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Health and safety news | |
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Welcome to HR Today, the monthly newsletter from IntellectHR keeping you up-to-date with employment law changes and free HR services that our members are entitled to.
In addition to the newsletter, Intellect members have full access to our free IntellectHR service, providing you with web-based HR guidance including a full range of practical step-by-step guides, letters, forms, contracts, an employee handbook, and customisable policies.
For a reminder of your login details, please contact us. Forward this email to a friend.
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I've heard that someone depressed is actually disabled and we have to treat them differently. Is this right? |
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This month we answer a question sent in by Clare from Norwich.
What you've heard is that the Disability Discrimination Act extended its cover from December 2006 and encompassed a number of conditions including depression and cancer. Read the full answer»
Send your HR questions to communications@intellectuk.org
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Further extension of rights to time off? |
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The government has previously announced plans to give employees the right to request time off (unpaid) for training, but is now looking at also extending the current right to take time off (unpaid) to undertake public duties. The proposals widen the rights to include, among others, members of probation and court boards or members of youth offender panels. Read the full story»
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Reminder of changes for this month |
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- National Minimum Wage increase
- Trade union membership rules are amended
- Directors duties
- Benefits during maternity and adoption leave
- Employers Liability Insurance certificates
- SSP for agency workers and a new SSP1 form
- Employment and Support Allowance Regulations |
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Statutory default retirement age of 65 - Heyday update |
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The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recommended that the court dismiss the challenge, brought by the charity Heyday, to the UK's compulsory retirement age of employees aged 65. His opinion is that a rule allowing employers to retire employees at 65 or over can in principle be justified under the Directive, provided that this is objectively justified within the context of national law. |
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Changes to European Works Council Directive? |
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The original European Works Council Directive, dated 1994, sets out requirements for informing and consulting employees at European level. It applies to companies or groups of companies with at least 1,000 employees across the European Economic Area (EEA) AND at least 150 in each of two or more EEA countries. Whilst the qualifying criteria will not be altered, there are several changes proposed. |
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Some interesting cases |
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- Outstanding holiday entitlement/notice periods
- Minimum rest breaks
- Enhanced redundancy schemes
- Heat of the moment resignation or dismissal
- Statutory retirement procedures
- Discrimination - religion
- Working for more than one employer |
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New shortage occupation list |
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Tier 2 of the new points-based immigration system covers skilled workers coming to the UK to fill specific jobs. Employers have to prove they cannot fill the post with a worker already resident in the UK and show that the vacancy has been advertised in the UK, unless the job is on the 'shortage occupation list'. An updated draft shortage occupation list has now been published and is expected to be finalised later this month. It is estimated that the new list will reduce the number of UK jobs open to migrants by 30 per cent.
Read the full story»
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New documents |
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- Data access request form more»
- Redundancy voting form more»
- Flexible working request letter, giving the employee details of how to make a formal - statutory request more»
- Medical reports - a range of letters covering reports from an occupational health specialist (as opposed to a practicting clinician such as a GP or consultant) more»
- Some new TUPE letters - one to an outgoing contractor requesting employee liability information and one to an incoming contractor giving basic initial details more»
- Flexible working policy more»
- Business gifts and hospitality policy more»
- Work-related functions and events policy more»
- A guide to business gifts and hospitality (based on last month's hot topic) more»
(members will need to log in to view these documents)
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- Do your employees have a slush fund in case of redundancy?
- More staff working from home?
Read the full story» |
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