Category: Employment

With the latest Government advice - Do I still need work from home?

The Government’s roadmap identified that until England reached Step 4 of the Roadmap, employees should work from home where they can. As we are aware Step 4 has been delayed from 21^st June to 19^th July 2021 and therefore, employers should continue with home working wherever possible until the 19^th July.  

What are restrictive covenants and why do I need them?

Q: I own a start-up which grew very quickly and a few years ago I hired in a couple of senior personnel to help run the business. After 5 years, one of these senior hires is now leaving the business and going to a company which isn’t a direct competitor but operates in a very similar field. This person is integral to the business and very close to our clients. I don’t want to consider putting them on garden leave, but I am concerned they may take vital information to their new workplace. What can I do to protect the business?

A: You’re not alone and following the year of change we’ve seen, and with it employees leaving jobs and moving on, protecting your business is no doubt going to be of paramount importance.

Domestic Abuse in the Workplace

The Government’s Domestic Abuse Covid-19 campaign

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy undertook a report into domestic abuse and the workplace. The report identified that the number of domestic abuse cases had increased during the pandemic and that 1 in 5 victims of domestic abuse had time off work. Sadly, research found that few employers were able to identify the signs of domestic abuse and/or had policies or procedures available to help support survivors.

Uber Drivers are workers and not self-employed, Supreme Court rules

19 February 2021. The UK Supreme Court has issued its judgment in the highly anticipated case of Uber BV v Aslam, in which the key issue was the employment status of Uber drivers. The ruling reinforced the findings of earlier legal challenges (most recently the Court of Appeal in 2018), which found that Uber drivers are workers and not self-employed.

Can I force my staff to have the Covid Vaccination?

Recent news reports indicate that some employers are considering making it compulsory for their staff to have a Covid vaccination.  Is this a lawful, or even sensible, move by employers?