October 2020 Newsletter

Here we are in the middle of October already.  With the change of seasons, we bid a final farewell to the furlough scheme at the end of this month.  Whilst it remains to be seen how many jobs will be saved by the Government’s replacement ‘Job Support Scheme’, we do know employers will be busy this month crunching the numbers for redundancy payments versus Government’s financial schemes savings.  We hope to help by setting out a number of options for employers in post-furlough times.  We also take a look at the Government’s recent guidance for employers who wish to carry out their own ‘in-house’ tests for COVID-19 and for those who return from abroad and need to self-isolate. Additionally we update you on the latest SSP rules which have been amended to cover those self-isolating in advance of medical procedures.

With the UK leaving the EU on 31 December 2020 and with it the end of the transitional period, Business Immigration lawyer Jay Moghul shares a summary of the new immigration system rules and what these will mean for employers from 1 January 2020.

In our case update, we focus on:

• Whether an employer needs to offer casual work as alternative employment in a redundancy situation;
• If re-engagement can be ordered by a Tribunal where the employer believes that trust and confidence has broken down; and
• Confirmation that an unfair dismissal claim will be allowed to proceed even if there is no real prospect of financial compensation.

News from the Menzies Law team

Menzies Law remains ‘top ranked’ in the region

We are delighted to remain near the top of the leader board of employment law teams in the South West in the 2021 edition of leading legal sector guide The Legal 500, which is based purely on market research and peer review. Excitingly, our Tamsin James has been ranked as a ‘rising star’ in the region.  Obviously, this is nothing we didn’t already know!  Well done, Tamsin.

October Blog – Why miscarriage is a workplace issue

Our latest Blog, written by Anne-Marie explores the under-discussed subject of miscarriage, how this should be handled in the workplace and the employment law relating to miscarriage that employers should be mindful of.

New member of the Menzies Law team

Lastly, we’d like to introduce and welcome Georgia Boyle to our team.  She joins us as Legal Administrator to support Kimberley and Lindsey with the smooth running of the back office function of Menzies Law.  Despite her surname, we can confirm she is not related to Anne-Marie!

Events

Menzies Law Autumn Employment Law Update

We’re looking forward to holding our Autumn Employment Law Update online on the morning of Wednesday 11 November.  We can promise you an event packed with employment information and advice so, put it in your diary for now, full details will be with you soon.

Menzies Law Basic Employment Law course/refresher

We’ve been asked by some clients to provide training on Employment Law basics for some of their new HR employees. Providing a training course for one or two individuals makes it rather expensive, so instead we are creating a two-part ‘open’ online training course.

Here are all of the Government reforms and case updates we cover this month:

• Coronavirus (Covid-19): End of Furlough and beyond
• Coronavirus (Covid-19): Government Guidance – In-House Testing
• Coronavirus (Covid-19): Returning from abroad – Self isolation guidance
• Coronavirus (Covid-19): Pre-operation self-isolation & SSP
• Changes to employment tribunal rules
• Business Immigration: Sponsoring Foreign Workers Post Brexit
• Case update (1): Redundancy – Casual Work an Alternative to Dismissal?
• Case update (2):  Unfair dismissal – Remedy of Re-Engagement
• Case update (3): Unfair dismissal – Poor Financial Prospect – No Bar to Claim

And lastly, our ‘nothing to do with employment law bit:

Black Britons have always contributed to Britain’s history but their stories have often been left out of the picture.  We cannot overlook the importance of preserving and publicising stories commemorating such contributions to British history and we love these murals, on our doorstep in Bristol, celebrating iconic Black Britons:

https://www.iconicblackbritons.com/home