Fisher Phillips (JD Supra United Kingdom)

As a result of the United Kingdom and the European Union reaching agreement on the terms of the EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation Agreement on December 24, 2020, the U.K. and EU have agreed to continue allowing data transfers between the two for an up-to-six-month transition period. During this time, the European Commission will complete an adequacy assessment of the U.K.’s data protection laws. The...

Due to the rapid spread of a new strain of coronavirus in the UK, several countries have barred travelers from Britain. Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, and Belgium announced on Sunday, December 20 that they would suspend air travel from the UK. Meanwhile, a new shutdown is in effect for most of the country, including the closure of restaurants, pubs, and non-essential

The UK government recently announced a new Job Support Scheme, which will replace the UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the “Furlough Scheme”) upon its expiration on October 31, 2020. The Furlough Scheme has been in place since March 2020 to help employers cover up to 80% of the wages for employees who would otherwise have been laid off, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.

A UK employment tribunal has decisively expanded cleared years of ambiguity surrounding the definition of “gender-reassignment” in the Equality Act to include non-binary gender identities. The Equality Act of 2010 protects people against discrimination based on the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion,

In a major announcement on Thursday, July 9, the UK government outlined how the UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will conclude. Also, the government has announced two new initiatives to prevent future unemployment and bring furloughed employees back to work. Ending the Job Retention Scheme - Since March 2020, the UK government has been providing grants to employers covering up to 80% of

As of June 15, 2020, non-essential retailers in the UK may reopen after months of being shut down. The government has published guidance for employers, employees, and self-employed persons on how to keep their workplaces “COVID-Secure.”

How does the scheme work? Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the UK government will provide grants to employers of up to 80%o of an employee’s wages (with a maximum grant of 2,500 GBP per month) for employees who would otherwise have been laid off.

UK residents are being urged to stay home and work from home if possible. This request comes after bars, restaurants, and gyms have since been closed in the UK to curb the spread of COVID-19. In order to help businesses and workers, the government is working to implement an unprecedented package of support including a stimulus package to assist the business sector during the current pandemic,...

UK employers entering into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) as part of their sexual harassment or discrimination settlements will begin to find the scope of their NDAs significantly limited. This article focuses on the latest development in the UK, but an increasing number of other jurisdictions are also beginning to adopt similar requirements.

The British government announced workplace reforms yesterday (which include new legislation) that will impact employers including gig economy companies, although the reforms do not seek a “radical reworking of existing business models.” The reforms set forth in the “Good Work Plan” are based on an independent review of modern working practices conducted by Matthew Taylor (“Taylor’s Review”),...

When are gig workers not independent contractors? A case decided earlier this month by Britain’s highest court may help to answer that question. The case involved a man named Gary Smith who worked as a contractor for Pimlico Plumbers for six years until he was fired in 2011 after he tried to reduce his hours. Smith accused the company of unfair dismissal, making unlawful deductions from his...

U.K. companies were recently required to submit their first mandatory report providing statistics on their gender pay gap. We have now seen what the first round of reporting looks like and how employers have dealt with reports that indicate there is a gender pay gap problem. Without getting into a statistical analysis of the data, suffice it to say the statistics submitted so far by 10,503...

As we reported last November, businesses in the UK with 250 or more employees now are required publicly to report differences in pay between men and women on their own websites and also to upload such information to a government-sponsored website. With the March 31, 2018 deadline for doing so rapidly approaching, some business—including some law firms—already have begun posting such data.

Uber drivers in the UK are “workers” entitled to earn at least the national minimum wage and enjoy other statutory benefits and protections an Employment Appeals Tribunal (“EAT”) held on November 9, upholding the decision of the Employment Tribunal (“ET”) in the case of Uber B.V. & Ors v. Islam & Ors UKEAT/0056/17/DA. The ramifications of this decision are huge: Uber’s costs will increase...

Many point to the Brexit movement as a sign that Donald Trump’s White House victory should have not been a surprise. Will a potential movement afoot in the United Kingdom be a precursor of things to come in the gig economy for the United States?

Just last month, an employment tribunal in London held a bicycle courier was not self-employed, but instead should be classified as a worker under English law. Consequently, Maggie Dewhurst, who brought suit against UK courier CitySprint, was entitled to two days of holiday pay.

On October 28, the Central London Employment Tribunal held that Uber drivers are not self-employed. As a result, the drivers are entitled to certain “worker” benefits, including paid holidays and a minimum wage. Under the law in England and Wales, “workers” occupy a middle ground between employees and the self-employed, with employees entitled to additional benefits such as severance in a...

Following this summer’s vote to leave the European Union, the wider implications of Britain’s decision to break from the EU continue to be felt as governments, businesses, and private citizens look to forthcoming negotiations. Unfortunately, it appears that definitive answers to the questions raised by the vote may not be forthcoming for some time following Theresa May’s October 2 announcement...

The UK Modern Slavery Act, which was signed into law on March 26, 2015, is now in effect. In addition to setting forth muscular penalties and enforcement mechanisms to address practices including “slavery, servitude, and forced or compulsory labour” and “human trafficking”, the Act requires qualifying commercial organizations to publically disclose what actions they have taken to eliminate...

Britain and the EU have traditionally had a distant relationship, with Britain often choosing to keep an arm’s length from its continental partners. This inclination may soon become a political reality when the UK votes on whether to stay in the EU this June. In spite of this historical distance, many labor and employment laws in the UK such as those relating to maternity and paternity leave,...

The United Kingdom (“UK”), comprised of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, has a population of over 62 million people, is culturally diverse and remains one of leading financial and service centers of the world. It is often considered the entry way to the rest of Europe and is a major international trading power. For these reasons, many companies decide to do business in the UK. This...

Bribery blights lives. Its immediate victims include firms that lose out unfairly. The wider victims are government and society, undermined by a weakened rule of law and damaged social and economic development. At stake is the principle of free and fair competition, which stands diminished by each bribe offered or accepted. Ultimately, the Bribery Act matters for Britain because our existing...