Law Society Gazette – 19/11/2009 This article in the Law Society Gazette refers to the BIS July 2009 consultation on Employment Tribunal claims and the Public Interest Disclosure Act”. The article reports the views of the Employment Lawyers Association. The main point is a fear that empowering the employment tribunal service to forward details of claims involving PIDA allegations to the “relevant regulator” if the claimant consents, as proposed, would give whistleblowing claimants ‘improper bargaining power’. The ELA points out that [...]

BIS – 18/11/2009 The new right is set out in new sections 63D to 63J, 47F and 104E introduced into the Employment Rights Act 1996 by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 s.40 (which extends to Scotland – see s.268(2)) The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has published this guidance explaining how the new right to train will work and how it can benefit businesses. From 6 April 2010, employees of companies [...]

Copyright acknowledged: Startups.co.uk There are several circumstances in which you will need to apply to your local authority for planning permission before you can change or alter your business premises. You may want to extend or change your retail, warehouse or office space. You may want to turn part of your home into a more official business location. You may also need to change the commercial classification of your business premises. In all of these [...]

Copyright acnowledge – Home Office A draft Immigration Bill was published by the government on 12th November 2009. As this home office press release explains, under measures included in this bill, “the five current application categories available to migrants will be replaced by one clear concept – ‘permission’ to be in the United Kingdom. With this new approach, migrants will either be granted permission or refused“. A “new, temporary, time-limited, permission will be given for [...]

Hansard HC 4th November 2009, col 1000W – 04/11/2009 Currently the unfair detriment and unfair dismissal parts of the Employment Rights Act 1996 give employees rights in the event of infringement of the Working Time Regulations. These rights are extended to cover merchant seamen, fishermen and cross-border rail staff who are protected by specific sector related regulations (see ERA 1996 ss.45A(5) and 101A(2)). Perhaps oddly these rights are not extended to professional drivers who are protected [...]