In a crackdown to reduce Britain’s huge incapacity benefits bill, doctors will start handing out ‘fit notes’ from next year telling employers what workers CAN do. Instead of giving patients a sick note saying they are too ill to work, GPs will now assess what roles a patient is fit to... read more

People over the age of 50 face increased barriers to work, including age discrimination, as more older workers lose their jobs because of the recession, according to new research. A study of almost 800 older adults revealed a dramatic increase in the numbers being made redundant, up from 32 %... read more

As a busy working mum, I have always thought that it is possible to have both a rewarding, challenging career and happy, well-adjusted children.  I myself successfully juggle part-time work as a Solicitor with care for my 5 year old daughter, so I was interested to read a recent report... read more

I read a newspaper article this morning which reminded me of the importance of having a clear policy governing employee expenses.  The article concerned the criminal prosecution of a Metropolitan Police detective, who is accused of putting £12,500 of unauthorised personal spending upon his... read more

The World Health Organization has announced that swine flu is now “unstoppable” and the UK Government’s strategy for tackling the virus has moved from containment to treatment.  GPs and NHS Direct are currently are currently being inundated with calls regarding flu like symptoms and ... read more

The Government has announced that it intends to bring forward its review of the default retirement age to 2010.  Originally scheduled for 2011, the review has been brought forward to reflect the 'change in economic circumstances' since the DRA was introduced.  The report, Building a... read more

Raim Dean a previous employee of Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has made a claim to the employment tribunal for disability discrimination. Ms Dean is seeking damages of up to £20,000 for disability discrimination and constructive dismissal, having worked at A&F’s London store for just... read more

According to news reports, civil servants have sent out thousands of bogus job applications to businesses in an effort to expose race discrimination in the recruitment process. The fake job application scheme was devised by the Department of Work and Pensions, the ministry responsible for... read more

According to news reports, trainees at international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, learned they were not being retained by the firm, following completion of their 2 year training contract, after HR managers left messages with the bad news on trainees' answering machines. ... read more

It is relatively common for companies to impose strict codes for the appearance of front-line staff in an attempt to reinforce their ‘brand’, but news reports of two recent discrimination cases highlight the potential pitfalls of adopting such a policy.    In the first case,... read more