

How do you deal with conflicts of belief in schools and colleges?
To what extent can you lawfully restrict how your staff manifest their protected beliefs? Jo Moseley considers what schools and colleges can learn from a recent case where a tribunal had to determine whether a teacher, who objected to the school's decision to socially transition an eight-year-old pupil, had been unfairly dismissed and subjected to direct discrimination because of her beliefs.
June 25, 2025
How do you deal with conflicts of belief in schools and colleges?
News
ICO launches AI and biometrics strategy
Jun 09, 2025
Eight specialist employment law barristers join 4-5
Mar 03, 2025
Birmingham on verge of settling equal pay claims
Dec 10, 2024
Must read

Families refusing access to support
Is home a suitable option for residence and care for a vulnerable adult if their family refuses access to support? Sophie Holmes analyses a recent ruling.
Features


One teacher, two jobs
Alexandra Addington looks at a recent disciplinary hearing concerning a teacher who phoned in sick to work at a different school, and considers what steps schools and colleges can take if they suspect a staff member of moonlighting.
June 18, 2025
One teacher, two jobs

Is overheard 'banter' harassment?
Over the recent weeks, there have been concerns raised about the reintroduction of employer liability for third-party harassment of staff. It can be easy to dismiss the concerns as alarmist, but there are important issues for employers in this new liability, write Michael Brownlee and Libby Hubbard.
May 29, 2025
Is overheard 'banter' harassment?

Employment Rights Bill: key measures and next steps
Paula Kathrens sets out the principal elements of the Employment Rights Bill, which has been described as the biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation.
May 29, 2025
Employment Rights Bill: key measures and next steps

How do you protect your staff from parental aggression and abuse?
Teachers often choose their profession driven by a desire to positively shape and inspire future generations. However, they are increasingly encountering abuse from parents, both in person and online. Alexandra Addington looks at the legal options for addressing the issue.
May 21, 2025
How do you protect your staff from parental aggression and abuse?

Grievance and disciplinary processes
Nikolas Clarke sets out some practical points for employers when it comes to grievance and disciplinary processes.
May 15, 2025
Grievance and disciplinary processes
Webinars
Whistleblowing: Detriment and Dismissal Cases
In the second session of our Autumn/Winter Employment Series, Nick Bidnell-Edwards and Safia Tharoo provide a concise review of whistleblowing law for detriment and dismissal claims, including recent developments, followed by practical tips on how to bring and to defend the claims.
More features

Understanding the key staffing issues in Local Government Reorganisation
Sarah Lamont sets out some of the main employment considerations arising out of the Government’s plans for local government reorganisation.
Employees and social media posts: the Court of Appeal in Higgs v Farmor’s School
The Court of Appeal recently ruled that a school worker’s dismissal for gender-critical social media posts was discriminatory. Luke Green and Emma Ahmed set out some key learning points from the case.
TUPE transfers: I object! Yes, but why?
Hannah Bollard provides some practical tips for employers on how to deal with cases where an employee objects to being transferred under TUPE.
Protected beliefs and the Equality Act 2010
An employment tribunal recently ruled that belief in the ability to predict the future is not protected, but, asks Jackie Morris, should we have seen that coming?
A widening of worker status?
Charlotte Tosti analyses a landmark case in the Employment Tribunal over the question of whether foster carers are “workers” and can bring claims in the employment tribunal.
Work-related stress: a key issue for employers
Debra Gers looks at the support employers can provide in relation to work-related stress.
Engaging with all allegations
In a recent case, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has highlighted the importance of addressing all issues identified in a list of issues, including those not originally pleaded, writes Michael Halsey.
Comments about accents
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that comments about an employee's accent can amount to race-related harassment under the Equality Act 2010, even without evidence of discriminatory intent. Alastair Fatemi analyses the judgment.
Raising new substantive arguments at appeal stage
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled in a case involving a local authority that it would not be in the interests of justice to allow a claimant to raise a new argument on appeal, despite acknowledging an error in the Tribunal’s decision. Gareth Edwards explains why.
LGPS fund management reforms
The Government has announced the creation of pension ‘megafunds’. Mark Radford looks at the key points.
Fire and re-hire: increased protective awards
The Government has revived a draft order on increased protective awards for failures to follow the statutory Code of Practice. Georgia Blesson looks at what this means for employers.
Whistleblowing: Detriment and Dismissal Cases
In the second session of our Autumn/Winter Employment Series, Nick Bidnell-Edwards and Safia Tharoo provide a concise review of whistleblowing law for detriment and dismissal claims, including recent developments, followed by practical tips on how to bring and to defend the claims.
Wiping the slate clean - tips and tactics on how best to achieve settlement in the ET
In this webinar Nick Singer and Karolina Zielinska consider how to get the most out of negotiation and judicial mediation for your clients. Given the ever-increasing cost and stress associated with Tribunal proceedings, settlement firmly remains an attractive option when considering how best to resolve a claim for claimants and respondents alike.
Disability-related absences and dismissal
Should dismissals for disability-related absences be pleaded as direct discrimination? Robin Pickard examines a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case involving a local authority.
The Employment Rights Bill 2024 – What’s in, What’s out, and What’s next
Louise Singh, Suzanne Nulty and Ben Daniel break down the key points from Labour's flagship Employment Rights Bill.
USDAW v Tesco: the end of fire and rehire?
Benjamin Gray looks at the lessons to be learned from the Supreme Court's recent consideration of a "fire and rehire" case.
Procedural steps not taken by employee irrelevant to constructive dismissal claim
An employee’s failure to fully complete every step of an internal grievance process will not impact their right to claim constructive dismissal, according to the recent ruling by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) involving a local authority. Sharmin Chowdhury analyses the judgment.
Positive action v positive discrimination: how to avoid crossing the (thin blue) line
To what extent can employers appoint or promote someone because they have a protected characteristic that is under-represented in their organisation? Jo Moseley analyses a recent Employment Tribunal ruling involving a police force.
What next for employment law?
Hanna Davies looks at the Labour Government’s plans for overhauling employment law.
The strategic importance of maintaining a positive workplace culture
Gareth Edwards recently reported on the upcoming new mandatory duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, which is due to come into force on 26 October 2024. In this follow-up piece, he discusses how the new sexual harassment law highlights the strategic value of maintaining a positive workplace culture.
The new law on sexual harassment in the workplace: what is it and why does it matter?
From 26 October 2024, employers will be under a new legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of staff at work. Gareth Edwards takes a closer look at the background of the new law and what it will mean in practice.
Job fraud on the rise: the new recruitment challenge
Laura Hayward looks at the challenges faced by employers and recruitment agencies in managing situations where employees try to work more than one full-time job concurrently.
Local authority employers - What's in a name?
Mispronouncing someone’s name can have significant implications, as shown by a recent Tribunal ruling, writes Sarah Harnett.
Workplace investigations demystified
Jenny Arrowsmith and Jake Marshall set out ten lessons from the tribunals when it comes to the conduct of workplace investigations.
Restructure and redundancy
Christian Grierson provides a refresher on the key principles around restructuring and redundancy.
Equal pay: the material factor defence
A fire and rescue service has successfully defended an equal pay claim even though the claimant and comparators were engaged in 'like work' for the period of the claim. Jessica Scott-Dye analyses the case.
Changes to the code of practice on fire and re-hire
Following last year’s consultation, the Government has published an updated draft statutory code of practice on ‘fire and re-hire’. Michael Halsey looks at the key changes.
Outsourcing the problem: equal pay and local authority trading companies
Doug Mullen looks at the complex issues around equal pay that arise with local authority trading companies.
The top five employment cases that will shape 2024
Rebecca Denvers identifies the cases which will have a big impact on employment law and HR policies and practices over the next 12 months.
Expressing lawful views at work
Should employees be able to express their lawful views at work? Jo Moseley examines a case where Acas got into murky waters.
Events
