Worker unfairly dismissed for not removing religious neck chain
August 1st 2022A Christian worker has won his claim of unfair dismissal after he refused to take off his neck chain. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. Mr Kovalkovs worked at the 2 Sisters Food Group chicken processing firm from November 2019. He wore a silver crucifix on a neck chain to signify his belief in the Russian Orthodox Church. This was an issue for…
Water company granted injunction against former business manager
July 28th 2022A water company has been granted an injunction against its former business development manager after he breached post-termination restrictive covenants in his employment contract. Mark Aspin Director and Head of Dispute Resolution reports on this recent case. The case involved ATAC Solutions, which provides water and waste services to commercial and domestic customers, and its former manager Mr Crotty. Crotty had started working for ATAC in 2017. He was the principal contact for…
Man’s will found in draft form on computer ruled to be valid
July 25th 2022The High Court has ruled that a man’s will that existed only in draft form on a computer, but which was signed by two reliable witnesses, should be accepted as valid. Rebecca Armstrong Associate Solicitor in our Will Claims team reports on this recent case. Is a draft will legally binding in the UK? So, what of the question is a draft will legally binding in the UK? This is indeed a highly…
Do your employees have permission to work, and do you know how to conduct Right to Work Checks?
July 20th 2022One of the basic requirements on all employers is to ensure that the people they employ have permission to work in the UK. From April 2022 the process that employers need to follow when conducting right to work checks changed – you can no longer accept physical cards or permits, you must undertake digital checks. Civil penalties are imposed on organisations that have employed an individual who does not have…
Judge urges couples to use £500 mediation voucher scheme
July 18th 2022One of the UK’s leading judges has urged divorcing couples to use the £500 voucher that enables them to access mediation services to settle difficult disagreements. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, made the suggestion in a complicated case involving a couple who had separated in 2017. The father had regular unsupervised contact with the three children until…
Charity worker with long Covid can make disability claim
July 11th 2022The Employment Tribunal has ruled that an employee who was dismissed while suffering from long Covid is entitled to make a claim for disability discrimination. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. It held that his symptoms met the criteria for him to be classed as disabled under the terms of the Equality Act. The case involved Mr T Burke, who had worked at Turning Point…
UK House Prices rose by more than 12.4% over the last year
July 5th 2022House prices across the UK increased by an average of 12.4% in the year to April 2022, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. Abby White, Residential Conveyancer reports. It means the average property in the UK is now valued at £281,161. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, house prices increased by 1.1% between March and April 2022. The UK Property Transactions Statistics showed that in April 2022, on a seasonally…
Kate Garraway inheritance case highlights value of powers of attorney
July 1st 2022The heart-breaking experience of TV presenter Kate Garraway’s inheritance case highlights the value of drawing up Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) to protect your future. Jane Oakley, Private Client Legal Executive in our Wills, Probate & Inheritance team reports. Kates’s husband Derek Draper suffered a terrible reaction to Covid and still has a long way to go in his recovery. The Good Morning Britain star said that the two of…
Renters Reform Bill ‘will make some evictions easier for landlords’
June 27th 2022The Renters Reform Bill is designed to drive up standards in the private and socially rented sector, but it will also make evictions easier for landlords in certain circumstances. Natalie Tatton, Solicitor in our dispute team provides an update. The Bill is designed to help the 4.4 million households privately renting across England by extending the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time. It’s hoped these reforms will…
Ban on employment exclusivity clauses to be widened to help low paid
June 21st 2022The government is to widen the ban on employment exclusivity clauses, which restrict staff from working for multiple employers. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment and HR provides an update. In 2015, exclusivity clauses were banned for workers on zero hours contracts, where employers are not obliged to provide any minimum working hours and the worker is not obliged to accept any work offered. The change provided more workers with…
