Date 27 January 2012
Welcome to the latest edition of the Employment Stay Alert!
Employment issues have been a hot topic in the national press this week, with several reports of ground breaking discrimination and dismissal cases in the papers and all over the internet.
With this in mind, this edition reports on what it all means, the impact it could have on your business and its procedures, and of course, best practice to help you avoid pitfalls.
In this edition:
- Following one of the highest payments ever awarded for race discrimination, I explain why all businesses should give thought to 'subconscious discrimination'.
- Chris Cook discusses the changes to unfair dismissal law and the new legislation proposed by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove.
- Alexis Asher provides an essential update on the forthcoming employment issues for 2012, and the facts you need to know.
Also featured in this Stay Alert! is a heads-up about our free employment seminars which will ensure you are ready to successfully manage the challenges effecting the modern workplace. And if that's not enough, I will be featured in our regular question and answer session.
If you have any questions or comments on any of the articles in this Stay Alert! please e-mail me vanessa.james@salaw.com or call your usual SA Law contact. Please also feel free to forward on to any of your colleagues or contacts who may be interested in it.
Kind regards,
Vanessa James
Partner
Head of Employment Department
NHS Manager awarded almost £1million for successful claim of discrimination
A former NHS manager, has been awarded £933,115 in compensation following the success of his Tribunal claim against the NHS for unfair dismissal and race discrimination; one of the highest payments ever awarded for race discrimination.
To read the full article click here
Teachers in the Firing Line
Michael Gove has announced that he wishes to abandon existing rules which make it difficult to sack incompetent teachers.
He proposes abandoning a large amount of the red tape connected with the process, aiming to make it a lot easier and quicker for schools.
Additional proposals include the introduction of rigorous assessment standards and encouraging parents to go into classrooms to monitor teaching standards for themselves.
To read the full article click here
Employment Outlook for 2012
Alexis discusses some key employment issues which are due to arise throughout 2012. Make sure you are up to date about: changes in unfair dismissal claims, statutory payments and the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) scheme.
To read the full article click here
Changes to Unfair Dismissal Law
In October 2011 the Government announced that the period of qualifying service for employees to be eligible to bring a claim of unfair dismissal would be increasing to 2 years. Vince Cable has now clarified that employees starting work before 6 April 2012 will still be able to make unfair dismissal claims after 1 year of service. The 2 year qualifying period will apply to those who commence employment on or after 6 April 2012.
To read the full article click here
Free Employment Seminars
Managing Employees Successfully – What’s new in 2012?
SA Law will be holding a number of free seminars in March.
The seminars will cover:
- Proposed Government reforms - New era or false dawn?
- Making social media work for your business - not against it.
- How to manage an ageing workforce.
- The latest developments on handling dismissals, in particular redundancies.
When and Where:
13th March 2012 - The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
21st March 2012 - The Beales Hotel, Comet Way, Hatfield, AL10 9NG
Timings to be confirmed, further information to follow.
For more information or to book a place, please contact a member of our marketing team on 01727 798010.
The Business Excellence Awards 2012
SA Law invite you to enter the 2012 Business Excellence Awards.
Aimed at businesses of all sizes in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London, the awards are a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and dedication that has seen many enterprises through the challenging times in which we are all operating.
This is a fantastic opportunity for our clients and peers to receive recognition for their success. Application to enter the awards is free.
For more information about each category and how to enter click here.
Hurry, entries close soon!
Meet the Team
As part of our regular feature, we introduce you to Partner and Head of Employment Vanessa James.
Click here to find out more about Vanessa James.
© SA Law 2012
This bulletin is a reminder of forthcoming legislation that may affect you. However, please seek specific legal advice in relation to individual matters. No responsibility can be accepted for any person or organisation that acts on the basis of information contained in this bulletin alone.