After a long period in which the UK government has promised several employment law changes contained in an Employment Bill without bringing forward such a Bill, it has now announced it is supporting certain private members’ bills which include developments in these areas. These include expanding the right to request flexible working, a new right to request more predictable working conditions, a number of changes to family leave entitlements, and protection for those facing harassment by third parties such as customers at work.

The European Parliament adopted a proposal on 2 February seeking potentially far-reaching changes to the current European Works Council (EWC) Directive. These include strengthening the information and consultation rights of EWCs and improving enforcement by introducing GDPR-level fines for non-compliance and a risk of injunctions for failure to inform and consult.

A recent EAT decision has held that an employee cannot settle statutory employment claims arising from events that have not yet happened. In doing so, it departed from existing case law that indicated it was possible to settle such claims in some circumstances.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has held that an original version of a grievance investigation report that did not attract legal advice or litigation privilege when it was drafted could not acquire privilege status retrospectively.

In an article for Compliance & Risk Journal, Kim Sartin and Rachel Farr discuss the tricky course employers have to navigate in a shifting compliance landscape and explain what to focus on in 2022.

Companies are facing critical business challenges in regard to their most important asset – their people. While workforce transformation is not a new concept for global organizations, the pandemic has forced us to rapidly adapt our standard ways of working and how we engage with employees to ensure the long-term…

The news that a COVID-19 vaccine is on its way has given rise to hope that life will soon return to normal. Vaccinations in the workplace however are relatively uncommon and give rise to a number of tricky issues in the UK. This quick one-page overview provides insights into the key legal considerations and logistical challenges for employers.

Whether you are managing the immediate crisis, stabilizing operations or looking beyond to what a world after COVID-19 will look like, this series features key practical insights intended to strengthen your organization’s capacity to respond, recover and thrive. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts Episode 1: The Reopening Playbook As some countries begin…

Contents Government announcements Timing Workplace safety and prevention strategies Testing and health screening Managing employee concerns about returning to the workplace Workforce communication Litigation mitigation Epilogue Government announcements The UK government is clear: throughout this period, it is important for business to carry on if it is possible to do…

It has been announced that schools in Wales and Scotland are to close from Friday, and an announcement is expected today to extend the closures to English schools as well. In the meantime, more schools and nurseries faced with staff shortages are having to close their doors to some or…