News 01-07 October 2020

Hunter S. Thompson the American journalist and creator of Gonzo Journalism famously declared in his celebrated work on the 1972 Presidential race Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail, ‘when the going gets weird, the weird turn professional.’  It’s definitely time to turn pro.

This weeks News starts by recognising the importance of Black History Month, never more relevant or important than in contemporary times. (1)  Also, we belatedly consider issues highlighted on Dyslexia Awareness Day. (2) Coronavirus related stories of course still dominate as the ever changing bombardment of regulations include new duties imposed on both employers & employees with respect to ‘self-isolation’. (3)   

This week two articles relating to the Employment Tribunal Service, the first is the documented 20% increase in Tribunal claims during lockdown,(4)  and the second is a landmark EAT decision that found caps on termination payments were ‘not a proportionate means of reaching a legitimate aim.’(5)  

Discrimination continues to run abundantly in the workplace and a recent decision relating to gender fluidity cost Jaguar £180K.(6)  The TUC have issued their guidance on supporting victims of domestic abuse in the workplace, despite the Equality Act being in force for a decade, this group remains woefully unprotected by existing UK legislation. (7)  Then there’s the issue of employers spying on employee activities in the workplace and the legal implications of this. (8) Lastly, Unions have welcomed the recent decision to apply the National Minimum Wage to the domestic shipping, twenty two years after its introduction, in the twentieth century.(9)

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