In May, the UK government passed three family-related Acts that employers should be aware of: the Neonatal Care Act; the Protection from Redundancy Act; and the Carer’s Leave Act. UK courts have also made notable rulings on noncompete restrictions, and COVID-19-related health and safety detriment claims.
Author: Alex Denny
U.K. Employment Law Update: Whistleblower Dismissal, Belief Discrimination and Long COVID
U.K. courts have faced novel employment questions regarding whistleblowers, discrimination over personal beliefs and whether long COVID can be a disability. Employers in the United Kingdom should keep a note of these recent rulings to inform their own policies.
U.K. Employment Law Update: Worker Status, Non-Compete Restrictions and COVID-19 Dismissal
Clarification on Worker Status
In Nursing and Midwifery Council v Somerville [2022] EWCA Civ 229, the Court of Appeal (CoA) considered whether an obligation on the part of a worker to perform a minimum amount of work was a prerequisite for worker status.
Living With COVID-19: What Is Changing in England and What Does It Mean for Employers?
On 21 February 2022, the U.K. government announced its “Living with COVID-19’” plan. This month’s U.K. Employment Law Update outlines the key changes in England and what it means for employers.
Multinational Companies Operating in Russia Must Be Aware of Recent Restrictions on Disseminating Certain Information
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Russian government has imposed several restrictions that may affect employers with operations in Russia. The restrictions prohibit:
Employment Law Update: Employer Restrained from ‘Firing and Rehiring’, Dismissal for Raising Frivolous Grievances, and Employment Status of Taxi Driver
Tesco Restrained From ‘Firing and Rehiring’ Employees
In USDAW and ors v Tesco Stores Ltd [2022] EWHC 201 (QB), the High Court (HC) granted an injunction to restrain U.K. supermarket giant, Tesco, from ‘firing and rehiring’ employees who did not agree to the removal of a permanent right to a benefit.
This decision is significant as it offers a potential new legal remedy for employees whose employers are looking to ‘fire and rehire’ them in order to remove a permanent entitlement. The practice of ‘fire and rehire’ was already controversial and under increasing scrutiny prior to this decision, and it will be interesting to see the extent to which employers will try to deploy it in the future.