Knowing your rights to take time off work for family reasons
Occasionally you may need to attend to a family situation, regardless of whether it is planned or an emergency. When that happens, it can be helpful and important to know your rights in relation to taking time off work. Taking… Read on
The rules on working over contracted hours without pay
Employees’ contracted hours These are set out in the employment contract. You must work your contracted hours, or you will be in breach of contract and potentially at risk of disciplinary proceedings. You only need to work more than your… Read on
What is the law on breaks at work?
The law on breaks at work is governed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 and by an employee’s contract of employment. Rest breaks at work Minimum legal requirements for resting An employee is entitled to an uninterrupted break of… Read on
Can I work while on maternity leave?
Your statutory maternity leave entitlements Statutory maternity leave is 52 weeks. This is divided into: Ordinary Maternity Leave: covers the first 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave: covers the last 26 weeks. You do not have to take the… Read on
Emergency volunteering leave
Important new volunteering rights for workers Apart from changing the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme, the Coronavirus Act 2020 has introduced an important new right to emergency volunteering leave for workers. At the time of writing (2 April 2020) the… Read on
ECJ rules foster parents are not workers
The European Court has ruled that work performed by foster parents under contracts with a pubic authority does not fall within the scope of the Working Time Directive (WTD). Consequently, foster parents are not entitled to paid rest periods or… Read on
Addison Lee drivers were workers entitled to NMW and paid holidays
In another important ruling regarding employment status, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has upheld a tribunal’s decision that drivers employed by Addison Lee were not self-employed (as their contracts stated) but, were actually workers providing personal service. The tribunal was… Read on
World Cup 2018: don’t let football fever cause a headache in the workplace
The 2018 football World Cup takes place in Russia between 14 June and 15 July. Time is running out for employers to tell their employees where the goal posts are as regards the impact of this sporting tournament on the… Read on
Courier was not self-employed rules EAT
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has confirmed a tribunal’s decision that an Addison Lee bike courier was a worker and not a self-employed, independent contractor. The consequence of this finding is that the courier will be entitled to holiday pay… Read on
Important ECJ opinion: holiday pay for independent contractors
On 8 June 2017, The Advocate General gave his Opinion about the case of The Sash Window Workshop v King, which the Court of Appeal has referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to determine certain questions.… Read on
Holiday pay: new decision
The long running litigation in Bear Scotland has reached the Employment Appeal Tribunal again. The Court has confirmed that a gap of 3 months or more in any underpayments of wages will break the “series of deductions” for unlawful deduction… Read on
Santander’s way around zero hours contracts
As recent articles in the press have reported, Santander has introduced new contracts in an effort to circumvent the new rules limiting the use of zero hours contracts. Zero-hour contracts have been much in the news recently. A relatively recent… Read on
Latest case on worker status: Excel Cycle Couriers
We report on the latest case where a major user of so called freelance staff has been caught out. Background Courier companies are currently the focus of attention when it comes to employment/worker status. City Sprint has been decided in… Read on