Stevens & Bolton Podcast Channel

The S&B People Podcast – The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023

In this episode of the S&B People Podcast, Rebecca Berry, Managing Associate in our employment, pensions and immigration team joins our host, Frances Rollin, to talk about the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023  that comes into force on 1 October this year. This act, along with the linked statutory code of practice, is a big shake-up for the hospitality industry, creating a new legal obligation on employers to allocate tips and service charges fairly and transparently, without any deductions other than tax or similar. With October looming, we talk about what businesses should be doing now to prepare for these changes.

The S&B People Podcast – The code of practice on dismissal and re-engagement

In this episode of the S&B People Podcast, Charlotte Gunn, Associate in our employment, pensions and immigration team joins our host, Frances Rollin, to talk about the code of practice on dismissal and re-engagement that is due to come into force on 18 July this year.  This code impacts all employers who are considering making changes to terms and conditions after this date, where dismissal and re-engagement is envisaged. It is a statutory code of practice and compliance with it can be taken into account in a variety of tribunal claims, with an uplift on awards of up to 25% for a unreasonable failure to comply.

The S&B People Podcast – EAT considers general workforce consultation obligations in an individual redundancy

In this episode of the S&B People Podcast, Andy Williams, Partner in our Employment, Pensions and Immigration team joins our host, Frances Rollin, to talk about the recent employment appeal tribunal case of Joseph De Bank Haycocks v ADP RPO UK Ltd. This case looked at an employer’s consultation obligations in a redundancy situation, particularly focusing on the timing of such consultation and if wider workforce consultation is required, even in a redundancy that does not trigger the obligation to collectively consult.

The S&B People Podcast – What to expect in 2024

Hollie Ryan Managing Associate in our employment team, joins our host Frances Rollin for this episode of the S&B People Podcast. Together, they consider the raft of new employment provisions that are due to take effect in 2024.

We look at the following:

• changes to the TUPE regulations;
• the new right to Carer’s Leave;
• new redundancy protections during pregnancy and after maternity, adoption or shared parental leave;
• changes to the flexible working regime;
• new rules on the sharing of tips;
• the new statutory right to request a more predictable working pattern; and
• the new duty to prevent sexual harassment.

See The S&B People Podcast - Imminent changes to holiday rights and equality laws for a summary of the regulations that came into force on 1 January 2024, which make important changes to holiday rights and equality laws.

The S&B People Podcast – Imminent changes to holiday rights and equality laws

Sarah Taylor, Senior Knowledge Lawyer in our employment team, joins our host Frances Rollin for this episode of the S&B People Podcast. Together, they delve into the draft regulations that are due to come into force in the New Year, which make important changes to holiday rights and equality laws.

 

From 1 January 2024, The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 removes general EU interpretive principles from domestic law, creating a risk that certain case law addressing critical worker rights will fall away. The government has chosen to legislate to fill this potential legal void, with these new regulations (The Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023 and The Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2023) implementing major changes to holiday entitlement and holiday pay rights, as well as codifying existing equality protections.

The S&B People Podcast: Menopause in the workplace

Michelle Hobbs, a Senior Associate in our employment team, joins our host Frances Rollin for this episode of the S&B People Podcast where we talk about menopause in the workplace and, in particular, about the recent tribunal case of Lynskey v Direct Line Insurance Service. In this case, the claimant was awarded almost £65k by the employment tribunal who found that her employer had discriminated against her on the basis of her menopausal symptoms, which constituted a disability under the Equality Act. Menopause in itself is not a recognised protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, and so claimants who suffer unfavourable treatment because of their menopausal symptoms are having to find alternative routes to protection.

The S&B People Podcast - Two minds don’t think alike - Maximising the potential of your neurodiverse workforce

Rebecca Berry, a Senior Associate in our employment team, joins our host Frances Rollin for this episode of the S&B People Podcast where we talk about neurodiversity in the workplace. We discuss the benefits of neurodiversity at work, how employment law impacts employers and neurodivergent employees, a recent case on reasonable adjustments for neurodiverse job applicants and some practical ideas on making recruitment processes and working environment more neurodivergent-friendly. Embracing neurodiversity is an aspect of the employment relationship where employers might want to consider going further than the law requires - the benefits of taking a more imaginative, proactive approach to embracing and nurturing neurodiversity in the workforce are not to be underestimated.

The S&B People Podcast - What employers need to know about the new Retained EU Law act

Sarah Taylor, senior knowledge lawyer in our Employment team joins Frances Rollin for this episode of the S&B People Podcast where we talk about the implications of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 on employment law in the UK. Although the controversial sunset provisions are no longer in play, there are still significant consequences for employers. We talk about the key aspects of the new act, the practical implications of these changes on employment law, the government consultations that recently closed on the Working Time Regulations, holiday pay and TUPE and the possibility of chaos in the lower courts and tribunals from January 2024.

The S&B People Podcast: Is it fair for an employer to rely on private Facebook posts to take disciplinary action?

Chelsea Feeney, associate in our Employment team, joins Frances Rollin for this episode of the S&B People Podcast where we talk about the recent tribunal case of Webb v London Underground. The employer in this case had dismissed an employee following posts on her private Facebook account, that the Tribunal described as offensive, inflammatory and racially divisive. The tribunal considered if the employer could legitimately rely on private Facebook posts in order to take disciplinary action. It also considered the right to privacy and freedom of expression under the European Convention of Human Rights as well as some basic points for conducting a fair dismissal procedure.

The S&B People Podcast - Menopause in the workplace

Menopause has become a topical subject for many employers. In this podcast Helena Rosenstein and Chantelle De Filippis discuss the impact of the menopause in the workplace and the practical steps that employers can take to manage their exposure to menopause related claims and to limit the risk and cost of losing valued and experienced members of staff.