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Contingency Fee Agreements - final regulations unveiled

The use of contingency fees (where the representative charges a proportion of the amount recovered) in employment tribunal claims is now on a statutory footing, and is regulated. From 6th April 2010 the Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2010 (which can be found at this link) will enforce certain requirements.

Requirements of the agreement

The agreement must be in [...]

Employee theft: can low value render a dismissal unfair?

A recent case from the Netherlands raises this interesting question – is value relevant to theft? A Dutch McDonalds worker sold a hamburger to a colleague, but at her request then put a free slice of cheese in it. This of course converted it a discounted cheeseburger. This was held to be grounds for dismissal [...]

Usefully Employed is back

This website (and, for many of you, the email newsletter) had a rather long break in the last part of 2009. Well, Usefully Employed is now back and fighting fit.

As well as resuming news and commentary on the latest employment law developments, anything missed during the down time will be gradually added in. These will [...]

Computer-based misconduct - best done abroad

Usefully Employed has, since its inception, championed the right of employers to take strong disciplinary action against employees whose behaviour could cause offence on grounds of sex, race, sexuality, religion, and so on. The thinking goes that we all have to go work, most of the time, and we shouldn’t have to do it in [...]

Time off for Trade Union Activities

Officials and representatives of recognised trade unions are allowed (usually paid) time off to undertake union activities.

Acas have now released a revised Code of Practice on this area, which can be found as a pdf at the link below:

Acas Code of Practice on Time Off for Trade Union Duties and Activities

It replaces the old 2003 COP and [...]

Compulsory retirement lawful, for now

At the end of last month, judgment was handed down in the Heyday litigation – a long running campaign by Age Concern to have the laws allowing compulsory retirement at 65 struck from the statute book as incompatible with European law.

Of course, the slow machinations of the European justice system means I now post on [...]

Updated Vento Guidelines

Compensation for discrimination claims can include an award for injury to feelings. The Vento Guidelines were set by the Court of Appeal in Vento v The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2002] EWCA Civ 1871, and provide guidance for the correct amount of compensation. Daniel Barnett reports that HHJ McMullen, in the recent (and [...]

Stagecoach drivers warned to fight the flab

Stagecoach buses are now fitted with seats that aren’t rated to carry drivers over 20 stone, so the company has told those who weigh too much that they’ll be reassigned until they tip the scales the right way. Sky News carries the story, together with commentary from a detractor who entirely misses the point:

“I wouldn’t [...]

Pink Tape hosts Blawg Review #226

For those of you who haven’t cast their net too wide into the online world of law resources, be aware of the regular Blawg Reviews, in which guest editors present a round-up of all that’s new on law blogs around the globe. In these days when Lexis and Westlaw push their bills ever higher, everyone [...]

Usefully Employed translated

For accessibility, certain parts of this website can now be read in lolcat.