• April 2014

    Parliament’s Scottish Affairs Committee has published an interim report on zero-hours contracts which recommends changes, but states that ‘in the majority of cases’ zero-hours contracts should not be used at all. The release of the interim report is timed to contribute to the Government’s consultation on zero-hours contracts. The Government is currently analysing feedback to[…]

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    Are the UK’s restrictions on secondary industrial action (otherwise known as ‘sympathy strikes’) an unlawful interference with freedom of association under the European Convention on Human Rights? No, holds the European Court of Human Rights, unanimously, in RMT v UK, but with differing reasons. The case arose after the RMT abandoned secondary action at a[…]

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    With effect from 6th April 2014, it is no longer possible for employers to reclaim statutory sick pay from the government. See this statutory instrument. Previously, employers could reclaim any amount of SSP which exceeded 13% of its national insurance contributions in the month. The rationale for abolishing it is that it gave employers an[…]

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    The 6 April is one of the Government’s two annual ‘common commencement dates’ and, as ever, there are plenty of changes to get to grips with. A familiar change is the annual increase in statutory payments such as sick pay, maternity, paternity and adoption pay. However, for the first time, the annual increase in statutory[…]

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