Trade Union
News 16 - 22 July 2021
Here is the news.
This week we have a large volume of information to get through and saturation of Covid related articles in light of 19 July being ‘freedom day&...
Poor marks for a college disciplinary process
Whether criticism of a work colleague is ever justified or not, it can cause serious problems.
Shannon was going through the redundancy consultation proces...
Warning! Be prepared for workplace disruption with lifting of lockdown restrictions
Flexibility around working arrangements is now more important than ever before in the ever-changeable work climate.
Increasing numbers of employees being ordered&nbs...
The importance of taking time to understand disciplinary issues
An employee facing the threat of dismissal for poor punctuality will have severely tested the patience of any reasonable employer.
But, when Charlie found himse...
A painful disciplinary process with a pain free ending.
We all know right from wrong and often you don’t need to be an expert to identify when you are being treated unfairly at work.
Dental receptionist Fa...
Equal Pay
The idea that all genders should be paid equally for doing exactly the same job is perfectly reasonable.
In fact there is a legal requirement for employers to ensure that it does in fact hap...
Picture perfect ending to an unsightly disciplinary case
There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in Esther’s case it meant one thing - trouble.
Night carer Esther is alleged to have been fast asleep when a colleague t...
News 2 - 8 March 2021
Welcome to the news.
Web start by reporting on the removal of the public sector cap on exit payments.(1) We also highlight a recent EAT decision looking at ‘reasonable steps’ in respect of rac...
Clearing up a disciplinary mess after birthday celebrations
It’s not uncommon for an employer to confuse what may be a genuine mistake for misconduct - and it can lead to serious trouble for an employee.
Wendy had worked as a cleaner at her local commun...
News 23 February - 1 March 2021
With the recent announcement of the ‘roadmap’ to guide us all into the dripping sunset of post COVID life, the stories take a decided turn to more family subjects, albeit in many cases still set ag...
Finding the right words to resolve a disciplinary case
We all like to hear a bit of workplace gossip but there can be situations where things really get out of hand and lead to serious trouble.
Spreading malicious rumours about a colleague can be co...
A welcome final destination to an unwelcome trip through the disciplinary process
When medical sales rep Jesse was threatened with dismissal for failing to report damage to his company vehicle he faced a difficult journey to justice.
The serious allegation was levelled agains...
Picking apart a disciplinary case to ensure justice prevails
Factory supervisor Maria insisted she was firm but fair, while a colleague claimed she was a bully - it was a difference in opinion that left her fighting to save her job.
Maria had been in char...
Age old problem of discrimination in the workplace
Employees are now having to work much longer before retirement and age discrimination remains an issue employers need to be alert to and able to deal with.
Age discrimination, often referred to ...
News 26 January - 2 February 2021
As we start a new month we continue to focus on COVID and bring numerous articles which reflect the hope of the recently introduced vaccine. Welcome to visions of the post-COVID world.
Our firs...
The sickly feeling with being unfairly selected for redundancy
Production operative John was left feeling sick when first informed he had been selected for redundancy in a process he was convinced was unfair.
For any employee news of workplace redundancies ...
Millions of workers need urgent protection from unfair dismissal
There are fears that in the coming months more jobs will be lost and one in four workers will not be protected from unfair dismissal.
It is reported that about 7.5 million employees began this y...
Case Study - Redundancy
The situation
Anna was employed by an international travel firm for five years. She had been promoted twice to a senior management position and managed three colleagues. When she became pregnant...
Finding the right words to get a fair outcome when banter causes a problem
How people act and talk in work can create huge problems when it comes to determining what is inappropriate behaviour.
Most workplaces will have what is considered a culture of ‘banter’ in which...
The legal requirement to do at least the bare minimum to pay employees what they are entitled to
Those familiar with the naming and shaming of employers failing to pay staff the minimum wage will not have been surprised to see the latest list included some very well-known names.
The governm...
