Employment law stories in the news – 20.04.2015 to 26.04.2015

redmans-blog-newsIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news, we take a look at ten employment law stories that made headlines between 20 April and 26 April 2015

  1. MPs call for more protection for employees if company goes out of business – Employment law must give greater protection to workers if their employer goes out of business, MPs have said. According to a joint report from two parliamentary committees, City Link deliberately chose not to tell employees and contractors that a collapse was imminent. Indeed, they did not find out about this development until it actually happened (Lexology)
  2. Zero-hours waitress who kept silent over groping boss because she feared her hours would be cut wins £20,000 payout – A waitress on a zero-hours contract who kept silent over her boss groping her because she feared her hours would be cut has won a £20,000 payout at an employment tribunal (The Daily Mail)
  3. Up to 220,000 care workers paid less than minimum wage, figures show – More than half the care companies investigated by customs officials are paying their workers less than the minimum wage, according to figures unearthed by the shadow social care minister, Liz Kendall (The Guardian)
  4. Flexible work ‘pipe dream for many’ – Flexible working is a “pipe dream” for many parents and carers despite employees having the legal right to request flexible arrangements, according to a new report (Express & Star)
  5. Full-scale fight for justice can be costly – In common with thousands of other people across the UK, Tom Johnstone reluctantly but determinedly sought the final and unbiased judgement of the service after he was dismissed from his management consultant post following an accusation of gross misconduct by his employer (Herald Scotland)
  6. Bootle firm fined after man breaks both legs in work incident – Hy-Ten Limited has been fined £13,000 after two tonnes of steel rebar being moved by crane fell onto a worker, breaking both of his legs. HSE prosecuted the company after investigating the circumstances of the incident in January 2014 at Hy-Ten’s factory in Bridle Road, Bootle (HSE)
  7. Whistleblowing NHS staff complained about hospital failings including drug dealing and poor care – Whistleblowing NHS staff have complained of shocking failings in hospitals including drug dealing, bullying managers as well as poor care and hygiene. Workers also raised fears about overworked nurses making drug errors, patient call bells left unanswered and preferential ­treatment for private patients (The Mirror)
  8. Two firms fined after worker seriously injured – A worker suffered fractures to his back, hip and leg after he was knocked over by a four-tonne piling hammer when it broke free while being lifted into position, a court has heard (HSE)
  9. Doctor Raj Mattu’s £14m claim for sacking ‘is greedy’ – A top heart specialist, sacked following whistleblowing allegations, has halved his legal claim for over £14 million after being dubbed “greedy” by the trust that employed him. Internationally renowned Raj Mattu is now seeking around £7 million, a Birmingham employment tribunal heard (The Birmingham Post)
  10. Derby priests unfairly dismissed over £2-an-hour pay protest win tribunal victory – Four “vulnerable” priests at a Sikh temple in Derby who were paid only £2 an hour have won an industrial tribunal ruling, with the help of a union. Two of the men, who all worked at a temple in Normanton, quit after they were disciplined when they complained about the wages (The Derby Telegraph)