Archive for September, 2008
By Emma - Monday, September 15th, 2008
Those of you familiar with the work permit scheme may be aware that a shortage occupation list exists and that work permit applications for those occupations are simpler as they do not require advertising.
Tier 2 of the Points Based System which is due to replace the work permit scheme in November will still have a shortage occupation list. However, the list of shortage occupations is likely to be, you guessed it, shorter!
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) announced its recommendations on this last week and the Home Office is going to “pressure” test the list before announcing its list in October.
The MAC recommendations set out a list for the UK and one just for Scotland. The UK list includes consultants and senior nurses in particular healthcare specialisms, some engineering occupations, including civil and chemical engineers, quantity surveyors and project managers for property development and construction, secondary school teachers inmaths and science, skilled chefs, skilled senior care workers, ship and hovercraft officers and some animal care occupations including veterinary surgeons. The list for Scotland includes all those occupations on the UK list and some additional ones including manual fish filleters and speech and language therapists.
This may not be the final list but gives an idea of the thinking on shortage occupations. For more see the press release and various links here.
Posted in Business Immigration | 1 comment »
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By Sarah - Friday, September 12th, 2008
Is your employment law knowledge incomplete or are have you been thrown in at the deep end and are struggling to swim? Time is running out for booking on our Introduction to Employment Law course which will be held next Wednesday.
If this is not your bag then do you know how the latest law on corporate manslaughter? The training morning will be on Thursday next week. You can book and get more information here.
Posted in PJH Law News | No comments »
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By Sarah - Friday, September 12th, 2008
Equalities minister Harriet Harman has announced that she is setting up a National Equality Panel which will chart progress in equality over the last ten years and look at where we need to make more progress.
John Hills who a Professor at the London School of Economics will chair the new panel and Harman expects Trade Unions to play an important role in the panel. The new Panel will report back after 12 months with its recommendations for tackling inequality.
Posted in Age Discrimination, Disability Discrimination, Religion or Belief Discrimination, Sex/Race Discrimination | No comments »
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By Jenny - Thursday, September 11th, 2008
There was a recent case at the EAT dealing with the issue of time off for safety representative training.
Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations 1977 states:
“An employer shall permit a safety representative to take such time off with pay during the employee’s working hours as shall be necessary for the purpose of:
(b) undergoing such training aspects of those functions as may be reasonable in all the circumstances having regard to any relevant provisions of the Code of Practice relating to time off for training approved for the time being by the Health and Safety Commission under section 16 of the 1974 Act.”
In this case the employee was permitted by his employer to take 2 half days a week to undertake his duties as Unison Branch Health and Safety Officer. He submitted a request to attend training courses outside his two half day weekly allocation, one a course about accidents and the second a health and safety course.
In relation to the accident course the Tribunal had found that it was reasonable that the employee attend the course but that this could have been done in the two half days he already had. In relation to the health and safety course the Tribunal had looked at whether it was necessary for the employee to attend the course and also at the fact that the employer had not actually refused the request. Because the request had not been refused the Tribunal dismissed the employee’s claim.
The EAT held that the Tribunal should have looked at whether the 2 half days was sufficient for the employee to discharge his duties. If it was then there was no claim, if it wasn’t then there was a failure by the employer to allow reasonable time off for his training. The EAT said that the Tribunal should have looked at the amount of time off necessary to undergo such training as was reasonable. The EAT remitted it back to a fresh Tribunal.
Posted in Health and Safety | No comments »
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By Liam - Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
Following the very popular decision to remove the starting rate (10%) tax band earlier this year, it has now been announced that most employees’ tax codes will change this month. More information is available from HMRC here. In short, most employees paying tax at Basic Rate will get a £60.00 gift in their September pay packet because their personal allowance will increase by £600.00, meaning they pay no tax on this amount (a saving of 20% of £600.00 = £120.00, £60.00 of which will be paid in September and the rest in £10.00 installments monthly for the rest of this tax year). However, employees who pay tax at higher rate will see no change as the increase in personal allowance is offset by a reduction in the higher rate threshold which applies after £34,800 (formerly £36,000) of income after the personal allowance, effectively meaning tax is paid at 40% sooner than it would otherwise have been.
Posted in Categories, Tax | No comments »
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By Jenny - Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
Following on from our blog yesterday please find below our first guest blog.
Working in the field of law can be a stressful endeavour indeed. The work demands nothing less than perfection, which requires attention to the tiniest detail. Does it seem like you rarely get a brief reprieve from the daily goings on in your place of business?
Here are a few suggestions to break the montony that may give you the resuscitation necessary to push through your work day.
1. Laugh about it
If stress is getting you down, find a colleague who shares your burden and look at the humorous aspects of your mistake and/or job. Laughter can help you relax and get on with your day.
2. Cry about it
Open up those waterworks and just cry. Of course, don’t let anyone see you doing it, or they may start preparing to move into your office. If this seems too self-loathing, revert to number one.
3. Remove yourself
Even if you can only do this for a very short period of time, get away from your work. Walk outside for a few minutes, or simply go get a drink of water. Pepper in a good hearty scream for dramatic effect if you wish.
This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of the criminal justice programs. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com
Posted in Miscellaneous | No comments »
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By Jenny - Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
We have recently been asked by someone outside the firm whether they can do a guest blog and it occurred to us that there may be more of you out there who are dying to tell us what you think about employment law stuff!
If there are any aspiring bloggers out there who fancy having a go at blawgging send them through to us and we’ll put the best ones on the blog. jenny@pjhlaw.co.uk
We would ask that its not too long and is employment law or HR related.
Posted in Miscellaneous | No comments »
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By Philip - Monday, September 8th, 2008
Well those of us who follow football know that great strides have been taken to ensure that racism plays no part either on the pitch or terraces.
As recently as 1988 when I went to watch Hull City v Watford (well someone has to), Hull City fans thought nothing about making ape noises at Watford’s black players and bananas rained onto the pitch from their end. Run of the mill then, such words and actions now would be completely unacceptable and result in lifetime bans for the perpetrators.
Judging by comments made in a Times article, it’s not the fans who could be the problem but the owners.
Manchester City has recently been bought by business people from United Arab Emirates. Arab states in the middle east have, shall we say, an antipathy for all things Israeli, to the extent that Israelis are not allowed entry to UAE.
Given that recent events in Football boardrooms mean owners of football clubs are more pro-active in who is and is not at the club, Tal Ben Haim’s position at Man City will be watched with interest.
As a person who is contracted personally to provide labour, he is of course protected by the Race Relations Act. The RRA prohibits discrimination on grounds of race. The term race includes nationality and national origins.
Posted in Sex/Race Discrimination | No comments »
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By Emma - Monday, September 8th, 2008
Just a reminder that the new minimum wage rates come into force on 1 October 2008. They will be:
Age 22 plus - £5.73 per hour
Age 18-21 - £4.77 per hour
Age 16-17 - £3.53 per hour
Accommodation offset - £4.46 per day (£31.22 per day)
Don’t forget to make amendments to your payroll if you have employees this will affect.
Posted in National Minimum Wage | No comments »
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By Sarah - Friday, September 5th, 2008
Nicola Brewer the Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has stated that the so called glass ceiling that prevents women progressing in the workplace is more like reinforced concrete.
Apparently, the number of females in top roles has dropped in 12 out of 25 categories including that of cabinet members and MP’s in the last 12 months. Of course one could say that the Government with all its talk of equality should practice what it preaches but don’t get me started on that subject…
The annual Sex and Power report also likened women’s progress in achieving equality to a snail’s pace. To me the subject is quite an interesting one. Here at PJH Law there is no such glass ceiling and the proof is in the pudding. I was recently carrying out some research which showed that many local law firms are still consist of the old boys network. Some firms in the UK still have no female partners. I believe that people should get to the top on merit and not on sex but come on you cannot seriously be telling me that they have no female lawyers either who currently work there or have applied who would not cut the mustard!
It seems to me that many firms advise their clients on equality when they do not heed their own advice. If you want advice on equality issues aren’t you better with a firm who follow their own advice!
Posted in Sex/Race Discrimination | No comments »
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