Employment law stories in the news – 28.10.2013 to 03.11.2013
In 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-related stories that have hit the headlines since 28 October 2013, including a new Government apprenticeship scheme, a new Labour policy regarding tax rebates for firms and a timber firm that has been fined after a worker lost a hand in an injury at work
- Prime Minister announces “new era of apprenticeships” and new training scheme for young people – David Cameron has announced a new work training scheme for young people under which employers will have a greater say regarding workers’ education and the process will be radically simplified (Politics Home)
- Labour announces new policy regarding tax rebate for firms that pay the minimum wage – Firms that agree to pay their workers the living wage will be allowed to apply for a tax rebate of up to £1,000 per worker, under plans announced by Labour leader Ed Miliband (The Independent)
- £200,000 pay-off for NHS managers under Government’s health reforms – At least four managers whose positions have been made redundant under the Government’s flagship health reforms have received payoffs of more than £200,000, it has emerged. A number of primary care trusts made the payments before they were abolished earlier this year (The Evening Standard)
- Ambulance service boss entitled to receive redundancy payment of half a million pounds – it has been reported that the East of England Ambulance Service chief executive is contractually entitled to receive a redundancy payment of almost half a million pounds. The revelations came in the final report of the NHS Norfolk Primary Care Trust came in the wake of it being wound up earlier this year (EDP24)
- Employment Appeal Tribunal rules that embassy immunity is trumped by workers’ human rights – the Employment Appeal Tribunal has, in a potentially “landmark” ruling, found that legal immunity from civil lawsuits should be removed where this would mean that a worker’s human rights were breached (The Evening Standard)
- Firm pleads guilty to corporate manslaughter after worker dies in accident at work – a County down company has pleaded guilty to the corporate manslaughter of one of its employees after a worker dies by being dragged into an animal feed mixing machine (BBC)
- Royal Mail worker wins claim for discrimination in the Employment Tribunal – an Asian Royal Mail worker who was subject to a concerted campaign of abuse and harassment from his colleagues has won his Employment Tribunal claim for discrimination and harassment (Minority Perspective)
- Government fail to overturn Poundland work scheme ruling – The government has lost a Supreme Court appeal over a ruling its flagship “back to work” schemes were legally flawed. Ministers failed in a bid to overturn an earlier ruling that regulations underpinning the schemes were invalid (BBC)
- Big Fat Gypsy Wedding dressmaker makes Employment Tribunal claim for unfair dismissal – a dressmaker on the popular television show Big Fat Gypsy Weddings has made a claim for unfair dismissal in the Employment Tribunal after she was sacked last year (The Mirror)
- Timber firm found guilty of health and safety breaches after worker loses hand – a Lancaster timber firm has been fined by the Magistrates’ Court after it was found that health and safety breaches led to serious injuries to a worker (HSE)