The latest unemployment figures have delivered a relatively pleasant surprise, indicating that unemployment stalled at 7.8% in November 2009. The UK’s rate of unemployment is a lot less than many people anticipated given the depth and length of the recession, particularly when compared to unemployment rates of 10% in both Europe and the US.
The business [...]

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Statistics recently released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in conjunction with the Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) show the full impact that the recent spate of snowy weather has had on small businesses.
According to the survey, one in seven staff in small firms was unable to get to work on at least one [...]

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The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has released its latest Monthly Business Survey, which provides an interesting insight into the issues currently concerning businesses in the UK.
Of those who replied to the survey, 41% stated that they believed an incoming Government’s number one priority should be to reduce the budget deficit, while 22% indicated that [...]

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A report by the New Economic Foundation (NEF), an influential think tank, has recommended that the working week should be shortened to just 21 hours.
The NEF argues that this radical change would help to tackle a number of current problems, including over-consumption, high unemployment, inequality and poor work/life balance.
The effects of the potential pension time-bomb [...]

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Employers have been warned to be wary of serial litigants who target job listings purely to lodge serial age discrimination claims against multiple firms.
These litigants are seeking out job adverts that include terms such as “school leaver” or “recent graduate” and then using the Government’s tribunal service website to lodge their claims. They often send [...]

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In this interesting case, Mr Majid presented an unfair dismissal claim against his employer to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT).
He lost his claim, and subsequently filed a Notice of Appeal against the ruling. However, he failed to supply all the required supporting documents within the 42-day time period stipulated in the 2005 Practice Statement, [...]

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The Government is currently under pressure to introduce further health and safety-related legal duties for individual company directors. If these proposals become law, employers who fall foul of the law could face a maximum penalty of two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
Back in 2007, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published guidance on [...]

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The coming year should see a number of new items of employment law legislation coming into force. Some of the changes will include:

From February 1st, the cap on unfair dismissal compensatory awards will decrease from £66,200 to £65,300. The cap on weekly pay, which is [...]

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Many employers use company cars as perks to their employees, but few actually know what the legal duties and responsibilities surrounding them actually are.
For example, most employees are unaware that if a company car is supplied solely for business use, when the employee is not at work - for example if they are on holiday, [...]

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Mr Khan, a Muslim, lost his claims for equal pay and unfair dismissal in Reading in September 2008. He subsequently appealed to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), claiming that he had not had a fair trial.
On the third day of his hearing, he had requested that the case be adjourned to allow him to observe [...]

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