Employment law stories in the news – 30.05.2016 to 05.06.2016

redmans-blog-newsIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news, we take a look at nine employment law-related cases that have made headlines between 30 May and 5 June 2016

  1. Scottish power firm fined £1.75m after worker seriously scalded – A Scottish energy company was fined after a worker was seriously scalded at Longannet Power Station in Alloa. Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard how a plant controller working for ScottishPower Generation Limited (SPGL) was injured when he opened a faulty valve which emitted high pressure, high temperature steam. He sustained serious burns to his chest and legs (HSE)
  2. Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley ‘will go before MPs’ – Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley says he will now go before MPs to defend the firm’s “good name”. It reverses the billionaire’s previous decision not to appear before the Business, Innovation and Skills select committee on Tuesday to answer questions on working conditions (BBC)
  3. British Muslim women face ‘double bind’ of gender and religious discrimination, report warns – Muslim women are experiencing a ‘double-bind’ of religious and gender discrimination which sees them subjected to abuse and harassment in the workplace, online and in public life, new research has warned (The Independent)
  4. ICO warns people to think before taking client records to a new company – A former waste disposal employee who left his job, taking information about previous clients with him, has been prosecuted and fined. Mark Lloyd, who worked at Acorn Waste Management Ltd in Shropshire, emailed the details of 957 clients to his personal email address as he was leaving to start a new role at a rival company (ICO)
  5. Employment tribunal cases withdrawn over ‘off-putting’ fees – While employment lawyers await the outcome of a government review of employment tribunal fees, research by a conciliatory body suggests one in five cases were withdrawn as a result of the ‘off-putting’ fees (The Law Society Gazette)
  6. Firm fines £1million after young worker killed by exploding tyre – A Kent tyre company has been sentenced for safety failings after 21-year-old Matthew Hoare, from Canterbury was killed when a tyre exploded. Canterbury Crown Court heard how Matthew, an employee of Watling Tyre Service Limited of Kent, was repairing a puncture to the tyre of a ‘dresser loading shovel’ when it exploded (HSE)
  7. Cycle couriers take on the big boys in battle for living wage – Cycle couriers in London are bringing Employment Tribunal claims against large cycle courier firms to demand proper employment rights (The Evening Standard)
  8. University wipes out gender pay gap with salary hike – A UK university is giving its female professors a one-off salary hike to wipe out the gender pay gap with their male colleagues. The University of Essex is raising female professors’ pay, to bring their average salaries level with the men (BBC)
  9. BHS administrators urged to look after staff as firm winds down – Usdaw is urging BHS administrators to redouble their efforts to find a buyer. And the shopworkers’ union has called on the accountants to protect staff at every step if no new owner can be found (The Sunderland Echo)