Employment law stories in the news – 27.01.2020 to 02.02.2020

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 27 January 2020 and 2 February 2020

  1. HSBC makes last-minute settlement with ex-currencies head – The former global head of currencies and commodities at HSBC has reached an 11th-hour settlement with the UK bank and executives including the previous CEO John Flint in an employment claim over unfair dismissal (Financial Times)
  2. Bank boss who had affair with junior colleague said it was ‘just sex’ – A married bank boss who has been accused of carrying out a campaign of harassment against a junior colleague, told a tribunal that their fling was ‘only about sex’ (Metro)
  3. Timpson employee who threatened to ‘shoot’ colleague was unfairly dismissed – A Timpson employee who threatened to “shoot” a colleague was unfairly dismissed because of the way the company handled the disciplinary process, an employment tribunal has found (Personnel Today)
  4. CPS considers block on persistent tribunal claimant – The Crown Prosecution Service is considering an application to restrict a prolific employment tribunal complainant after his latest failed attempt to bring proceedings over a legal trainee scheme (Law Society Gazette)
  5. Govt to consult on pension solution after landmark case – The government has warned changes ordered by the courts to rectify a landmark discrimination case could make some members worse off (FT Adviser)
  6. Co-op Group staff launch equal pay claim – Around 100 shop workers from the Co-op Group have launched an equal pay claim against the retailer. The first hearing for the claim took place on Friday, 24 January at the Manchester Employment Tribunal (Coop News)
  7. Former TalkTalk manager brings gender discrimination case – A former manager of one of Britain’s largest telecoms companies discovered she was earning 40 per cent less than her male counterparts in the latest gender discrimination case, which opened in London on Monday (Financial Times)
  8. NHS worker asked if her pregnancy was planned was discriminated against, tribunal rules – A pregnant NHS administrator was discriminated against after her manager asked if her pregnancy was planned and if the cost of her maternity leave would come out of the team’s budget (People Management)
  9. Government announces increases to statutory payments in April 2020 – The Department for Work and Pensions has published a paper setting out proposed increases to statutory payments which will apply from April 2020 (The HR Director)
  10. Company fined after vehicle struck an overhead power cable – Fairhurst Stone Merchants Ltd has been fined for safety breaches after a vehicle made contact with an uninsulated overhead electric power line (HSE)