Case update (4):  Workers protected in the same way as employees from being subject to detriments on both Health and Safety grounds and the right to be provided with PPE Summary:  Should workers have protection from being subjected to detriments on health and safety grounds, and the right to be provided with PPE, in the…
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The Government has published guidance (available here) to help employers understand the regulations and legal obligations that apply if they wish to introduce their own testing programmes outside the NHS Test and Trace. Such testing programmes may, for example, give confidence to employees and customers in the workplace and to help protect business continuity.  However, there is…
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The Government has published new guidance (available here) for employers and employees on the rules relating to self-isolation after returning to the UK. The guidance covers those who are returning from a country without an ‘air-bridge’ (i.e. a quarantine exemption).  For the list of those countries with air-bridges see here. The list is continuously updated with…
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1. Safe Workplace: A toolkit (available here) has been published to help employers create a safe workplace for employees to return to when offices re-open.  The toolkit has been compiled by the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM), with input from several national organisations including ACAS, CIPD and MIND. The toolkit complies with the directions and…
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What do we already know? We updated you in our June 2020 Newsletter Coronavirus (COVID-19): Returning to the workplace that the Government had issued workplace-specific guides on working safely during the Coronavirus pandemic. What’s new? As businesses continue to re-open their offices, the Government has updated their workplace guides (available here) to enable employers to operate…
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The post lock-down journey has begun as businesses start to re-open their offices and other workplaces.  This raises a number of concerns for employers and we consider some of the key issues below. Working safely On 11 May, the Government issued eight separate workplace guides (available here) on working safely during the Coronavirus pandemic. These…
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The Government has published guidance for businesses and employers on: how employers can safely remain open during Coronavirus (available here); and social distancing in the workplace during Coronavirus, with a focus of particular sectors (available here). Remaining safely open:  the guidance includes a summary of advice for employers and businesses in England to follow to…
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The TUC and Maternity Action have warned that employers are not doing enough to protect pregnant women at work and have published new guidance for health and safety representatives on “Pregnancy, breastfeeding and health and safety”, available here. In the new guidance, the TUC and Maternity Action explain that there are clear laws in place…
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What do we already know? We updated you in our September 2016 Newsletter Case update (1): Request to rest on the EAT’s decision in Grange v Abellio London Ltd that employees do not need to actually request a rest break (under the Working Time Regulations) before making a claim that their employer has refused rest…
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It’s nearly Christmas time again and, without being a party pooper, the festivities can present some unique challenges for employers. So to get some help on managing these please read on. 1. Christmas Party The annual Christmas party is often the one opportunity each year employees have to come together in a social setting. For…
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