Employment Law Update November 2011

Government report - scrap unfair dismissal claims for lazy workers

Unproductive workers should lose their right to claim unfair dismissal, a leaked government report says. The report, commissioned by the Prime Minister, argues this would mean more capable people would replace those sacked, boosting economic...

'Self-employed' independent financial adviser an employee

In the case of Johnson-Caswell v MJB (Partnership) Ltd an employment tribunal has held that an independent financial advisor (IFA) who was purportedly self-employed was in fact an employee. In the tribunal's view, a key element pointing...

Employer could not plead 'special circumstances' to retract mistaken dismissal

In the case of CF Capital plc v Willoughby the Court of Appeal has held that an employer's assertion that it had made a mistake in sending a letter of dismissal did not prevent the clear, unambiguous words of dismissal from taking...

Survey shows employers' response to abolition of statutory retirement procedure

A survey of employers' attitudes to the abolition of the statutory retirement procedure suggests that the majority of employers are doing without a default retirement age. The survey of senior HR professionals in the UK, undertaken by the...

First person charged under new bribery laws

An administrative clerk at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court, London, is the first person to be charged under the Bribery Act 2010. The Act came into force in July, after previous anti-corruption laws had been criticised as being too...

Q & A - Managing staff without a default retirement age

The statutory default retirement age of 65 has now disappeared from our workplaces. Save for those few employers who have elected to objectively justify a retirement age, compulsory retirement at any age is now unlawful. This removal of the...

Employment Law Training - Human Rights

16th November 2011 To attend, click on " Register Now " . We offer a quarterly training session on Employment Law and HR issues. These sessions include a briefing from our employment...