Employment law stories in the news this week – 13.01.2014 to 19.01.2014

MoJIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news this week, we take a look at ten stories related to employment law that have made the news between 13 January 2014 and 19 January 2014. This includes a case which could have implications for businesses over holiday pay, concerns raised over bullying in England’s largest NHS hospital trust, and a restaurant business denied permission to appeal an Employment Tribunal ruling

  1. Ruling may leave firms with large holiday pay costs – An employment lawyer has warned businesses are likely to face large bills if legal changes relating to commission and holiday pay come into force early next year (The Herald Scotland)
  2. Staff bullying concerns raised about largest NHS trust – Staff members at all levels and across all sites of England’s largest hospital trust have expressed concerns about being bullied, a report has shown (BBC)
  3. Sacked bus driver was caught giving hand gesture on CCTV – A National Express bus driver in Dundee has lost his claim for unfair dismissal after he was caught making “prolonged and elaborate” obscene hand gestures at another road user (Dundee TV)
  4. Two whistleblowers sacked ‘over NHS chief’s nepotism’ – The chief executive of an NHS Trust who is a national spokeswoman on equality and diversity showed “nepotism and favouritism” by employing her daughter’s boyfriend, a tribunal heard (The Times)
  5. Driver’s constructive dismissal claim rejected – A Kidderminster vehicle recovery firm has successfully defended a legal claim of constructive unfair dismissal by a former employee. Birmingham Employment Tribunal judge Stan Britton also declared that Auto Support, of Matthew Lane, Hoo Farm Industrial Estate, Kidderminster did not make unauthorised deductions from the wages of driver Ian Greaves as alleged by him at a previous tribunal hearing (The Shuttle)
  6. Minimum wage fine raised to £20,000 in UK – Rogue employers who fail to pay workers the national minimum wage could face fines running into hundreds of thousands of pounds under rules to be unveiled on Wednesday (The Guardian)
  7. Stonewall launches campaign to eradicate workplace homophobia ‘once and for all’ – Stonewall today launches a national campaign to tackle endemic levels of homophobia in Britain’s workplaces. Featuring two people at work, the campaign states clearly that: ‘One is gay. If that bothers people, our work continues’ (Stonewall)
  8. Birmingham landmarks including the NEC could be sold off – Landmarks such as the NEC could be sold to pay legal claims over equal pay totalling more than £1bn, Birmingham City Council has said (BBC)
  9. Zero hours, pay and early conciliation set to be key workplace issues for 2014, says Acas Chief Exec – Acas Chief Executive, Anne Sharp, head of Britain’s top employment relations service, highlights her views on the workplace challenges for 2014 (ACAS)
  10. Employment Appeal Tribunal refuses leave for extension of time to appeal to business – The Glassblowing House Ltd has been refused an extension of time to appeal the decision of an Employment Tribunal which ordered it to pay £60,000 to a former employee (The Plymouth Herald)