Posted By: Julie Leonard
The weather so far has been reasonably good, and there are predictions this is going to be a hotter than average summer. If so, there can be workplace implications. Employees could complain about the temperatures in the workplace being unbearably hot. So what should employers do? There is legisl...
Can an employer dismiss an obese employee?
Posted By: Julie Leonard
Employers need to take care when handling a situation whereby an employee is obese and this is having an effect on their job. Maybe they are breathless, struggle with stairs or find it difficult to access areas of the workplace. So how does the employer deal with this? Firstly, although obesity...
Holiday leave – what are employees entitled to?
Posted By: Julie Leonard
A recent report by the Citizens Advice has claimed that hundreds of thousands of people are missing out on the 28 days’ paid holiday to which all full-time workers are entitled. It has reported that some employers mistakenly told staff that they were not entitled to any paid holidays because t...
An employer’s ultimatum costs them £346,000
Posted By: Julie Leonard
In February 2017 it was reported that Nicola Sinclair (S), an English teacher who was previously employed by the Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School had been awarded £346,000 in compensation. She had worked at the school for some years and in both 2012 and 2014 she had taken extende...
Last orders on the boozy lunch?
Posted By: Julie Leonard
In February 2017 it was reported that Lloyd’s of London have banned its staff from consuming alcohol between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday and would now deem this a potential gross misconduct offence. As breaks are classed as private time, is a rule like this enforceable? Yes, but employ...
Let’s eat Grandpa! How the lack of a comma won an employment case for American workers
Posted By: Raymond Johnston
Let’s eat Grandpa! How the lack of a comma won an employment case for American workers. Compare the above statement to the following: “Let’s eat, Grandpa!” The effective use of a comma is all that is required for these statements to take on very different meanings....
Posted By: Julie Leonard
A recent decision by the Industrial Tribunal has emphasised the fact that workers doing the same work MUST get paid at the same rate. Two employees who work in the Avoca Cafe Belfast took grievances within the company in 2015, citing the disparity between their pay and that of their male colleag...
