Summer statement 2020 – a quick look at the Chancellor’s key employment-related points Key contact: Claire Knowles Author: Rebecca Mahon Britain has now entered the second phase of the Government’s economic response to the coronavirus crisis. At lunchtime yesterday, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his summer statement. In his opening remarks, he confirmed he would...Read More
The Right to be Safe in an Unsafe World Key Contact: Claire Knowles Author: Adam McGlynn As lockdown restrictions begin to relax, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme crawls towards an eventual conclusion, employees are gradually returning to work across the UK. However, the threat of Coronavirus has not yet been fully quashed and fears of a...Read More
Employment Tribunals Embrace Remote Hearings Key Contact: Claire Knowles Author: Adam McGlynn Over the past few months many courts have been forced to close their doors to safeguard against the spread of COVID-19. Several cases have been postponed as a result or have, at least, required an additional preliminary hearing to discuss how best to...Read More
HMRC gets Flexible – HM Treasury’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Direction Key Contact: Claire Knowles Author: Adam McGlynn Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has issued a new direction to HMRC on behalf of HM Treasury under the powers conferred by s71 and 76 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 (the Direction). This direction modifies and...Read More
Flexible Furlough Scheme – Immediate Questions Key Contact: Claire Knowles Author: Adam McGlynn On Saturday morning the government released several updates to their Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the Scheme) guidance following Rishi Sunak’s announcements the previous week. We have sifted through the information to address some of your most immediate questions. Can I place any more employees...Read More
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Update Key Contact: Claire Knowles Author: Mark Alaszewski The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (‘CJRS’) is entering its final phases and thanks to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement on Friday we now have a better idea of what the scheme will look like until its withdrawal on 31st October 2020. 10 June 2020 – ‘Cut-Off’...Read More
Thoughts on public transport in the “new normal” Key Contact: Claire Knowles Author: Rebecca Mahon Anyone who has ever lived or worked in London will know what I mean when I talk about “packed” commuter trains. Have you ever seen a train guard having to push the train doors closed, because the mechanical shutting mechanism...Read More
Beneficial but Bad Faith: Transferor’s Brazen Bonus-bump Void Under TUPE Key Contact – Claire Knowles Author – Adam McGlynn On 15 May 2020 the case of Ferguson and others (the Claimants) v Astrea Asset Management LTD (the Respondent) taught us all a very important lesson, don’t mess with TUPE. The Claimants included two directors who transferred from...Read More
Test and trace and SSP Key Contact: Claire Knowles Author: Rebecca Mahon Yesterday was the “big day”, when the 25,000 tracers working for England’s NHS Test and Trace team (and 700 tracers working for Scotland’s equivalent scheme) started contacting people who have tested positive for coronavirus with text, email or phone. Their aim? To trace...Read More
Requiring Furloughed Employees to Take Annual Leave Key Contact – Claire Knowles Author – Adam McGlynn The government has published new guidance on the interaction between annual leave and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). This finally provides an answer to the much-debated question ‘ ‘Can an employer require its workers to use annual leave entitlement while...Read More
