The Department of Work and Pensions has published guidance to help employers use the new fit note and assist more staff to return to work following periods of ill health. The guidance has been published after extensive consultation with medical representatives and business groups and is... read more

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has clarified its proposals to give Employment Tribunals the power to pass on whistleblowing (Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998) allegations arising during claims to a prescribed regulator. According to the proposals the tribunal claim form... read more

The Court of Appeal has confirmed that professionals in the public (and possibly the private) sector are entitled to legal representation at disciplinary and appeal hearings if the hearing might impact upon their right to practise their profession in the future (G v X School).  G was a... read more

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has confirmed that workers must comply with their employer’s rules for taking annual leave (or, in an absence of such rules, the notice provisions of the Working Time Regulations).  This is the case even if the worker stands to lose any unused holiday... read more

The EAT has recently considered the duty of employers to conduct pregnancy risk assessments under regulation 16 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and held that, pregnant workers are not automatically entitled to a pregnancy risk assessment in the absence of... read more

New specialist coordinators and dedicated advice lines for small businesses are part of a radical overhaul of support for people with mental health conditions and the Government has now published a new strategy for those with mental health conditions who want to work. Increasing job... read more

The continued importance of employee engagement and rewarding talent during the recession has been emphasised by a recent poll of around 950 workers, commissioned by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).  Researchers found that one in three UK employees (33%) say that they have not felt valued... read more

With higher eductation funding expected to be a key election battleground, Tom Bewick, the chief executive of the Creative and Cultural Skills Council, has suggested that the Government should charge employers recruiting a university graduate a ‘hire premium’ of 10% on their first year’s... read more

The heavy snow fall across parts of the UK today has caused chaos for employers.  Many businesses have been forced to shut their doors (for example at least two high street banks in Manchester did so) whereas others are operating reduced hours with only a skeleton staff.   ... read more

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has issued its judgment on the case of Coleman v Attridge regarding the issue of associative discrimination. The EAT has upheld the tribunal's decision to reinterpret the Disability Discrimination Act to prevent discrimination and harassment on the grounds of... read more