In this latest edition of our ‘Need To Know’ employment and HR newsletter we look at homeworking after lockdown, whether the dismissal of an employee for “upset and friction” caused by him in carrying out his health and safety duties was unfair, and much more.
We also have included our usual HR Bullets – which cover other significant employment law updates from the past month. Below are some of our key articles:
- Treading carefully – health and safety and unfair dismissal
- Homeworking after lockdown
- No mention of Employment Bill in Queen’s Speech
HR Bullets
- An employer’s mistaken failure to pay an allowance during maternity leave was not direct discrimination (Commissioner of the City of London Police v Geldart)
- A collectively agreed term, indicating that permanent posts will not be advertised when an employee is designated as surplus, was not apt for incorporation into an individual employment contract (Hamilton v Fife Council)
- Once a fundamental breach of an employee’s contract has been committed, it cannot be cured (Flatman v Essex County Council)
- Acas has published advice for employers and employees on the treatment of employees who are suffering from prolonged effects of a coronavirus (COVID-19) infection— ‘long COVID’ (Acas – Long COVID – advice for employers and employees)
- Acas has also published a new report which considers the costs to organisations of handling workplace conflicts (Acas – Estimating the Costs of workplace conflict)
- The House of Lords Select Committee on COVID-19 has published a report which contains key recommendations for the government to consider in light of the increase in hybrid working (House of Lords – Beyond Digital: Planning for a Hybrid World)
- The Employment Rights Act 1996 (Coronavirus, Calculation of a Week’s Pay) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2021 came into force on 30 April 2021 to reflect the further extension of the CJRS announced in the Spring 2021 Budget (Legislation.gov.uk)
- HMRC has updated its Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme guidance notes to address operation of the scheme from May 2021 (HMRC, Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: step by step guide for employers)
- The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) has updated its guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19) and pregnancy. This provides advice in respect of pregnant women going to work following the changes to shielding guidance alongside advice to those returning to work who are pregnant and have been vaccinated (RCOG, Coronavirus infection and pregnancy)