Chris Dobbs

In our latest HR Coffee Break Briefing webinar, Employment Expert & Associate Chris Dobbs looked at performance & capability.

This is the summary of that webinar. You can watch it back below, or read on for the summary.

In our latest HR Coffee Break Briefing webinar, Employment Expert and Associate Chris Dobbs looked at equality and discrimination law. This is the summary of that webinar.

In our latest HR Coffee Break Briefing webinar, Employment Expert and Associate Chris Dobbs looked at equality and discrimination law. This is the summary.

Here, Chris talks about defining employment status, for employees, workers and the self employed, contractual relations and compliance and more.

In this article, Employment Associate Chris Dobbs outlines some proposed changes to living wage, holiday pay and more in 2024.

In Chris' first monthly webinar, he looked at recruitment and talked about the legal implications for employers, including the key legislation, GDPR and how to mitigate potential claims.

In his latest article, Employment Associate Chris Dobbs looks at a recent covid case, yes in 2023, where a British Airways pilot was dismissed after refusing to wear a mask on the basis of a protected belief.

In this article, Employment Associate Chris Dobbs outlines the key details of the new act and how it affects employers.

Chris Dobbs looks at Fischer v London United Busways Limited where the employment tribunal chose to tackle the tricky issue of whether language can carry gender connotations.

Frettens acted for local company United Taxis in a key case at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in March of this year.

Thanks to the assistance of our specialist Employment Team, the client received a successful result as the claimant involved was held not to be a worker or employee of United Taxis.

In this article, Employment Expert Chris Dobbs takes a look at the details of a recent sexual harassment case and outlines some takeaways for employers.

In this article, Chris Dobbs looks at the complexity of worker status specifically in the case of Mr A Guler v Newman Law LLP.

In his latest article, Employment Associate Chris Dobbs clears up some frequently asked questions around sickness absences and provides advice for employers on absence policies.

The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill had its third reading in the House of Lords recently, meaning it’s one step closer to passing and becoming law.

Here, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines what the Flexible Working Bill is and the changes it proposes for employers.

In his latest article, Chris Dobbs, Employment Solicitor at Frettens, takes a look at a recent holiday pay case and provides some takeaways for employers.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at post termination restrictions, how they work and how to include them in a contract.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs breaks down Higgs v Farmor’s School and discusses the implications for employers.

Here, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs has provided a summary of the case used in our recent mock tribunal for those who werent able to attend as well as any attendees who want a recap.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs provides advice for dealing with employee grievances and details the importance of a grievance policy.

Here, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs details the new family friendly rights which are set to become law and outlines what this means for employees and employers.

In a written statement yesterday, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade made it clear that the Government’s proposed EU Revocation Bill will now not contain a so called sunset clause.

Chris breaks down what this means for workers rights.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines how employers can deal with bullying and harassment in the workplace.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs breaks down this case and outlines how the tribunal proceedings were far from a cakewalk.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines the new rate changes and what they mean for you.

Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case of Section 15 discrimination arising from a disability and outlines some key takeaways for employers.

In this article, Chris Dobbs, Employment Solicitor at Frettens, outlines the importance of getting the dismissal process right and what can happen if you get things wrong.

According to a survey conducted by XpertHR, employers are seeing a significant increase in the number of internal grievances.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines why grievance reporting has increased and considers how employers should handle such grievances.

Section 8 of the Equality Act 2010 outline marriage and civil partnerships to be a protected characteristic. In a recent case, which Chris Dobbs looks at in this article, the EAT made it clear that the test requires proof of marriage.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines how the Government has responded to the consultations and discusses whether their response has been adequate in dealing with these issues or not.

Recently, the Court of Appeals has ruled on a Covid 19 Unfair Dismissal case. In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines what led to the court of appeals verdict and discusses what it means for employers regarding similar dismissals.

Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case were an employee was sacked for taking a lunch break during a 'time of crisis'.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case where PCP was potentially discriminatory and provides some advice for employers.

In the latest case exploring employment issues which arose during the pandemic, an Employment Tribunal in Scotland was asked to apply the Equality Act test to long-covid.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at what the tribunal ruled and gives some key takeaways for employers.

In his latest article, Employment Partner Paul Burton looks at a recent case regarding maternity discrimination and outlines what employers should take away from it.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at the problem with the statutory ‘reasonable steps’ defence to discrimination claims.

He looks at where the defence fails, and discusses the importance of up to date employment training.

Quiet quitting is the latest topical phrase to hit the workplace headlines and involves people essentially doing the bare minimum in their workplace.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs dives deeper into quiet quitting; debating whether it is an actual problem and outlining how employers can combat the issue.

The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is set to revoke certain EU legislation, including, potentially, TUPE, The Working Time Regulations and more.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at this bill in further detail and outlines the potential changes that could occur as a result of it.

In his latest article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at a recent study study which found that menopause is still a difficult topic in the workplace and provides advice for employers regarding menopause in the workplace.

As a business, redundancies will obviously want to be avoided where possible due to the massive impact that they have on the business and, most importantly, employees and their livelihoods.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines how redundancies can be avoided and the alternatives to redundancy.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs answers some common questions from Claimants and Respondents on time limits for tribunal claims.

Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case where an employee was dismissed following whistleblowing. Chris discusses the implications behind the case for employers.

Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case where employment status was questioned. Chris outlines the case's outcome and discusses the implications for employers.

In a recent case, an employment tribunal decided that an employee who suffered from long covid was considered disabled. Employment Law solicitor Chris Dobbs discusses this decision and the implications for employers.

We all know that Acas must be notified of every potential claim to the Tribunal. But what happens if an early conciliation certificate is submitted late? In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs discusses…

Chris Dobbs discusses a recent remedy judgement where an employee was handed a large gross sum following their dismissal. The primary reason for their dismissal was pregnancy.

In this article, Chris Dobbs looks at the rise in 'workplace banter' references in tribunal cases. Chris discusses to what extend certainbehaviour is considered 'banter' and looks at the risks of relying on 'banter' in court.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines what employers should consider over the Jubilee weekend regarding paid holiday entitlements.

In a recent case, an employee removed confidential information from their employer in order to ‘attain legal advice’.

Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs discusses the following tribunal case and the key takeaways for employers.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at the recent mass redundancy of P&O employees that hit the news last week.

Chris answers some questions around redundancy consultation, discusses where it went wrong for P&O and looks at the key takeaways for employers.

At a recent judgment in East London, the Tribunal found that a woman from Essex was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against on the grounds of her age and sex.

Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs takes a look at the case and further discusses menopause in the workplace.

Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at whether events that take place after the termination of contract can influence a tribunal’s decision when it comes to unfair dismissal.

A Reading Employment Tribunal found that a Solicitor-Judge was discriminated against after the Ministry of Justice, through HMCTS (HM Courts & Tribunals Service), failed to provide reasonable adjustments to the workplace.

Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs takes a look at this case, discussing the importance of reasonable adjustments for employers.

In this article, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case where an employee claimed unfair dismissal on discriminatory grounds.

Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case where a claimant failed in her claim that her views on covid amounted to a belief. Chris details the ins and outs of the case and provides advice for employers going forward.

Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at the Yorkshire Cricket Club allegations, discussing the dos and don’ts of workplace investigations.

Chris Dobbs looks at a recent EAT case where disability and sex discrimination was claimed surrounding a woman's menopause symptoms. Chris discsses the key considerations for employers in such cases.

Chris Dobbs from our Employment Team looks at some topical cases regarding discrimination against menopausal women and menopause claims.

Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs outlines some key considerations for employers to try and limit the risk of hybrid working disputes and claims

After the end of furlough, Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs answers some of your questions on returning to work, providing advice for employers on what grounds employees can refuse to return.

It was great to be back on Wednesday 15th September, when we held our first in-person employment event since the start of the pandemic. Thank you to those who turned up to the session, we very much enjoyed having you there. ...

A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case looked at the extent to which a Tribunal is expected to look beyond a ‘final written warning’ in assessing the fairness of a dismissal. Employment solicitor Chris Dobbs considers when a final written warning and a capability dismissal is unfair.

Chris Dobbs discusses the legal implications of lowering the pay of employees working from home.

In our last HR Forum on disciplinary and dismissals, we covered the case of K v L, a teacher who lost his job after he was arrested on suspicion of possession of indecent images of children. Since then, the case has gone through Scotland's Court of...

Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at some recent cases surrounding unfair dismissal and covid related health & safety concerns, providing advice for employers when implementing workplace safety measures.

There are still 1.5 million workers on furlough; and with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme beginning to wind-down, there are changes that impact both employers and employees. Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs discusses.

Chris Dobbs, Employment Solicitor looks at what employers should consider when lockdown restrictions are lifted in the workplace.

The excitingly named The Employment Rights Act 1996 (Protection from Detriment in Health and Safety Cases) (Amendment) Order 2021 came into force on 31 May extending protection from detriments related to health and safety issues to workers rather than simply employees.

Frettens’ own Chris Dobbs breaks down the new order; discussing what it is, why its been put in place and what it means for employers.

It was reported earlier this week that COVID vaccinations are due to become compulsory for care home staff. Chris Dobbs, Employment Solicitor, explores what this means for the care sector, the businesses involved and those working in it.

Chris Dobbs, solicitor in Frettens' Employment Team, looks at the outcome of a recent case where clarity was provided for holiday pay claims for unpaid but taken holiday. He goes on to look at whether such holiday can be carried forward.

Chris Dobbs provides a case update after Maya Forstater won the appeal at the EAT. Chris details the judgement and describes the implications that this case has for employers.

Chris Dobbs, Solicitor in our Employment Team, discusses a recent case where two parties had different ideas about what had been agreed, as well as what could be enforced in a settlement agreement.

Balancing freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination in the workplace. Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs looks at the case of Forstater v CDG Europe, providing advice for employers on balancing freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination in the workplace.

Changes to recruitment Post-Brexit As the question of what changes to employment law can be expected after Brexit seems to be increasingly insignificant, one major area of employment practice is impacted by the UK leaving the EU:...

Two recent cases have highlighted the issue employers can face in relying on the statutory defence to workplace discrimination. Employers seeking to make use of this defence will often rely on various forms of policies and training to look to mitigate their liability for discrimination faced by an employee.

Employment Solicitor, Chris Dobbs looks at diversity training and the 'reasonable steps' defence.

Employment & HR law specialist, Chris Dobbs looks at whether Long Covid should be treated as a disability in the workplace, and advises how employers should handle it.

Chris Dobbs looks at the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the labour market after the rate of redundancy reached it's highest since these figures were first recorded in 1995.

Uber have lost their appeal in the Supreme Court. The Supreme court unanimously dismissed the appeal. It now means that drivers are now considered workers for employment law purposes.

Specialist solicitor, Chris Dobbs looks at vaccination in the workplace. Can an employer force staff to be vaccinated? Can an employee be dismissed if they refuse the COVID vaccine? What is vaccine discrimination? Is anti-vax a philosophical belief?

Chris Dobbs provides the latest on Heskett v Secretary of State for Justice, and discusses Indirect Discrimination.

The Firm's Employment Solicitor Chris Dobbs breaks down ACAS Uplifts.

A redundancy is a dismissal as a result of a workplace closing down or the employer needing fewer employees to do work of a particular kind. Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case where unfair dismissal was claimed.

Chris Dobbs, solicitor in our specialist Employment & HR team, looks at the options for employers and employees when balancing working from home with childcare. Can workers be furloughed for childcare? What are the unpaid leave entitlements?

In response to the latest national lockdown, HM Treasury has announced an extension of several of the support schemes for businesses affected by the pandemic. Chris Dobbs provides an overview.

Specialist settlement agreement solicitor Chris Dobbs answers all of your questions on employment settlement agreements, including what is a settlement agreement? Are they tax free? Are they confidential? Who signs them?

Chancellor’s Statement to the House of Commons - 5th November 2020 UPDATE: The Chancellor announced changes to the furlough scheme on Thursday 17th December - the update can be read here . ...

Do you need to tell employers about an arrest or charge? This month the High Court has looked at the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR ) and the Data Protection Act 2018 and their relevance in internal disciplinary proceedings....

Big changes to the Coronavirus Job Support Scheme, which was part of his winter economic plan and replaces the furlough scheme in November, were announced today. Chris Dobbs provides an overview.

How and when can an employer monitor employees WhatsApp messages. Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case where an employer used whatsapp messages in a discuplinary procedure.

Will WFH continue after lockdown? Can you monitor remote employees? How do you write a working from home policy? Chris Dobbs, Employment Solicitor answers your questions.

Specialist Employment and HR solicitor, Chris Dobbs offers the 9 points that all HR managers and business owners should consider when writing a working from home policy.

Should every business have a working from home policy? What should be included? Chris Dobbs, Employment & HR Law specialist examines an increasingly important topic.

Chris Dobbs looks at a recent case concerning homophobia, gross misconduct, unfair dismissals and the use of anonymous evidence.

Chris Dobbs, solicitor in our specialist employment & HR team, offers a comprehensive guide to remote monitoring of employees working from home.

Only employees with two years’ continuous service have the right not to be unfairly dismissed. This qualifying period is measured to the day - so it is important to be clear about precisely when an employee started work.

One of the least often claimed grounds of discrimination is marriage and civil partnership. Prejudice against married people is hardly widespread and there are few circumstances in which an employer might treat an employee less favourably because they were married.

Chris Dobbs, specialist employment law solicitor, examines an important ruling for self-employed hairdressers in the case of Megan Gorman.

Understandably, a lot of people are still concerned about the coronavirus and whether returning to work is safe. Chris Dobbs, employment law & HR specialist answers your questions.

As the government starts to wind down the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, many businesses are taking advantage of the flexibility in lock down rules and staffing options to reopen.

How does the redundancy interview process work and can it be unfair? Chris Dobbs examines.

On 1^st July, the BBC reported that coronavirus led to UK companies cutting 12,000 jobs in just two days. These job losses, the article claimed, were largely in high street retailers and, particularly badly hit by the pandemic, the aviation industry.

Many large companies, including H&M, Boots, and John Lewis announced redundancies in early July too.

Chris Dobbs, employment & HR specialist, looks at why so many redundancies are being announced at this time, and how the timing ties in to the furlough scheme.