Employment

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

1.2 million employers were furloughing employees as at 12 July 2020

New HMRC figures also show that 2.7 million claims have been made to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme

Employment case law round up

Pregnancy and Maternity (Redundancy Protection) Bill receives its first reading

Bill seeks to prohibit redundancy during, and for six months after, pregnancy and maternity leave

More than a third of employment tribunal claimants say that they were left dissatisfied with the workings of the system

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy publishes findings from recent survey of employment tribunal applications

Claims worth more than £35bn have been made to the Coronavirus Job Retention and Self-Employment Income schemes

New HMRC figures also highlight that 9.4 million jobs have been furloughed and there have been 2.7 million claims for support from self employed people

Court of Appeal rules that DWP did not fail to make reasonable adjustments and that there was no disability discrimination in its treatment of employee with sight problems

Robinson v Department for Work And Pensions [2020] EWCA Civ 859

Government should extend parental leave and pay for all new parents affected by COVID-19 pandemic, says Select Committee

Committee says government needs to 'follow the science and stay alert' to the support needs of new parents if it is to avoid the effects of the pandemic continuing to impact on families for years to come

Employment case law round up

Treasury Committee chair seeks confirmation from Chancellor of whether CJRS or SEISS flexibilities might be introduced in response to local lockdowns

Mel Stride says that, for new lockdown measures to succeed, people and businesses within any affected area must feel that they are being materially supported

More than two thirds of furloughed employees received wage top-ups from their employers in addition to CJRS payments during first two weeks of June

New ONS figures also show that just under a quarter of the workforce were on furlough in the same period

Flexible furlough scheme begins, allowing employers to bring back furloughed workers on a part-time basis

New rules mean that employers can bring furloughed employees back to work for any amount of time and any work pattern, while still being able to claim a CJRS grant for hours not worked

Total value of Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims rises to more than £25 billion

Weekly HMRC statistics also show that number of employees furloughed increased by 100,000 in week up to 21 June 2020, taking the total furloughed since the scheme launched to 9.3 million