With the increasing popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, many employers may be tempted to search for information on potential job applicants in order to gauge their suitability for the position they are applying for. However, this could have potentially serious legal implications which employers should be aware of.

In [...]

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Recently released research has shown that female employees are weathering the current recession better than male employees.
The survey, which looked at 45,809 different individuals, found that labour turnover amongst women has dropped to its lowest level for five years, and that women are less likely to lose their jobs as the recession forces companies to [...]

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According to a recent labour market outlook survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in conjunction with consultants KPMG, while the UK job market continues to contract, the rate at which it is shrinking has slowed significantly, with huge differences between the public and private sectors.
Using a measurement known as the [...]

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Section 33 of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996 is a little known and seldom used provision that the courts can use to prohibit individuals from making any further applications to any Employment Tribunal.
Known as a Restriction of Proceedings Order, this power is only ever brought to bear where an Employment Tribunal is certain that an [...]

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Acas has published its latest annual report which reveals the full extent of the current recession and the pressure it has placed on relationships between employers and employees.
The report clearly shows that the economic downturn has had a huge effect on employment relations. Acas took part in over 78,000 conciliation cases last year, very nearly [...]

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In a recent ruling in the Court of Appeal, a car repair company won its case to prevent a former franchise holder from operating a competing business in breach of a restrictive covenant.
The company offered franchises which allowed other businesses to use its name, products and expertise in certain areas. The franchise agreement included a [...]

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A recently released survey of UK graduates paints a relatively bleak picture of the employment prospects for recent graduates.
Real Prospects is a new annual survey of graduates in employment which seeks to gauge their opinions on how the realities of working life match up with the expectations they had for their career after leaving university.
The [...]

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Mr Saunders worked for OCS at Gatwick Airport, transporting passengers with limited mobility to and from aeroplanes. He was later dismissed after a BAA CCTV recording apparently showed him causing criminal damage to a lift.
BAA no longer wanted him on the site, and so removed his “air-side pass”. After carrying out the required disciplinary hearings, [...]

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The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) case of Cambridge and Peterborough Foundations NHS Trust v Crouchman has demonstrated an important point on the flexibility of time limits in the light of further information received about a case.
Mr Crouchman was a psychiatric nurse who was dismissed from his job for misconduct. Two days before the three-month time [...]

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Research published by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has revealed that over two-thirds (70%) of UK employers are planning to freeze or even cut salaries during 2009.
The BCC’s latest Monthly Business Survey monitored 400 employers from the 23rd March to the 6th April. The results clearly demonstrate the damaging effect that the recession is [...]

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