Employment law stories in the news – 11.11.2013 to 17.11.2013

MoJIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news this week, we take a look at a number of employment law stories that have made the headlines between 11 November and 17 November 2013. This includes a former banker who has been successful in her claim for sexual harassment, Gus Poyet withdrawing his employment tribunal claim against Brighton and the Government ordering an inquiry into alleged misconduct by trade unions

  1. Former banker wins sexual harassment claim in the employment tribunal – a former banker at a major Russian bank in London has won her claim for sexual harassment and constructive dismissal after she was told that she was “mad”, “crazy” and a “cokehead” (The Evening Standard)
  2. Gus Poyet withdraws employment tribunal claim against Brighton – Gus Poyet, the former manager of Brighton Football Club, has withdrawn his employment tribunal claim against his former club after he achieved new employment with Sunderland (Sky Sports)
  3. HMRC to target employers who don’t pay interns – the BBC reports that HMRC is targeting two hundred employers who recently advertised internships to ensure that these businesses are paying the national minimum wage to interns that they take on (BBC)
  4. Mental health trusts may invite employees made redundant to reapply for their jobs – Workers made redundant in a recent reorganisation by mental health trusts in Norfolk and Suffolk are being invited to apply for new jobs (BBC)
  5. Crystal Palace wins TUPE case in the Court of Appeal – Crystal Palace have won the most recent round of a legal dispute between the football club and a number of former employees after an Employment Appeal Tribunal decision was appealed (FC Business)
  6. Sacked oil trader makes High Court claim for wrongful dismissal – a former oil trader has made a claim for wrongful dismissal in the High Court after he was dismissed in 2010 for not turning up to work (The Independent)
  7. Birmingham Council’s equal pay bill may reach £1 billion – It has been revealed that the claims for equal pay in the employment tribunal against Birmingham City Council may be worth up to £1 billion (The Birmingham Mail)
  8. John McCririck loses age discrimination employment tribunal claim against Channel 4 – John McCririck has lost his age discrimination claim against Channel 4 after he claimed his contract was not renewed because he was over 50 years old (BBC)
  9. Employment Tribunal claim avoided after Southampton City Council settles – Southampton City Council has reportedly settled potential claims in the employment tribunal for breach of contract for a sum of £2.8 million after workers were forced to agree to amendments to their contracts in 2011 (Daily Echo)
  10. Govt orders union ‘leverage’ inquiry – The Government could change the law to ban ‘leverage’ tactics in industrial disputes, the Cabinet Office Minister confirmed today (Politics Home)