Employment law stories in the news – 09.03.2015 to 15.03.2015

redmans-blog-newsIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news this week, we take a look at ten employment law stories that have made headlines between 9 March and 15 March 2015

  1. Employment proposals ‘lack evidence’ – The government’s proposals on employment tribunal postponement procedures do not appear to be based on enough evidence, the Law Society has said in response to a consultation document (The Law Society Gazette)
  2. Employment Tribunal rules for Wrexham Council employee over increase in work – An Employment Tribunal judge has ruled in favour of a woman who felt forced to resign after Wrexham Council increased her workload. The local authority has been ordered to pay more than £8,000 in compensation and fees after the tribunal found in favour of Naomi Squire, 46, from Gresford (News North Wales)
  3. Pervert council manager gets £30k redundancy payout after failing to tell bosses about his arrest – A high-flying council officer who pleaded guilty to downloading images of child sexual abuse received an estimated £30,000 redundancy payout after failing to tell his bosses he had been arrested (Wales Online)
  4. David Cameron steps in after NHS whistleblower is pursued for £100,000 in costs after losing her case on legal technicality – David Cameron has asked Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health, to investigate why a whistleblower at one of the country’s largest mental health trusts is being pursued for almost £100,000 in costs after losing her case on a legal technicality (The Independent)
  5. Police officers forced to retire to seek compensation – Nearly 150 ex-police officers in Wales are seeking compensation after being forced to retire early. They are among 1,335 senior officers in Wales and England forced to retire since 2010 under a controversial redundancy rule (BBC)
  6. Unfairly dismissed headteacher awarded £90,000 – A long-serving headteacher who was unfairly dismissed from her job at All Saints Primary School, after clashing with governors, has been awarded the maximum compensation by a tribunal. Although the figure has not been officially revealed it is understood that Christine Hollidge will receive almost £90,000 (The Midweek Herald)
  7. Construction firms prosecuted after worker crushed by falling conveyor – Three construction companies have been fined after a worker was crushed by a falling section of conveyor at a plant in Sleaford. The incident happened during construction of the Sleaford Renewable Energy plant on Boston Road on 14 February 2013 when the 4.5 tonne conveyor section overturned during installation (HSE)
  8. Nigel Farage would axe ‘much of’ race discrimination law – UKIP would scrap much of the legislation designed to prevent racial discrimination in work, party leader Nigel Farage has said. He was speaking in a Channel 4 documentary to be shown next week (BBC)
  9. Private school staff sacked after pupils allowed to get drunk during supervised trip – Students from a leading Ribble Valley private school were allowed to get drunk during a supervised trip out, a tribunal has heard. The 27 pupils from Moorland High School, in Clitheroe, drank wine, lager and spirits during a visit to an Indian restaurant, the employment tribunal in Manchester was told (The Lancashire Telegraph)
  10. Forfar firm fined after agency worker injured – A Forfar metal galvanising company has been sentenced after an agency worker suffered serious leg injuries when a half-tonne A-frame slipped and fell onto him from a forklift truck (HSE)