News & Events

It’s a question that some employers who have had employment tribunal judgements given against them may well be asking. And does the compensation award granted still stand? We can clarify the situation here for you. All pre-Brexit judgements will remain binding on all UK courts except for the Supreme Court. However any new European Court […]

Where do your domestic and household staff rate on the sickness ladder? Of course staff are off sick from time to time and as an employer of domestic/household staff you accept this, but where do they sit on the average time-off ladder? To know if you are being subject to a fair deal, you need […]

The answer, as it is in many cases, is …it all depends … in this case on their reason for not working their notice. If their contract of employment states that they must work out their notice period, if they fail to do  so, they are in effect, in breach of that contract. And unless […]

Don’t be the one in twenty. Despite considerable publicity regarding employer obligations to employees, including of course, domestic and household staff, too often the rules on paid holidays and payslip provision are flouted. According to the Resolution ThinkTank, about one in 20 employees do not get paid holidays and one in 10 does not receive […]

The £30,000 per annum pre-tax salary threshold for migrant workers  post-Brexit may be reviewed, employers of domestic staff will be interested to learn. The possible change to the threshold has been announced by Home Secretary Sajid Javid. The present focus on £30,000 originated  last year (2018) when the Home Secretary announced that those from EU […]

Would YOU give special consideration to a female domestic staff member suffering from period pain? Coexist, a Bristol-based arts centre, became the first in the UK  to offer formal period leave to women so they could work flexibly around their cycle. Now, one national broadcaster, Emma Barnett, has claimed that If men had periods, they […]

Parents of premature babies could be given “neonatal leave” to spend more time with their children once they have left hospital. The plans, which to date have not been been passed into law, were recently announced by former PM Theresa May as part of her “legacy.” Mrs. May said that it is neither fair or […]

Historically employers have been able to check on the criminal backgrounds of those they may employ by obtaining a Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check. However, that may change with potential repercussions for those employing domestic and household who, by the nature of the job, are in very close proximity to their family. Justice Secretary, David […]

A new bill is working it’s through parliament that could make flexible working the default position for all employees – including of course domestic and household staff. A Ten Minute Rule Bill which proposes this has been given consent to go to a second reading. It has been introduced by MP Helen Whately. Introducing her […]

A  pregnant care assistant sacked after wanting to opt out of  a 48 hour plus working week has won more than £35,000 in compensation. The case again reinforces how employers must take medical conditions and other factors into consideration when staff request changes to working hours. Mrs. Peart  was unfairly dismissed, the  Middlesbrough Employment Tribunal […]