With the festive season upon us, employers will be treating their employees to parties of different shapes and sizes up and down the country. A reason to rejoice you might say? In most cases, yes, the Christmas party is a time of joviality and team bonding. However, for some employers the Christmas festivities can leave a headache which lingers well into the new year.
The Government has published its response to the consultation on reforms to public sector exit payments. Despite the fact that the overwhelming response to the consultation was opposed to the proposals, HM Treasury has confirmed that it intends to push ahead with the changes in any event and expects departments to start restructuring their exit terms immediately.
Theresa May's speech to the Conservative conference may reassure some in the employment sphere that employment protection will not be eroded following Brexit. But is it still far from clear how the government will deal with workers' rights when we leave the EU.
The new illegal working offence created by section 34 of the Immigration Act 2016 came into force on 12 July 2016. You can be imprisoned for up to five years if convicted of this offence. There may also be a civil penalty of up to £20,000.
The 2013 introduction of fees in employment tribunals has led to a reported drop of up to 70% in the number of claims being brought – and an adverse impact on access to justice for meritorious claims.