News & Events

…..And Costly The outcome of some Employment tribunal cases can sometimes teach us, as employers of domestic staff, just how careful we need to be before asking questions. A simple enquiry can lead to a costly outcome. Take for instance the recent case of a female employee who was asked when she intended to return […]

… what you are called?  Increasingly So. At one time, Mr, Mrs, Miss, Sir, Ma’am were the accept  norms of address to most of us. The term Gender Pronoun wasn’t in the mix. Today, it is all different. One’s choice of gender pronoun is increasingly important to many in all walks of society and at […]

The Domestic Staff Market May Well Have Different Pressures In many countries it appears that in the employment arena pressures and expectations have made a 180 degree turn.  For the first time in decades, across national borders, there is growing evidence that the traditional feature of recruitment being employer led, has now moved to being […]

…Has Now Ended The government’s  Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme which financially helped many employers has now ended.  It ended on March 17th and employers can no longer claim back Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for employees’ coronavirus-related absences or self-isolation that occur. The normal Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rules have now kicked in.  This means that, […]

Sometimes it is hard to appreciate how words you feel are innocuous and possibly even helpful, can lead to a legal case. Take for example, the case of Joan Hutchinson 75 and employed who was asked by her boss, if she wanted to retire. She was already suffering from dementia and exhibiting symptoms of “being […]

Employers can now tell staff to return to work except for those with medical exemptions. This follows the government’s announcement that their Plan B measures ended from 27th January 2022. Face coverings will no longer be mandatory in indoor venues, and organisations will be able to choose whether to require NHS COVID-19 Passes. Plan B […]

For Care Workers Draws Nearer There has been considerable controversy about the planned compulsory vaccination requirement for front line health and care workers since it was first mooted. However, staff in these categories in England must have had their first Covid-19 jab by 3 Feb to ensure they’re fully vaccinated when new regulations come into […]

The digital Right to Work check in operation since 2020 is to be made permament, helping employers who need to check on a candidate’s status. It was introduced to avoid employers having to check physical documents and was intended as a temporary measure. It has been a boon to employers and the Home Office has […]

An additional bank holiday to honouring the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrating 70 years’ of service has been announced and it has an impact on a further traditional bank holiday. The Jubilee date is to be Friday 3rd June, and the late May bank holiday is to be moved to Thursday 2nd June. The result of […]

The Government has temporarily changed reporting guidance for sick leave and has introduced The Statutory Sick Pay (Medical Evidence) Regulations 2021 which came into force on Friday 17 December 2021. These extend the period that employees can self-certify they are sick. The usual seven-day period has currently been extended to 28 days. The changes are […]