Employment

People in the deepest level of poverty have experienced the largest negative employment impacts during the coronavirus pandemic

Social Metrics Commission warns that, as a result, both the incidence and severity of poverty could increase

Acas issues new advice to employers to help mitigate redundancies, following record increase in calls to its helpline in June and July 2020

In addition, the Service warns that economic impact of coronavirus, and fears around the furlough scheme ending, has left employers and staff concerned about their future livelihoods

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has paid out almost £34 billion since its launch in April 2020

New HMRC statistics also show that more than £2 billion spent on scheme in last week alone

Coalition of more than 200 organisations, unions, and businesses call for asylum seekers to be given a right to work after six months

New report also calls for an end to the narrow list of highly skilled professions that asylum seekers are limited to work in

Employment case law round up

Return of claims in volume after abolition of employment tribunal fees is contributing to ‘less than satisfactory performance’

Employment Tribunals President also highlights replacement of dated software, telephone issues and judicial and administrative recruitment as additional factors affecting performance

Penalties for failing to notify HMRC about overpayments from Self-Employment Income Support Scheme

New guidance advises amount of penalty will depend on whether person knew they were ineligible when they received grant

Select Committee calls on government to learn lessons from gaps in support to workers during coronavirus lockdown

Committee Chair expresses concern that problems with support, including for pregnant women, freelancers and agency workers, were raised repeatedly 'and yet these warnings continued to go unheeded'

‘Premature’ closure of CJRS will push unemployment rate to 10 per cent, says NIESR

Institute comments that extending scheme beyond October 2020 would have been 'relatively inexpensive' and that, by reducing unemployment, it 'might have paid for itself'

Claims worth almost £40bn have been made to the Coronavirus Job Retention and Self-Employment Income Support schemes

Weekly HMRC statistics show that value of claims has increased by almost £2bn since previous week, solely due to claims made under the CJRS

Employment case law round up

Government rejects call from MPs to ‘fill the gaps’ in the Job Retention and Self-Employment Income Support schemes

Chancellor say that those unable to access the schemes can look for support from the 'many measures we have launched to make sure people get help at this time'

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has paid out almost £30 billion since its launch in April 2020

New HMRC statistics also show that claims to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme total a further £7.8 billion

Narrowing the scope of exceptions to applicability of National Minimum Wage Act 1998 for people working offshore

New statutory instrument limits exception to people working on ships that are exercising 'right of innocent passage' or 'right of transit passage'

Employment case law round up

Acas reports that early conciliation resolved more than three quarters of employment disputes without leading to an employment tribunal in 2019/2020

In addition, conciliation resulted in settlement in more than half of cases where claims to the employment tribunal were finalised

Scottish Government announces additional £100 million funding for employment support and training in response to coronavirus outbreak

Economy Secretary also confirms that Fair Start employment support service has been extended by two years to March 2023