAAAAAAAsw/n8pCnBrrIhw64-kiYz-frhh06VYsoB03QCLcBGAs/s320/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrzsiGCCrpk/WuwdEON8unI/AAAAAAAAAsw/wRqlyCL-zjUbH68Eg7qe71E-kQsUJuHxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/grumpy%2Bold%2Bjudge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In a redundancy case, must an employee specifically raise 'bumping' before an
employer needs to consider it?</span><br /><br />No, held the EAT in <a href="mhtml:file:///C:/Users/paul/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/S6WR2Q2X/email.mht!x-usc:https://danielbarnett.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=875913eab2272bcca46358ddf&id=fe2659965e&e=8203e43310" style="color: #5e92e4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Mirab v Mentor Graphics (UK) Ltd</a>. Rather, the decision not to
consider 'bumping' must be viewed through the 'range of reasonable responses'
test.<br /> <br />Bumping occurs when an employee whose role is redundant is
redeployed into another role, and the displaced occupier of that (second) role
is dismissed instead.<br /><br />In <em>Mirab</em>, the Claimant's role had been
made redundant and the tribunal held that the dismissal was a fair redundancy
dismissal. The tribunal found that the Respondent had done enough in terms of
looking for alternatives, and had not been required to consider 'bumping' any
other employees because the Claimant had not raised the possibility.<br /><br />The
EAT held that that was an error. There is no rigid rule saying that an employer
must always consider bumping in order to dismiss fairly in a redundancy case.
Equally, there is no rule that says an employer does not need to consider
bumping unless the employee raises it. The question is always for the tribunal
to determine, on the particular facts of the case, whether what the employer did
fell within the range of reasonable responses.<br />
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<strong><em>The informative Daniel Barnett site has provided this interesting piece , our thanks </em></strong>Paul Murray HRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12131382745721033873noreply@blogger.com