Employment law stories in the news – 23.09.2019 to 29.09.2019

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news, we take a look at ten employment law-related stories that have made headlines between 23 September 2019 and 29 September 2019

  1. Former Clarks boss denies sex boasts and racism – An executive who was forced to quit as the boss of one of Britain’s best-known shoe companies for allegedly making outrageous comments is bringing the case to an industrial tribunal this week (The Times)
  2. Company fined after worker’s leg crushed by machinery – A packaging manufacturing company was sentenced after a worker was injured by an automated transfer vehicle (HSE)
  3. Downing Street aide sacked by Dominic Cummings ‘offered £40,000 payout’ – A sacked Downing Street adviser has been offered a payout of around £40,000, it is claimed. Sonia Khan was marched out of Number 10 by armed police after being fired by Boris Johnson’s de facto chief of staff Dominic Cummings (The Evening Standard)
  4. Worker subjected to ‘degrading’ racial abuse wins harassment and unfair dismissal claims – An employee who worked for a steel firm was subjected to racial and homophobic abuse by his employer that left him “terrified”, an employment tribunal (ET) has ruled (People Management)
  5. Union threatens legal action to secure £50m for staff of bust Thomas Cook – Thomas Cook is facing a £50m lawsuit from trade unions to protect unpaid staff and compensate them for the collapsed travel company’s failure to consult on redundancies (The Telegraph)
  6. Foster carers Jimmy and Christine Johnstone who won employment rights fight council appeal – A fostering couple who earned a landmark court judgment for employment rights are campaigning to raise £20,000 to fight an appeal against the decision by Glasgow city council (The Times)
  7. UNISON wins £674k after council’s failure to consult – UNISON will receive compensation of £647,000 after the union settled an employment tribunal case against Somerset County Council. UNISON argued the council had flouted the law by failing to properly inform and consult with union officials about the impact on 1,100 employees of privatising the county’s learning disability services (Union News)
  8. BBC ruined my career, says woman awarded £130,000 – A former BBC employee has received more than £130,000 after she accused the broadcaster of paying her less than men with equivalent roles (The Times)
  9. Chemical company fined after employee suffered a serious injury – Vertellus Specialties UK Limited has today been fined after an employee fell two metres from a ladder and suffered a serious elbow injury (HSE)
  10. Backlog of applications causing ‘rushed decisions’ on settled status, immigration lawyer warns – A leading immigration law firm has warned that a backlog of applications means EU citizens living and working in the UK could be being incorrectly denied settled status, instead receiving the less secure pre-settled status (People Management)