Gary Lineker – No more Mr Nice guy?

What did Mr Lineker Tweet? Gary Lineker recently caused a political storm when he compared the current UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany. Mr Lineker Tweeted that the language in which the plan was set out was ‘’not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30’s’’ and referred to the policy as ‘’beyond awful’’. Why was this controversial? The BBC (his employer) has impartiality guidelines. He is one of their highest profile stars and receives his circa £1.8M salary from us the taxpayer. As a result the BBC felt the need to have a ‘’frank conversation’’ reminding him of his ‘’responsibilities.’’ As a gentleman on the radio said yesterday ‘’why should he spout politics? He should stick to football and flogging crisps. I don’t pay his salary to listen to his views on immigration’’. Mr…

Spring employment law round up

"Other than the usual April updates to statutory rates, it looks deceptively quiet on the regulatory front for employers. But the end of the year could see the biggest shake-up in employment law for years as a consequence of Brexit," explains Kalpesh Nakeshree, Head of Employment Law with Ware & Kay. Kalpesh highlights the key changes to rates, and looks at the extra bank holiday, a raft of private members’ bills aimed at seeing through earlier government commitments, a consultation on a statutory code on ‘fire and rehire’ and a couple of topical cases. Increase in statutory rates Employers should prepare for increases on the following dates: 1 April 2023 – national minimum wage Increase in the national living wage for workers aged 23 and over from £9.50 to £10.42 per hour. Increase in the…

Problems in performance management

‘Performance management can be challenging and time-consuming,’ according to Kalpesh Nakeshree, Head of Employment Law with Ware & Kay. ‘The first challenge is to determine if this is a capability issue that needs to be addressed under a performance management procedure, or if it is a conduct issue to be dealt with under the disciplinary process. As a rule of thumb, capability relates to the employee’s abilities and competence, whereas conduct involves carelessness or laziness.’ ‘It is important to get this right to make sure you follow the right procedure and increase the chances of any dismissal being fair. Kalpesh Nakeshree outlines the performance management process, looks at common problems and highlights some alternative options. Key steps The purpose of a performance management policy and procedure is to give the employee the opportunity to improve…

What employers need to know about hidden disabilities

Have you ever spotted someone wearing a lanyard with a sunflower as a means of indicating that they have a non-visible disability (also known as a hidden or invisible disability)? But not everyone wishes to advertise their disability, and some people may not know that they have one. ‘Employers are sometimes surprised by the level of support that they are legally required to provide to disabled employees,’ according to Kalpesh Nakeshree, Head of Employment Law with Ware & Kay. ‘What can come as an even greater surprise is that those legal obligations may arise even if the employee has not told their employer about the disability.’ Kalpesh looks at hidden disabilities and debunks some common myths about what employers need to know to trigger their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. What is a disability…

New Year, New Start, New Job: An Employer’s Guide to Hiring Employees

This short article is aimed at the businesses who are looking to employ new staff.  It is important to take the correct legal steps when hiring new employees. Though it may seem simple to some, there are mandatory steps that any employer must take when looking to take on a new employee – and that doesn’t mean just showing them where the tea and coffee is located! Right to work in the U.K. First thing’s first, every employer MUST ensure that their new employee has a right to work in the U.K. Right to work checks can be carried out manually by obtaining documents from an approved list (see Home Office website for this). If an employee is unable to show their documents or status, you may be able to use the free Employer Checking Service…

The problem with work Christmas parties

Christmas parties are a great chance for employees to have fun together and for employers to treat their staff as a ‘thankyou’ for their hard work during the year. An unintended consequence can be that employees take this as a chance to behave badly or share uncomplimentary opinions about colleagues and managers that they have kept under wraps during the rest of the year. An employment tribunal is likely to see the Christmas party as falling within the ambit of employment, bringing the risk of the employer being liable for discrimination and other claims. This can also land you with grievances and damaged relationships. ‘No team is harmonious all the time, but sometimes working relationships can deteriorate to such an extent that employers may need to take drastic steps to resolve the situation. A breakdown in…

Adoption rights; what employers need to know

According to the charity Adoption UK there are nearly 3,000 children in care waiting to be adopted, and as charities seek to raise awareness of this during National Adoption week (17-23 October 2022), employers may get questions about employment rights related to adoption. Kalpesh Nakeshree, Head of Employment law with Ware &Kay explains how ‘Family-friendly employment rights support employees adopting looked-after children, as well as children adopted through surrogacy arrangements or from overseas. Although employment rights for adopting parents lagged behind those of a biological mother, adopting parents now have broadly the same entitlement to leave, pay and legal protection.’   Who is entitled to adoption employment rights? An employee may be adopting on their own, with a spouse, civil partner or in an unmarried couple, whether same or different sex. Adoption employment rights apply to…

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Employee benefits; pitfalls to avoid

Employee recruitment and retention remains challenging for employers and offering an attractive package of benefits can give employers an edge. A wide range of benefits can be offered, including buying or selling annual leave; reduced gym membership; private medical insurance; critical illness insurance and retail discounts or vouchers. ‘Employers need to take care with employee benefits as the rules around different benefits can be complex, and there are often unanticipated knock-on effects,’ explains Kalpesh Nakeshree, Head of Employment Law with Ware & Kay in York & Wetherby.  He outlines the key pitfalls to be aware of and explores the Government’s cycle to work scheme, by way of a practical example. Benefits of little value Although it may seem obvious, employers need to make sure that what they offer remains valuable to their particular workforce. Employees looking…