Matt’s Employment Law and HR Update Matthew Huggett

This episode is not intended to provide legal advice. Rather, it is intended to provide general guidance on the topic discussed.

If you would like us to advise you on a particular issue then please get in touch with us at matthew.huggett@carbonlawpartners.com

If you are an employer, we offer fixed price arrangements for support and advice. So if you want certainty about your legal spend whilst also getting top notch advice, then just ask us to quote for your business. If you need insurance backed support we can provide this as well.

In addition to legal advice, Matt also offers HR and Employment Law Training through his partner business: Brightstar HR. Please have a look at all the training offered here: www.brightstarhr.co.uk

The first of a series of podcasts where we look forward to 2024 and the key legislative changes that are already confirmed as happening, a look at others that could happen in 2024 or in the future.  

We will also look at the key cases that are coming in 2024 that could make important changes or provide important clarification on key areas of employment law. 

This episode looks at the implementation of the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 which introduces a pro-active duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.  
This episode is not intended to provide legal advice. Rather, it is intended to provide general guidance on the topic discussed.

If you would like us to advise you on a particular issue then please get in touch with us at matthew.huggett@carbonlawpartners.com

If you are an employer, we offer fixed price arrangements for support and advice. So if you want certainty about your legal spend whilst also getting top notch advice, then just ask us to quote for your business. If you need insurance backed support we can provide this as well.

In addition to legal advice, Matt also offers HR and Employment Law Training through his partner business: Brightstar HR. Please have a look at all the training offered here: www.brightstarhr.co.uk

There has been much discussion over the use of 'fire and re-hire' by employers over recent months and years. Unions have sought (and obtained) injunctions to prevent employers dismissing and re-engaging (Tesco) and there have been other campaigns by trade unions about the threat that such practices have to the terms and conditions of employees (British Gas).

These two relatively high profile cases (Tesco and British Gas) occurred before the case of P&O which was very widely reported. The P&O case wasn't technically a fire and re-hire situation as P&O did not re-hire the same employees back on different terms and conditions, they simply recruited new employees outside of the UK.

But the P&O case was a real driver for change. It provided an opportunity to the Unions to really challenge the government on the lack of protection for workers from dismissal in circumstances where the employer wished to change terms and conditions of employment. Politically, the government was under pressure to react and rather than implement legislation, they agreed to publish a Code of Practice, the draft of which has now been published.

In this episode we look at the legislative environment in which organisations can change terms and conditions of employment, the risks, the pitfalls and how this new Draft COP may change things.
This episode is not intended to provide legal advice. Rather, it is intended to provide general guidance on the topic discussed.

If you would like us to advise you on a particular issue then please get in touch with us at matthew.huggett@carbonlawpartners.com

If you are an employer, we offer fixed price arrangements for support and advice. So if you want certainty about your legal spend whilst also getting top notch advice, then just ask us to quote for your business. If you need insurance backed support we can provide this as well.

In addition to legal advice, Matt also offers HR and Employment Law Training through his partner business: Brightstar HR. Please have a look at all the training offered here: www.brightstarhr.co.uk

In this episode we discuss the developments in employer practice relating to flexible working plus the recent government consultations and the newly proposed Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill 2022-2023.



This episode is not intended to provide legal advice. Rather, it is intended to provide general guidance on the topic discussed.

If you would like us to advise you on a particular issue then please get in touch with us at matthew.huggett@carbonlawpartners.com

If you are an employer, we offer fixed price arrangements for support and advice. So if you want certainty about your legal spend whilst also getting top notch advice, then just ask us to quote for your business. If you need insurance backed support we can provide this as well.

In addition to legal advice, Matt also offers HR and Employment Law Training through his partner business: Brightstar HR. Please have a look at all the training offered here: www.brightstarhr.co.uk

A Private Members Bill is currently working its way through Parliament that could require all employers to take proactive steps to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace.  The Bill (the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill) will require (if passed) employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.  

This is a marked step forward in discrimination legislation.  Currently, employers only need to show that they have taken "all reasonable steps" if they defend a claim in a tribunal.  In the absence of that, employers can do....well, nothing....if they choose to.

Enforcement is likely to be by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and further failure to comply with this requirement will also lead to an increase in compensation at tribunal by up to 25% - in the same way that is currently the case with the ACAS Code of Practice for unfair dismissal cases.

The legislation is also looking to reintroduce third party harassment - but only 1 "strike" will be required this time, instead of the 3 that were required when the first attempt was made at this in 2010.  

The Bill has the final reading in the House of Commons on 3 February 2023 and will then move to the Lords.  Very importantly, it has the backing of the government.
This episode is not intended to provide legal advice. Rather, it is intended to provide general guidance on the topic discussed.

If you would like us to advise you on a particular issue then please get in touch with us at matthew.huggett@carbonlawpartners.com

If you are an employer, we offer fixed price arrangements for support and advice. So if you want certainty about your legal spend whilst also getting top notch advice, then just ask us to quote for your business. If you need insurance backed support we can provide this as well.

In addition to legal advice, Matt also offers HR and Employment Law Training through his partner business: Brightstar HR. Please have a look at all the training offered here: www.brightstarhr.co.uk

This episode looks at the campaign by the Right to Disconnect UK to provide employees in the UK with the right to disconnect from work when outside of their normal working hours.  We look at the legislative changes that the campaign is proposing as well as the current rights given to employees in France, Italy and the Philippines.  The Irish government is also currently consulting on this topic and has published helpful guidance which is available from www.workplacerelations.ie

And of course, if you need any help in implementing any 'disconnect' policy or system for your organisation, then do get in touch!  Just email us at matthew.huggett@carbonlawpartners.com
This episode is not intended to provide legal advice. Rather, it is intended to provide general guidance on the topic discussed.

If you would like us to advise you on a particular issue then please get in touch with us at matthew.huggett@carbonlawpartners.com

If you are an employer, we offer fixed price arrangements for support and advice. So if you want certainty about your legal spend whilst also getting top notch advice, then just ask us to quote for your business. If you need insurance backed support we can provide this as well.

In addition to legal advice, Matt also offers HR and Employment Law Training through his partner business: Brightstar HR. Please have a look at all the training offered here: www.brightstarhr.co.uk