Employment law stories in the news – 14.12.2020 to 20.12.2020
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 14 December 2020 and 20 December 2020
- Waste firm pays £105,000 after racially abusing employee – A waste firm must pay more than £105,000 to a black employee who was racially abused and unfairly dismissed (MRW)
- Rafiq files legal complaint against Yorkshire over race row – Former Yorkshire captain Azeem Rafiq has filed a legal complaint against the English team after claiming direct discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race (Yahoo)
- Christian boss ‘bullied over gay marriage stance’ – A Christian chief executive was subjected to bullying, hostility and harassment because of his opposition to gay marriage, an employment tribunal has been told (The Times)
- Interim exit cap guidance allows relaxation on ‘compassionate’ grounds – Councils can seek to exempt employees facing redundancy from the new £95,000 public sector exit cap if they would face “genuine hardship” or their exit is “necessary” for “urgent workplace reforms”, ministers have agreed (LGC Plus)
- Victimised union activist wins tribunal case against outsourcing firm – A union activist victimised by a private outsourcing company working for Wakefield Council in West Yorkshire has won her claim of unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal (The Morning Star)
- RentPlus employee suffers sexual discrimination at Plymouth firm – A Plymouth housing firm has been ordered to pay a female executive £60,000 after she suffered sexual discrimination and ageism, a tribunal judge has ruled (The Plymouth Herald)
- DWP signs legally binding agreement to improve equality and diversity in the workplace – The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has entered a legally binding agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) after a former DWP employee won her claim of direct discrimination on the basis of age and race, racial harassment and victimisation (Politics Home)
- MPs demand that BBC reveals how much it has spent on lawyers in fights against equal pay and race discrimination claims – MPs have demanded that the BBC reveal how much it spent countering claims of equal pay and race discrimination (The Daily Mail)
- Bolton postman loses sickness absence fight with Royal Mail – A postman under threat of suspended dismissal for failing to deliver mail was later sacked for his attitude after going off sick, a tribunal heard (The Bolton News)
- Met Police officer sues over ‘sexual and racist’ texts – An Asian police officer is suing the Met Police for sexual harassment and discrimination after receiving “hundreds” of racist and sexist messages from a senior colleague (BBC)