News

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 …
Read the full Story “Pregnant Worker Dismissed After Request To Opt Out Of 48 Hour Week Wins Tribunal Judgement”

EU Migrant Post Brexit Salary Threshold May Be Reviewed. 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. https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/politics/news/104817/sajid-javid-orders-review-%C2%A330000-salary-threshold-immigrants-post The present focus on £30,000 originated last year …
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A potentially huge increase in paternity leave for fathers that could affect many employers, is on the cards. Theresa May could raise the current two weeks’ statutory allowance of £148 per week or 90% of usual pay, whichever is lower, to 12 weeks. It would be, she is reported to have said, be one of …
Read the full Story “Huge Increase For Paternity Leave On The Cards”

In a legal judgement this month (June 2019 ) the Court of Appeal has ruled that paid voluntary overtime which is taken regularly should be included  in holiday pay calculations, in addition to any “non-guaranteed” overtime.  Earlier this year, in two cases before an Employment Tribunal it was ruled that contrary to the views of …
Read the full Story “Judges Rule That Paid Voluntary Overtime Should Be Included In Holiday Entitlement”

In a major development in the on-going issue of non-disclosure agreements, a committee of MPs is now calling for specific  changes to clauses which, when wrongly used, handcuff employees in taking their case to a tribunal. In some cases say the Women and Equalities Committee, “gagging clauses” in non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)  are being  used to …
Read the full Story “M.Ps Committe Calls For A Ban On NDA ‘Gagging’ Clauses”

A survey by the Equality and Human Rights Commission has found that 41% of pregnant workers feel that their work risked their health. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must protect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers, while the 2010 Equality Act also provides protection from …
Read the full Story “Hidden Health Risks For Pregnant Women And Returning Mothers in Domestic Staff Jobs”

The issue of Mental Health has been in the spotlight recently with Mental Health Awareness Week running from the 13th May to 19th May. It is perhaps a time for extra thought to be given to your domestic staff, many of whom may be living in another country to  their family. Living and working in …
Read the full Story “Mental Health In The Spotlight”

Is there a domestic answer to womens’ workplace stress? Some revealing figures in new research highlight the stress that many  female staff suffer at work and poses the question: is there a “domestic” solution? Cigna, the workplace health benefits provider says that heavy workloads made 17% of women feel stressed with one in 10 female …
Read the full Story “Is There A ‘Domestic’ Answer To Womens Workplace Stress?”

Sometimes a case arises that illustrates how careful  an employer – including those with one domestic employee – has to be when considering a request for flexible working hours through illness. At a recent employment tribunal an employee who was suffering from depression was awarded £35,000  on the grounds that he was discriminated against by …
Read the full Story “Flexible Working Request? – Think Hard….”

As one of Britain’s largest care home groups  goes into administration, residents are awaiting the outcome. Four Seasons provides care accommodation for 17,000 residents and patients and employs some 20,000 staff. At the beginning of May, two of the holding companies behind Four Seasons appointed administrators as a result of finance issues. Although the position …
Read the full Story “17,000 Care Home Residents Must Wait And See…..”