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Handling allegations of criminal conduct: what should an employer do?
11 August 2020Recent events in the Conservative party have focussed attention on the question of what an employer (or indeed a political party) should do if one of its people is accused of committing a crime. A Tory MP has been accused of rape, but at the time of writing has not been charged. It transpires that the Chief Whip had been aware for some weeks of allegations of ‘abusive behaviour and threats’ made against the anonymous MP by a parliamentary aide. Despite this, no investigation took place.
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How does COVID-19 affect UK migrants accessing public funds and the NHS?
10 August 2020The COVID-19 pandemic has put questions around the rights of migrants to access public funds and the NHS into the spotlight. Migrants are allowed to access the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the ‘Furlough Scheme’) via their employer. However, there are limits to what government assistance some migrants are entitled to following disruption to their normal income, and access to free NHS healthcare may also be unavailable to some people.
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Furloughing employees - FAQs for employers on the coronavirus job retention scheme
10 August 2020The furlough scheme ends on 31 October 2020, with employers starting to contribute from August and a new flexible furlough option from July.
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Sickness and sick pay – FAQs for employers as lockdown restrictions ease
06 August 2020The government has set out its “roadmap” for gradually easing the lockdown restrictions, but as employees begin to return to work there will continue to be many individuals who are unwell or required to self-isolate.
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Coronavirus: absences from work and entitlement to pay
06 August 2020The Coronavirus situation may lead to workplace absences for a variety of reasons. This is our summary of legal rights to pay and suggested best practice for different types of absence.
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Pandemic right to work check procedures
05 August 2020Under the Home Office’s current guidance for right to work checks (“RTW”), it is possible to conduct a fully compliant initial or follow-up RTW without seeing the individual face-to-face. Where this is not possible during the COVID-19, the Home Office has instituted a temporary adjusted procedure, which must be backed up by retrospective checks in due course. We have summarised the options and procedures below, as well as highlighting some general points to be aware of during the pandemic.
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Further details of new UK visa route for Hong Kongers
04 August 2020From January 2021, the UK will make a new visa route available for British Nationals (Overseas) and their dependants who are usually resident in Hong Kong. The route will lead to settlement after five years’ residence in the UK, with the option to apply for British citizenship becoming available for most participants after a further year.
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Home Office confirms COVID-19 immigration arrangements beyond 31 July 2020
03 August 2020In a last-minute update on 29 July 2020, the Home Office has pivoted towards a return to business as usual on immigration policy. Some significant concessions remain available until at least 31 August 2020, however there are a number of potential pitfalls for employers and individuals to be aware of.
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The clinically extremely vulnerable can now return to work – or can they?
03 August 2020From 1 August the clinically extremely vulnerable no longer need to “shield” due to the risk of Covid-19, and can potentially return to work. The government has amended its workplace guidance accordingly, but at the time of writing some of this information is confusing and contradictory.
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Staffing decisions when reopening workplaces - flowchart
03 August 2020We have produced a useful flowchart which will help employers to decide which employees can return to work as part of the Covid-19 road to recovery.
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Coronavirus – FAQs on staffing decisions when reopening workplaces
03 August 2020Employers are facing many employment law issues as restrictions begin to be eased and more employees can come back to work. These FAQs cover specific issues in relation to deciding which employees should stay at home and what happens if employees do not want to return to work.
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Government to pay bonus for retaining furloughed workers
31 July 2020The Chancellor has announced a new job retention bonus as part of its Plan for Jobs 2020. Employers who bring workers back from furlough and retain them in employment until the end of January 2021 will qualify for a £1,000 bonus, and further guidance on the scheme was published on 31 July.
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Restructuring the workplace post Covid-19 - FAQs for employers
31 July 2020The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme may have been extended to 31 October 2020, but employers are thinking now about what their workforce might look like following the end of subsidised furlough and a return to more normal working patterns.
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New law on redundancy and notice pay for furloughed employees
30 July 2020In a piece of rapid-fire legislating, the government has passed new regulations intended to ensure that furloughed employees who are made redundant receive statutory redundancy and notice pay based on their “pre-furlough” rate.
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Apprenticeships: Round-up of recent developments on delivery, hiring bonus and redundancies
28 July 2020Apprentices, employers, training providers and assessment organisations have experienced their fair share of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government’s Department for Education has continued to review the apprenticeships landscape since the early days of lockdown.
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Choppy waters ahead – long-term employee incentive plans in a recession
28 July 2020One of the many issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic is its effect on existing long-term cash and equity incentive plans. We answer some of the key questions that businesses are asking.
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Travelling from Spain – new self-isolation rules and employment
27 July 2020A requirement to self-isolate for 14 days in order to limit the spread of Covid-19 has been re-imposed on all people returning to the UK from Spain. Happening in the middle of peak summer holiday season, how does this affect employees who are already travelling or due to travel in the next few weeks?
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How will the current crisis shape the social contract and business landscape?
23 July 2020“We’re facing the twin-track challenges of creating a society with better 'good work' yet also facing the headwinds of an economic crisis. Few want to return to the world exactly as it used to be. In the world of work, we have a unique opportunity but also a unique once in a generation challenge, for both employers and the government, in re-thinking the who, how, what, and where of work.” James Davies, Partner, Lewis Silkin LLP
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New Health and Care visa to launch from 4 August 2020
22 July 2020The Home Office has released the first guidance on the a new ‘Health and Care Visa’ for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals including individuals working in the social care sector. The Health and Care Visa will be available from 4 August 2020 and will fall under the Tier 2 (General) category.
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How to mitigate the risk of employment claims on return to work during Covid-19 – a table
22 July 2020Our table for employers sets out the practical steps to take in order to reduce the scope for claims from employees arising out of the return to work during the Covid-19 pandemic.