Employment law stories in the news – 03.07.2017 to 09.07.2017

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news, we take a look at ten employment law stories that have made headlines between 3 September 2017 and 9 September 2017

  1. Caroline Lucas leads call to end ‘widespread’ pregnancy discrimination – A cross-party group of MPs led by Caroline Lucas is pressuring the Government to take urgent action to tackle maternity and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace (The Independent)
  2. Minimum wage for the self-employed, suggests think tank – Some of the self-employed should be entitled to the national minimum wage, a think tank has urged. The Resolution Foundation says that about half of the 4.8 million people classified as self-employed are low-paid and earn less than £310 a week (BBC)
  3. Addison Lee sets out the flexible working practices enjoyed by its drivers as it heads into an employment tribunal – Addison Lee is set to defend its “fair and flexible” working practices at a tribunal which starts this week. The employment tribunal, to be heard in London, is being brought by three drivers who want to be recognised as workers or employees of the car services group (City AM)
  4. Taylor review set to back extra gig worker rights – Workers in Britain’s gig economy would be given new protections linked to the minimum wage without losing the right to set their own schedules under proposals due on Tuesday from a government-commissioned review (The Financial Times)
  5. Government urged to stamp out ‘poverty pay’ in gig economy – Parcelforce is part of the Royal Mail Group. The company has 700 “owner drivers” who are technically self-employed. Frank Field is arguing they are nothing of the sort. He has spoken to several drivers as part of his latest report into the “gig economy” (ITV)
  6. One in three LGBT+ people have been harassed or bullied in the workplace – A major new study has revealed that discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation is still very much a problem. More than 5,000 LGBT+ people in the UK took part in a new survey by the TUC, which found that 36% of LGBT+ workers revealed that they have been harassed or bullied at work (Gay Times)
  7. Judge’s handwritten notes released under UK data laws for first time – A judge’s handwritten notes have been obtained to challenge a ruling for the first time, establishing a far-reaching legal precedent for the right to personal information (The Guardian)
  8. Deliveroo offers riders sick pay if employment law is changed, and Parcelforce comes under fire – Food courier Deliveroo said that it will offer its riders sick and injury pay as well as other benefits if the government overhauls its employment laws (Staffing Industry)
  9. Legal action brought by ex-KWM staff over redundancies held up by ‘excessive and unnecessary’ delay – An employment tribunal claim brought by former King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) staff over the way their redundancies were handled by the firm, has been hit by delays due to IT problems (Legal Week)
  10. Company fined after worker suffers crush injuries – A Lancashire based company Spectral Colours Limited (SCL) has been fined after a worker was crushed under machinery (HSE)