We use cookies to improve our site and your experience.

By continuing to browse on this website you accept the use of cookies.

News & Views

Sickness absence on the rise post-COVID restrictions easing.Read More »

Number of UK fit notes increases 11% to hit record high 10.4m

Philip Cameron and Chris Coombes comment in International Employment Lawyer on the fallout from the Gary Lineker/BBC saga, in particular the potential effects on employee relations, operational and reputational damage when employers take a hard line against unofficial mass walkouts.Read More »

BBC free-speech saga

After a long gestation period, new sexual harassment responsibilities for UK employers look as though they will successfully make it through parliament. What changes do employers face if the law is enacted, asks GQ|Littler’s Natasha Adom.Read More »

Sexual harassment law: Employers to gain new responsibilities

A possible solution would be for employers to consider “in-house” body doubling that facilitates virtual working arrangements within the company to significantly decrease concerns about the potential information-sharing risks.Read More »

How the growing “body doubling” trend can help ADHD employees

The Protection from Redundancy Bill, which unanimously passed its second reading in the House of Lords on Friday, would give new and expectant parents priority over their colleagues for suitable alternative jobs when they are faced with redundancy.Read More »

New rights for parents means rethinking redundancies

Raoul Parekh says that failing to tackle delays in the system will increase the risk of there being a lack of meaningful enforcement of employment rights.Read More »

Tribunals hit by backlog

This International Women’s Day, we highlight some key legal developments in the UK and Europe that are intended to support women in the workplace - from menstrual leave in Spain to increased redundancy protections for pregnant employees in the UK. We also consider what employers can do now to keep progress on the agenda.Read More »

International Women’s Day 2023 – What’s changed (and changing) in the UK and Europe

There’s been a lot about ChatGPT in the press and faced with the prospect of writing an article about it we thought we’d take the opportunity to outsource the writing of this article have a ‘virtual’ sit down with ChatGPT.Read More »

An interview with ChatGPT

Social media outside the workplace can have a serious impact within the workplace and poses risks that employers must learn to navigate.Read More »

Tweet… Tweet… Unfair Dismissal: the importance of workplace social media policies

What should employers do when faced with potential discriminatory conduct?Read More »

Sports in the news - What do the employment lawyers think this February?

Tech Nation, a UK organisation supporting the tech startup sector, has announced it will be ceasing operations as the UK Government has decided not to renew its funding.Read More »

Tech sector faces uncertainty over Global Talent visa following Tech Nation’s demise

In late January 2023, the Government published a draft Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement.Read More »

New draft Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement

An increasing number of employees are engaging in 'side hustles' as part of a portfolio career, a trend driven by the cost of living crisis, and a desire among employees to engage in monetised activities they enjoy. From an employer’s perspective, such outside activities can deliver both risks and benefits.Read More »

Employee side hustles: what are the risks for employers?

The number of employment disputes relating to alleged discrimination against transgender employees has more than doubled in the past year.Read More »

Disputes relating to discrimination of transgender employees more than double in past year

Where redundancies become unavoidable, we are here to help you complete the process lawfully, ethically and with minimum disruption to your business.Read More »

GQ|Littler's Redundancy Toolkit

We look at Proposed Bills or Initiative in the UK in Q4.Read More »

The Global Guide Quarterly - United Kingdom (Quarter 4, 2022)

We outline what the Retained EU Law Bill proposes in its original (and current form) and what impact it might have on employers.Read More »

What does the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill mean for UK employment law?

This year is set to be even busier than expected in the world of employment law, with some seismic developments predicted. We set out what we can expect to see in 2023.Read More »

Key employment law trends for 2023

We anticipate that the path to the Bill becoming law will not be a smooth ride and continued industrial action into 2023 is likely.Read More »

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Have England dropped the ball? The Eddie Jones saga and the benefits (and limitations) of post-termination restrictions.Read More »

Sports in the news - What do the employment lawyers think this January?

Great news for anyone moving to the UK as priority services have been resumed for family and partner visas to the UK. Standard family visa processing times are also set to reduce from the current six months.Read More »

UK visa waiting times are reduced as priority services are reinstated for family members

As we celebrate a new year, many HR/legal professionals will be thinking of areas that might need a bit of a refresh, and data privacy may be one of those.Read More »

New year’s data privacy resolutions

Weird and wonderful employment law related news.Read More »

Redundancy payment gets wannabe impersonator "All Shook Up"

The number of open Employment tribunal cases increased from 46,467 to 50,060 in the year to October 2022, according to HM Courts & Tribunals Service figures published this month.Read More »

Employment tribunals suffer severe post-Covid delays in England and Wales

We explore how misconduct should be dealt with in the financial services sector.Read More »

Misconduct in Financial Services

AI is being used in some very interesting ways this World Cup.Read More »

AI and the World Cup

Will the four-day week survive 2023?

Every day, 400,000 children in London go hungry. The Felix Project fills millions of empty plates with nutritious food so ordinary London families and children can eat during this cost of living crisis.Read More »

GQ|Littler supports The Felix Project's Empty Plate Emergency Appeal

Redundancies in financial services up 46% as dealmaking dries upRead More »

Planned redundancies increase by 15% in last quarter

The number of disputes between employees and employers relating to flexible working requests has continued to rise, shows research by GQ|Littler, a leading specialist employment law firm.Read More »

190 flexible working employment disputes in the past year – numbers continue to grow

Based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), analysis by employment law firm GQ|Littler showed overall that planned redundancies are up 15 per cent.Read More »

Planned redundancies up 46 per cent in financial services

NHS England employees going through the menopause will be offered flexibility in their working schedules, the nation's health service has announced and called on other employers to follow suit so women can “thrive” at work.Read More »

New NHS guidance could help employers “break the stigma” of menopause

GQ|Littler has again managed to convince Santa to take some time out of his busy schedule, set down today’s wordle (to which Santa has become addicted this year) and give GQ|Littler an exclusive interview.Read More »

Santa’s workshop and his elves: 2022 – that’s a wrap!

We are proud to announce that Littler has been ranked in the International Employment Lawyer’s 2022 IEL Elite as a Global IEL Elite firm. UK and Ireland Partners Sophie Vanhegan, Raoul Parekh and Niall Pelly are recognised as key lawyers.Read More »

Littler ranked in the International Employment Lawyer’s 2022 IEL Elite

As we watch the men’s football world cup this winter, it seems only right to reflect on the monumental success of women’s football this year.Read More »

Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think this November?

The Home Office this month published some minor but important changes to the guidance for organisations with sponsor licenses that is worth keeping on top of.Read More »

Immigration: reform of employers’ reporting duties and immigration skills charge exemptions

An Employment Tribunal has held that a barber who fell pregnant while already on maternity leave was discriminated against when she was made redundant by her employer.Read More »

Black v Pat Drain Barbers: Pregnancy discrimination during maternity leave

The UK Government is supporting The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill to significantly expand employers’ liability for harassment in the workplace.Read More »

New bill could mean employers liable for third party harassment

We set out some of the key points from the Autumn Statement for employers and workers. Most of the measures will require legislation via the Autumn Finance Bill 2022, or other/secondary legislation before coming into force.Read More »

Autumn Statement round-up

In the last two months, government policies and tax proposals have been coming in-and-out like the Hokey Cokey. Employers are now waiting for the Chancellor to deliver the budget in his Autumn Statement this Thursday 17 November.Read More »

Budget Hokey Cokey

“Disabled people often face more barriers – both real and perceived – to moving roles and companies. Therefore, they are more likely to be taken advantage of by employers who expect that they will put up with poor pay rises or not being promoted."Read More »

Disabled workers lose out as widening pay gap persists throughout their careers

Joséphine examine les résultats d’une étude sur le congé à la suite d’une fausse couche.Read More »

Soutien aux salariées ayant fait une fausse couche

In this fast-moving context, this guide helps multinational employers ascertain their legal obligations and options to mitigate the consequences of inflation on employees.Read More »

The Employer's Guide to Europe's Inflation

We are delighted to announce that we have been listed in The Times Best Law Firms 2023.Read More »

GQ|Littler is ranked in The Times Best Law Firms 2023

We are delighted to announce that Littler is the proud winner of the "European Specialist Law Firm of the Year" award at the The Lawyer European Awards. Littler is also highly commended in the "Global Firm of the Year in Europe" category.Read More »

Littler wins "European Specialist Law Firm of the Year"

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has opened its first office in Honolulu, Hawaii with the addition of Wayne S. Yoshigai as a shareholder.Read More »

Littler opens Hawaii office with addition of Wayne Yoshigai as Shareholder

A bank worker has won £22,000 from an employment tribunal after being advised not to advertise her cake business on social media while on leave.Read More »

Worker harassed for side hustle wins £22,000 tribunal claim

Le salaire médian au Royaume-Uni a baissé en 2022 – Josephine et Caroline examinent les chiffres publiés par le l’ONS.Read More »

La crise économique continue au Royaume-Uni

The Government has launched a new bill designed to ensure a certain level of transport services will be required to run during transport strikes by imposing minimum service levels.Read More »

Minimum service levels bill

Littler opens Switzerland office, adds Partner Ueli Sommer

Clients who were contacted by Chambers to provide anonymous feedback said, "the advice is pragmatic yet robust and I have every confidence in their ability to deliver. The response time is always quick and expectations are managed."Read More »

GQ|Littler has moved up to Band 2 in Chambers and Partners UK

As pressure mounts on the UK government to introduce mandatory pay gap reporting, employers have been warned that the process could be fraught with complications.Read More »

Ethnicity pay gap reporting still fraught with complications as calls for new law grow

World Menopause Day 2022 - what's changed since World Menopause Day 2021?

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has released its fifth annual European Employer Survey Report.Read More »

European Employers Caught Between Desire for In-Person Work and Need to Provide Flexibility, Littler Survey Finds

The number of redundancies in the UK has defied predictions and dropped a third in the last quarter.Read More »

Redundancies dip by a third but gloomy outlook may mean rise is ‘inevitable’

In keeping with the theme of ‘Time for Change: Action Not Words,’ this Black History Month, we share a few suggested resources and reads from the team at GQ|Littler that not only inform and educate on race relations but equip readers with tools to help make the world (and workplace) more equal and inclusive.Read More »

How to take action this Black History Month and beyond

As the hashtag #NotmyAriel began trending, this led some to ask the question: if a black person can’t play the role of a fictional character in a fantasy world where there are no rules, how much more challenging might it be to appoint them to positions of leadership in the real world?Read More »

From under the sea to the C Suite: what we can learn from the backlash against The Little Mermaid

Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think this October?

Josephine et Caroline soulignent les problèmes du langage imprécis au sujet des jours fériés dans les contrats de travail.Read More »

Les jours fériés

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for Boutique Law Firm of the Year

We are pleased to announce that we continue to be ranked as a leading firm for employers and have moved up to Tier 2 in the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 UK Guide.Read More »

GQ|Littler has moved to Tier 2 in the 2023 Legal 500 UK Rankings

As words like ‘woke’ litter the public discourse and people are stirred to take positions on all sides of the so-called ‘culture war’, employers require a thorough understanding of protected beliefs.Read More »

Discrimination because of protected beliefs: what do employers need to know?

Le gouvernement consulte ses conseillers à propos des impôts et des charges sociales pour les salariés hybrides et longue-distance.Read More »

Les impôts pour les salariés à l’étranger

The Government has launched the new Scale-up visa - a fast-track, flexible work immigration route to help growing UK firms hire staff from around the world.Read More »

The new Scale-up visa has launched

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has further expanded its European presence with a move into Denmark.Read More »

Littler expands to Demark, adds partner Bo Enevold Uhrenfeldt

We are delighted to share that Littler Europe has been shortlisted for the 2022 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Europe in the category of 'Strategic Approach to Innovation.'Read More »

Littler Europe has been shortlisted for the 2022 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Europe awards

Josephine et Caroline examinent le phénomène de « quiet quitting » ou la résignation silencieuse.Read More »

“Quiet quitting” – la résignation silencieuse : un phénomène croissant

Menopause affects 51% of the population and women of menopausal age are the fastest growing group in the workforce.Read More »

How should employers react to the UK government’s recent announcements around menopause?

There are specific steps you need to take in order for witnesses to give evidence from abroad in an employment tribunal.Read More »

Tribunal hearings: What to do if you have a witness abroad

The excitement around Wimbledon and the Lioness’ recent victory has led us to discuss how the conversations they have sparked surrounding women’s health translate into the workplace.Read More »

How to create a winning environment for women in your workplace

We look at the unintended legal risks of doing away with DEI training and explain how employers can navigate this minefield.Read More »

DEI training hits the headlines

Whistleblowers can be dismissed for unreasonable behaviour even where they have made a protected disclosure in an automatic unfair dismissal claim.Read More »

Kong v Gulf International Bank (UK) and Whistleblowers

Healthcare for female employees is a key area for businesses in the bid to retain and recruit talented people, but could new women’s health apps breach data privacy – potentially leading to serious consequences for women working in the US in the wake of the overruling of Wade v Roe? Alison Sneddon and Deborah Margolis investigate.Read More »

Women’s health, the workplace and ‘big data’ – what’s the connection?

La grève en Angleterre – Caroline et Josephine font le point sur les protections des salariés, et les pouvoirs des employeurs.Read More »

Une augmentation de grèves au Royaume-Uni

Employment measures against inflation in France and the UK

Josephine et Caroline expliquent les conséquences d’un arrêt de la cour anglaise sur le calcul des jours de vacances.Read More »

Le calcul des jours de vacances

The Republic of Ireland became only the 11th member state to transpose the EU Whistleblowing Directive into national law, following the passage of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 last month.Read More »

Ireland’s new whistleblower law

Josephine et Caroline résument un prochain congé pour les soins néonataux.Read More »

Le congé pour les soins néonataux

Protected beliefs: what’s in and what’s out?

An employment tribunal has for the first time ruled that a person’s long-COVID is a disability protected by the Equality Act 2010.Read More »

Long-COVID capable of being a disability under the Equality Act

Following a recent Irish case on use of CCTV in disciplinary proceedings, we look at the key data protection and employment takeaways.Read More »

Irish court rules on lawfulness of use of CCTV in disciplinary proceedings

Joséphine et Caroline résument un nouveau projet de loi qui protègerait les pourboires en Angleterre.Read More »

Protection légale des pourboires en Angleterre

Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think this July?

Gender Pay Reporting – how, when, and (critically) why?

Caroline et Josephine examinent les obligations des employeurs envers leurs salariés pendant la canicule.Read More »

Une canicule en Angleterre

The number of redundancies has fallen by 21 per cent from in the last quarterRead More »

Planned redundancies down by a fifth

The Supreme Court has published its long-anticipated decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel confirming that paid holiday for part-year employees/workers on permanent contracts must not be pro-rated.Read More »

Harpur Trust v Brazel and Holiday Pay

Sanika explores how employers can mitigate risks of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.Read More »

The risks of sexual harassment in the metaverse

Fire and rehire in the news

Unions in the UK have called on the government to provide legal protection against working in high temperatures for employees.Read More »

Unions in UK call for law on maximum workplace temperature

10% increase in stress-related notes – 282kRead More »

Fit notes issued by GPs increase 17% to record high 10.3 million in 2021

Josephine Rendall-Neal et Caroline Baker résument les définitions anglaises des catégories de salariés et travailleurs indépendants et les évolutions récentes de la loi dans ce domaineRead More »

Les travailleurs indépendants

La croyance philosophique et les droits transgenres

Josephine et Caroline résument les critères de validité des clauses non-concurrence en AngleterreRead More »

Les clauses non-concurrence

As UK employers begin to trial the four-day week, employers should consider how the potential benefits of offering additional flexibility to employees balances against concerns or administrative challenges.Read More »

UK trials four-day week

Natasha and Ben look at the differences between positive action and positive discrimination and share top tips to help employers increase diversity at senior levels.Read More »

Diversity in leadership: Top tips for employers

Rodgers v Leeds Laser Cutting Ltd

Many employers have just about got used to GDPR, but the data privacy regime could change in the UK following the government’s consultation.Read More »

UK to shift away from GDPR

We have created high-level guides covering the varying return to work measures across APAC and EMEA.Read More »

Global COVID-19 At a Glance Guides

As Home Office sanctions increase, what should sponsoring employees be mindful of?Read More »

Sponsor sanctions

UK plans to repeal law allowing agency staff to cover for striking workers

Josephine et Caroline parlent d’un nouveau visa anglais controversé pour les diplômés.Read More »

Nouveau visa anglais pour les diplômés

Josephine et Caroline résument une décision de la cour d’appel du CPH anglais qui facilite les poursuites en justice pour licenciement constructif abusifRead More »

Un nouvel arrêt dans le domaine des licenciements constructifs

How HR can mitigate the risks and reap the rewards of AI at work

The P&O Ferries aftermath: gaming the system or business as usual?

La semaine de quatre jours : Josephine et Caroline récapitulent le projet pilote en cours au Royaume-UniRead More »

La semaine de quatre jours

Certaines organisations caritatives font appel au gouvernement anglais pour introduire le congé menstruel légal obligatoire, à la suite de la décision de l’Espagne à ce sujet.Read More »

Le congé menstruel

Plus de 20% des employeurs au Royaume-Uni prévoient d’obliger leurs salariés à être vaccinés, selon un sondage publié par ACAS

Will international employers introduce similar policies to Spain and, if so, what should they be thinking about?Read More »

Menstrual leave – a period of change?

French Supreme Court approves the Macron Scale for dismissal damages

This month the High Potential Individual route to the UK opens – part of the Government’s bid to entice the world’s top talent.Read More »

High Potential Individual Visas allow employers a new unsponsored route to hire top graduates

We review the laws relating to sexual harassment.Read More »

Sexual harassment in the workplace: what measures can employers take?

Employers often want to have a data retention policy which works for all of their international operations. We look at the challenges with this approach and how to make it work in practice.Read More »

“One size fits all” data retention policies: a unicorn for international employers?

UK GDPR reforms a “blunt instrument” with cross-border consequences

Josephine et Caroline parlent de l’intelligence artificielle au travail, qui a de forts avantages, mais entraine aussi des risques légauxRead More »

L’Intelligence Artificielle au Travail

“For most employers, these redundancy programmes are a last resort as they had been very careful not to let surplus staff go during the so-called ‘Great Resignation’.”Read More »

Planned redundancies up by 60 per cent as interest rates and borrowing costs rise

Women’s Health in the Workplace Q&A & Resources

The law on harassment is very wide and captures a huge range of behaviour and comments in the workforce.Read More »

Employment tribunal: use of word ‘bald’ can amount to sex-based harassment

L’information confidentielle

Queen’s Speech: absence of employment bill leaves organisations in limbo

Promised changes included a right to flexible working and greater protection for pregnant employeesRead More »

Employment Bill dropped from Queen’s Speech again, prolonging uncertainty for employers

Littler’s tenth annual survey – completed by nearly 1,300 in-house lawyers, C-suite executives and HR professionals – provides a window into how U.S. employers are managing these complex issues and where their principal concerns lie.Read More »

The Littler Annual Employer Survey 2022

Qu’est-ce qu’un handicap dans le domaine du travail, et que doivent faire les employeurs ?Read More »

Le handicap au lieu de travail

The number of UK employment tribunal cases relating to the use of “banter” in the workplace rose 44 per cent last year, according to new research.Read More »

Lawsuits regarding 'workplace banter' increased by 40%

Inappropriate workplace “humour” becoming an increasing risk for employersRead More »

UK employment tribunal cases relating to ‘banter’ up 45% in a year

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for Boutique Firm of the Year at The Lawyer Awards

In response to the worsening invasion of Ukraine, the Home Office has introduced the Ukraine Family Scheme to enable Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK.Read More »

New right to work checks for those on the Ukraine Family or Homes for Ukraine Schemes

Women are starting to occupy full-time coaching positions in what has been, until 2020, an exclusively male occupation.Read More »

A Home Run for Women Working in Sport

The updates to the statutory rates and limits came into effect in April. Here are the key changes for HR professionals to be aware of.Read More »

April updates to statutory rates come into effect

The ICO has published new guidance following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.Read More »

UK data privacy regulator publishes guidance following relaxation of covid measures

The European Commission and the United States have announced a new data transfer mechanism, following the invalidation of Privacy Shield in July 2020.Read More »

Data transfer to the US: is Privacy Shield 2.0 in the making?

Les salariés en Angleterre bénéficient de certaines protections légales à l’égard de leurs postes et conditions d’emploi lors de la plupart des ventes d’actifs.Read More »

Le transfert de salariés dans les ventes d’actifs

En Angleterre, les salariés et travailleurs (sauf travailleurs indépendants « self-employed workers » en Anglais) ont droit à un certain nombre de jours de congés payés.Read More »

Le droit aux jours de congés payés

Pourquoi avoir une période d’essai dans un contrat de travail anglais ?Read More »

La période d’essai

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for The Legal Innovation Awards 2022

Vanessa summarises the current options for Ukrainians seeking sanctuary in the UK.Read More »

What UK immigration routes can Ukraine refugees and their employers, family and friends use?

The number of planned redundancies in the UK has jumped 103% in just one month.Read More »

Number of planned redundancies in the UK doubles in a month to 18,040

Without a clear purpose, goals or buy-in, employee networks that aim to improve equality, diversity and inclusion can lose enthusiasm and effectiveness. Natasha Adom outlines five steps employers can take to maximise their success.Read More »

Five steps to forming successful EDI committees

Le transfert de salariés dans les ventes d’actifs

An increasing number of employees have begun taking their bosses to court after refusing flexible working requests, according to new research today.Read More »

Flexible working requests increase by over 50%

We look at the CoA decision in Mercer v Alternative Future Group.Read More »

Mercer v Alternative Future Group

Les licenciements dans les deux premières années d’emploi

Niall Pelly considers new obligations on employers in Ireland to report on their gender pay gaps and how organisations can use such data to create more equitable workplaces.Read More »

Getting to the “why” in gender pay gap reporting

The government will publish a new statutory code on ‘fire and rehire’ tactics in a bid to clamp down on unscrupulous employers.Read More »

Statutory fire and rehire code set to be published

The government has made clear, in its ‘Inclusive Britain’ policy paper published on 17 March, that ethnicity pay gap reporting will not be mandatory for employers ‘at this stage’.Read More »

No mandatory ethnicity pay gap reports (right now)

What do we know about the much-hyped “fast-track” flexible route to lure top talent from around the world to the UK’s burgeoning scale-up sector? Read More »

The Scale-up visa: who will benefit from this new UK immigration route?

We look at the results of a recent TUC survey (as well as one of our own) and consider what employers should do to ensure that they comply with the law when undertaking workplace surveillance.Read More »

Increase in workplace monitoring – how can employers ensure that it is legally compliant?

AI in the workplace

2021: the year that athletes started prioritising their mental wellbeing over “turning up”Read More »

Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think this March?

Woman’s History Month, and International Women's Day celebrations, are coming to a close. Let’s look at why there is still a need for employers to keep women’s health in the workplace on the agenda.Read More »

Women’s Health in the Workplace – what’s next on the agenda?

Les lanceurs d’alerte

GQ|Littler lance son nouveau service francophone!

En Angleterre, le retour au bureau commence.Read More »

Le retour au bureau : les employeurs peuvent-ils l’exiger en Angleterre ?

Why International Women’s Day matters to me

The Home Office has postponed changes to right to work checks to give employers longer to prepare.Read More »

A guide to right to work check changes

Alison Finn joins firm’s growing Dublin office as a senior associateRead More »

New senior associate joins employment law firm GQ|Littler

Some key points from Deborah Margolis and Darren Isaacs on Data Subject Access Requests and how to handle them.Read More »

Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs)

This week the UK government announced that the majority of remaining Covid restrictions will be lifted in England over the coming weeks.Read More »

All remaining Covid restrictions in England to be lifted in coming weeks

February employment law round up

Growing demand from US law firms to outsource employment law advice on global deals.Read More »

Three Senior Lawyers join M&A Support Team at employment law firm GQ|Littler

The past few months have seen several employee discrimination cases hit news headlines.Read More »

Employee discrimination in the news

This LGBTQ+ History Month Elliott Lauder looks at the legal history of local government legislation, and how a short subsection geared public life, society and workplaces into silence on LGBTQ+ matters.Read More »

LGBTQ+ History Month 2022

As interest in women’s football increases, so mounts the pressure on organisations and Clubs to level up the playing field between women and their male counterparts by providing greater protections and benefits to their female athletes.Read More »

Sports in the news - what do the employment lawyers think this February?

Congratulations to Paul Quain, Sophie Vanhegan, Cerys Williams, Darren Isaacs, Raoul Parekh and Caroline Baker who are recognised as top global lawyers.Read More »

Six lawyers at GQ|Littler ranked in Chambers Global Guide

The increasingly controversial long-established practice of ‘fire and rehire’ has recently been the subject of an injunction.Read More »

Has ‘fire and re-hire’ been fired?

Handling holiday pay issues can be tricky. Here are some key points for employers to be aware of.Read More »

Holiday pay

Confirmed upcoming changes to the way employers will be able to check a prospective employee’s right to work in the UK from 6 April 2022.Read More »

Changes to pre-employment checks on right to work in the UK

If you have paid any attention to the news these past few weeks, then you have almost certainly seen the media storm surrounding Djokovic’s arrival in Victoria to compete in the Australian Open.Read More »

Sports in the news - what do the employment lawyers think this January?

We take a look at what the cases to date can tell us about the tribunal’s approach to these issues generally.Read More »

Automatically unfair Covid dismissals

In January the publishing industry was ablaze with gossip as a junior employee at a London publisher was arrested by the FBI.Read More »

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier… junior employee? Theft of confidential information in publishing

Welcome to the first round up of 2022 – a chance to look at a few recent employment law stories from a not so legal point of view…Read More »

January employment law round up

Handling investigations into potential misconduct can be tricky.Read More »

Disciplinary Investigations

The extension of the self-certification period for statutory sick pay from seven to 28 days poses a significant dilemma for employers.Read More »

Extension of self-certification period creates headache for employers

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, is pleased to announce the opening of an office in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.Read More »

Littler Opens Third Office in Mexico with Saltillo Location

The rise of digital labour platforms (i.e., what is often referred to as the “gig” or “platform” economy) has led to many court cases in recent years across the EU in relation to the classification of the working relationship between the worker and the digital labour platform.Read More »

EU proposes new legislation to protect “digital labour platform” workers from status misclassification

It’s that time of year again – the West End is adorned with spectacular lights, the merry (if not somewhat overplayed) voices of Wham! and Mariah Carey blast on the radio, and disappointment mounts at yet another rather sad looking tree in Trafalgar Square.Read More »

Office Christmas parties – the good, the bad and the ugly

Can allegiance to a football club amount to a protected belief under UK discrimination legislation?Read More »

Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think this December?

We have been lucky enough to get another off-the-(Christmas)-record chat with the big guy again this year. He spoke to us about the employment law issues that he’s faced in 2021 with his “elve-ployees” at his secret UK-based grotto.Read More »

Santa’s workshop and his elves: 2021 has been a cracking year

The year 2021 has been one of turmoil, transition, and uncertainty for so many industries and spaces. The world of employers has been no less dramaticRead More »

Looking back at 2021 and forward to 2022

Welcome to month four of the (now regular) employment law round up, an excuse to look at recent employment HR and labour issues from a not-so-legal angle.Read More »

December 2021 employment law round up

Number of tribunal cases up 52% in a yearRead More »

Record number of employees taking employers to court for refusing flexible working requests

Retail businesses make up 83% of all workplace COVID breachesRead More »

COVID health and safety breaches at Irish businesses jump 77% in just three months

But Omicron has dented that confidenceRead More »

Number of planned redundancies in the UK drops 86% from pandemic peak a year ago

Section 146 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA) has long been interpreted as not including industrial action.Read More »

Protecting striking workers

Two recent cases of workplace discrimination have caught our eye with respect to how employers should (and should not!) carry out investigations in the workplace.Read More »

Lessons in how not to conduct workplace investigations

Everyone is talking about Joshua Kimmich’s vaccination status.Read More »

Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think this November?

It has now been over a month since the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (also known as the “furlough scheme”) finally ended on 30 September 2021.Read More »

Post-furlough redundancies fail to materialise

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has hailed the new fast-track visa for scale-ups as an important development to make it “quicker and easier for fast-growing businesses to bring in highly skilled individuals.”Read More »

What is the new UK Scale-up visa and who can apply?

If overemployment is a tightrope walked mostly by Generation X.Read More »

November employment law round up

It is a fundamental principle of employment law and most would agree that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work, but the law in this area is complex. What do employers need to know about handling this issue?Read More »

Equal Pay

Fourth annual survey of more than 530 executives reveals the myriad forces transforming the European workplace and the future of workRead More »

Littler Survey: Most European Employers Reopening Offices, But Disconnect Emerges with Employees

The Supreme Court has provided a much-needed interpretation of section 145B of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.Read More »

Kostal UK LTD v Dunkley and others [2021] UKSC 47

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, is pleased to announce that DCM Lawyers, a specialized labour and employment law firm in Portugal, is joining its global platform (hereinafter DCM | Littler).Read More »

Littler Continues Global Growth and Deepens European Presence with Expansion into Portugal

Suggests employers are taking a more trusting approach towards employees by not requiring a doctor’s noteRead More »

Number of fit notes from doctors drops 16% during Covid

There’s been a fair bit written about black employees and those from ethnic minorities feeling the need to ‘code-switch’.Read More »

Code switching and inclusivity – beyond Black History Month

Mark starts with the hugely important topic of BAME representation in the workplace, in light of our focus in this month’s newsletter on Black History Month.Read More »

October employment law round up

Welcome to the second article in our new series of articles: “Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think?”Read More »

Sports in the news - what do the employment lawyers think this Black History month?

Discourse surrounding the impact of unconscious bias, and other types of workplace discrimination have been a priority for employers since the emergence of the BLM movement following the murder of George Floyd.Read More »

Black hair discrimination in the workplace

We have done our best to answer the main UK immigration and arrival questions thrown up by the coronavirus pandemic.Read More »

All your COVID-19 UK Immigration questions answered

How do you identify harassment in the workplace and what can employers do to reduce the risk of it occurring?Read More »

Harassment in the workplace

The influential Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) panel of experts that advises the Home Secretary has published its recommendations for the current review of the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) immigration route.Read More »

Migration Advisory Committee makes recommendations for reforms of Intra-Company Transfers

One of the leading directories Chambers & Partners, published its guide to the leading UK law firms, ranking GQ|Littler as one of the top 25 firms for employment in the UK and describing it as a “highly experienced boutique employment law firm”.Read More »

GQ|Littler continues to increase its lawyer rankings in Chambers and Partners UK

From the symptoms of the menopause to long Covid, it can be difficult for employers to identify when individuals may have a disability.Read More »

Disability discrimination in the workplace

The latest Immigration Rules Statement of Changes contains a number of big developments from this autumn. The changes follow last month’s sponsorship roadmap outlining forthcoming measures to ease the administrative burden of sponsoring non UK national workers.Read More »

Sportsperson visas and other October UK Immigration Rules changes to be aware of

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, Darren Isaacs will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 10 - Travel Edition

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, Darren Isaacs will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 9 - Travel Edition

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, Darren Isaacs will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 8 - Travel Edition

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, Darren Isaacs will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 7 - Travel Edition

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, Darren will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 6 - Travel Edition

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, he will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 5 - Travel Edition

Employers should, more than ever, be watching carefully for signs of “burnout” in their staff.Read More »

Long Covid or Burn Out?

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, he will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 4 - Travel Edition

As workplaces reopen after COVID-19, many employers are considering whether to implement policies requiring employees to be fully vaccinated before returning to the workplace.Read More »

What are the risks of mandatory vaccination policies in the workplace?

Welcome to month two of the (possibly regular?) employment law round up, an excuse to look at recent employment HR and labour issues from a not-so-legal angle.Read More »

September employment law round up

Welcome to the first article in our new series of articles: “Sports in the news – what do the employment lawyers think?”.Read More »

Sports in the news - what do the employment lawyers think?

The 17 December 2021 deadline for EU Member States to implement the EU Whistleblowing Directive into national laws is fast approaching.Read More »

European Whistleblowing Directive – Need to Know FAQs

GQ|Littler has been recognised as a Leading Firm in The Legal 500 UK 2022Read More »

GQ|Littler has been recognised as a Leading Firm in The Legal 500 UK 2022

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, he will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 3 - Travel Edition

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, he will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 2 - Travel Edition

In this limited run of Covid Diaries, Travel Edition, Darren will share some of his travel and quarantine experiences alongside his musings on topical HR issues our clients are facing.Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 1 - Travel Edition

UK employers have just about got used to the idea of GDPR, but the government has launched a consultation on reforms to the data protection regime.Read More »

Is the UK about to scrap GDPR?

“Vaccination passports” have been one of the covid buzz words of the summer. One of the main concerns for employers is whether they will be able to (or required to) check employees’ vaccination records by way of a “passport” upon re-entry to the office.Read More »

Vaccination Passports: the “will they” or “won’t they” of the summer

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for Boutique Law Firm of the Year at The British Legal Awards 2021.Read More »

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Littler Europe is delighted to be shortlisted for the Financial Times Europe Innovative Lawyers 2021.Read More »

Littler Europe has been shortlisted for the Financial Times Europe Innovative Lawyers 2021

We highlight the key issues businesses should be aware of when considering making redundancies to help manage legal risk.Read More »

Redundancies: managing legal risk

The UK’s furlough scheme, the government subsidy of wages during the pandemic, will end on 30 September.Read More »

Out with a bang? UK furlough scheme to end 30 September 2021

Does Long COVID amount to a “disability” for equality law purposes?Read More »

Long COVID: a disability?

Employers who want to mandate the Covid-19 vaccine as a condition to employment (or employees returning to the workplace) will have to tread carefully.Read More »

Mandating vaccines

Welcome to the (newly rebooted) employment law round up, an excuse to look at recent employment HR and labour issues from a not-so-legal angleRead More »

Summer employment law round up

Collective Consultation - The Five Minute Guide

What are the limited circumstances where employers are allowed to take targeted steps to address disadvantages suffered by under-represented groups?Read More »

What employers need to know

While the calendars in empty offices across Ireland still display March 2020, the world has moved on.Read More »

Remote control – how to deal with remote work requests

There are some important issues to sidestep when requiring working parents back to the office en masse.Read More »

Freedom day? Working parents in the ping-demic

We outline the approach to the collection of vaccination data in several EMEA jurisdictions.Read More »

Collecting vaccination data across EMEA

Is there a right to work remotely in Ireland?Read More »

Remote working in Ireland - what's changing?

Before reopening workplaces employers must consider their various health and safety duties, understand how these duties apply and adapt their policies and working practices accordingly.Read More »

Health and Safety Concerns and Queries

We have outlined some of the recommended steps employers should take when reopening their workplace.Read More »

Health and Safety: At a Glance Checklist

A traffic light table displaying the claims employees can bring against their employer.Read More »

Risks of Sanctioning Employees Who Refuse to Work

In circumstances where an employer has made their workplace “COVID-19 secure”, how do they deal with employees who refuse to return to the workplace?Read More »

Tricky Categories of Employees

Everyone has the right to a private life, this includes a right to post messages on their personal social media, but what if employees post offensive or inappropriate comments?Read More »

Social Media outside work: can employers take action?

The Gender Pay Gap Bill is about to be signed into law in Ireland. Once in force it will require employers to publish information about the gap in pay between men and women.Read More »

New Gender Pay Reporting - Ireland

We highlight some key things for employers to be aware of when dealing with flexible working requests.Read More »

Flexible working requests

From 1 July onwards, important changes were made to the rights of European citizens in the UK and how to carry out right to work checks for new recruits.Read More »

New right to work checks

From today, the UK government will pay 70% of wages up to a maximum cap of £2,187.50 per month for the hours the employee is on furlough (down from 80% and a cap of £2,500 per month).Read More »

UK’s Paid Furlough Scheme Starts to Unwind

As we look ahead to the re-opening of workplaces, employers are considering if they can collect employee vaccination data.Read More »

Collection of employee vaccination data: Irish and UK regulators take different approaches

New guidance on employers avoiding penalties after 1 July.Read More »

Right to work checks: new guidance for employers after 1 July

We look at the top four questions that have come across our desk as companies return (in full or in part) to office life.Read More »

Returning to the Workplace - Our Top Four FAQs

Here is a brief guide for how to handle personal data breaches in the UK.Read More »

Data breach – Handling personal data breaches

Our summary of these two cases below is a short, 5-minute read to help get you back up to speed.Read More »

The latest trade union updates

The Irish government has recently announced plans to give employees the right to statutory sick pay (SSP) for the first time.Read More »

Employees in Ireland to get right to statutory sick pay from 2022

Tesco has been the subject of a European Court of Justice decision on equal pay.Read More »

The long road ahead for Tesco store workers

We often hear of the costs that whistleblowers avert by their disclosures but what about those that employers can avert by building organisational cultures that encourage speaking up?Read More »

World Whistleblowers Day

We are all different and that is a wonderful thing.Read More »

Why Pride Month is important to me

The European Commission recently published two new sets of Standard Contractual Clauses. We take a look at what this means practically for EU and UK businesses.Read More »

Setting the Standard (Contractual Clauses) - another update on the data protection saga

A brief guide on how to terminate an employee’s employment in the UK.Read More »

Dismissing employees in the UK

Littler adds four lawyers and one law clerk to its Mexico City office.Read More »

Renowned Labour Lawyer Jorge Sales Boyoli Leads Team Joining Littler in Mexico City

As the UK tentatively moves towards re-opening after the latest lockdown, employers will be putting serious thought into returning staff to offices in numbers.Read More »

Navigating return to the office anxieties

Compliance visits and penalties are back.Read More »

Right to work check news - what to watch out for as social distancing ends

Here are the 3 big things you need to check.Read More »

Happy 3rd GDPR Day!

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has opened its 100th location.Read More »

Littler Opens 100th Location with New Belgium Office

GQ|Littler, a leading labour and employment law firm in the UK and Ireland, is pleased to announce a new partnership with WhistleB to offer clients across Europe a secure and trusted employee whistleblowing system.Read More »

Littler | Whistle Protect – a partnership with WhistleB

Employers transitioning to a post-pandemic workplace face a host of novel challenges.Read More »

The Littler Annual Employer Survey 2021

Elliott approaches neurodiversity inclusion this Mental Health Awareness Week.Read More »

From Awareness to Inclusion

We indicate the level of risk associated with data protection concerns on return to work.Read More »

Data Protection Concerns on Return to Work

We provide high-level answers to the tricky questions on employers' minds.Read More »

Data Protection Issues

What might an adequacy decision look like?Read More »

EU expected to approve UK’s data privacy regime

Scotland is now the cheerleader for the move to a four-day working week.Read More »

Scotland the Brave?

It is that time of year again - the usual updates to the statutory rates and limits came into effect in April. The table below sets out the key changes for HR professionals to be aware of.Read More »

Annual updates to statutory rates in a nutshell

Employee burnout is becoming increasingly prevalent as employees feel they have to be ‘always on’ to keep on top of tasks and up with their colleagues.Read More »

Living from work – a right to disconnect in the UK

The UK energy company British Gas has recently been in hot water regarding unpopular changes to the terms and conditions of its engineers’ employment contracts.Read More »

Can the British Gas example stop you from getting into hot water?

Mental health is also high on the agenda in a way that it has never been before, not least because of the effects of Covid on work, unemployment and health: dignity and respect at work are in the spotlight as they have never been before.Read More »

Harassment in the headlines - what is it, really?

The High Court of England & Wales* has considered the limits on the extraterritorial reach of the European Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).Read More »

High Court considers territorial scope of GDPR for the first time

With over half the adult population having now received their first vaccine, many employers will be wondering how they can use the vaccine rollout to get employees back into workplaces.Read More »

Mandatory vaccines for the workplace: worth a shot?

The Employment Tribunal held that a delivery driver was fairly dismissed for refusing to wear a mask on client site, which was in breach of the health and safety obligations in the employee handbook.Read More »

Lorry driver fairly dismissed for not wearing a face mask - lessons for employers

This week in the Republic of Labour Law, we discuss family leave entitlements and big changes to our newsletter.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law - Irish HR Updates in March

The key takeaways from the Asda Stores v Brierley Supreme Court judgment.Read More »

Lowering the bar to equal pay

Today marks a year since lockdown was first announced so we look back on this period and what has changed.Read More »

The Covid Diaries : Day 365 - An Unexpected Journey

What are the new immigration changes set to provide UK science, tech and fintech firms a competitive edge globally?Read More »

Great immigration news for tech, science and fintech sectors competing for world’s best talent

The following FAQs are designed to address some of the more common questions that employers with operations in Ireland currently face.Read More »

IRELAND: COVID-19 Employer FAQs

The Chancellor announced today that the UK’s furlough scheme will be extended.Read More »

Furlough scheme extended until 30 September 2021

Figures show that the impact has been dramatic, with a six-month backlog of cases likely to have already developed.Read More »

New data suggests six-month COVID-related backlog in WRC cases

This is month is national LGTB+ History Month and we thought it was a good time to look back and take stock of where society is in relation to LGBT+ issues.Read More »

LGBT+ History Month

Last week the Court of Appeal handed down a landmark judgment which will significantly scale back the potential for employees to seek an injunction to prevent them being removed from their job.Read More »

Irish court clamps down on employee injunctions in landmark judgment

The much-heralded “Return to Normal” still feels a long way away. What does this mean for employers and employees wishing to return to the office?Read More »

Homeworking: here to stay?

This week in the Republic of Labour Law, we focus on two key cases that have been making headlines.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in February

Like a classic Shakespearean drama, the IR35 story is both long and complicated. Act III is due to start, again, on 6 April 2021. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.Read More »

IR35 – Six key questions, answered

In a landmark judgment that will be welcomed by employers, the Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision that potentially undermined the freedom of employers to dismiss an employee during probation.Read More »

Court of Appeal clamps down on employment injunctions

The much-dreaded IR35 “off payroll” tax change is coming to the private sector from April this year.Read More »

The IR35 “off payroll” rules are coming … again

On 5 January 2021, the government’s guidance was updated to clarify that employers may furlough employees who have caring responsibilities for children who are at home as a result of school and childcare facilities closing.Read More »

Furlough extended to include parents with childcare responsibilities

We look at the recent case of Quilter Private Client Advisers v Falconer and what this means for employers when enforcing restrictive covenants, particularly non-competes.Read More »

Another non-compete bites the dust

Together with our Littler colleagues across more than 45 jurisdictions we have contributed to a global guide on the COVID-19 vaccine for employers covering the key employment and labour questions in the UK and Ireland.Read More »

COVID-19 Vaccination: Key Questions for Global Employers

This week in the Republic of Labour Law, we look at the year ahead, and what to expect in 2021.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in January

We outline below answers to some frequently asked questions about the UK's new immigration system.Read More »

FAQs : The UK's New Immigration System

On 20 March 2020, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an unprecedented package of measures, including a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).Read More »

UK Furlough Scheme FAQs

Together with our Littler colleagues across more than 45 jurisdictions, we have contributed to “COVID-19 Vaccination: A Littler Global Guide on Legal & Practical Implications in the Workplace”.Read More »

COVID-19 Vaccination: A Littler Global Guide on Legal & Practical Implications in the Workplace

GQ|Littler, a leading specialist employment law firm and the UK arm of Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has opened an office in Dublin.Read More »

GQ|Littler opens Ireland office, adds partner Niall Pelly

The UK and EU have come to an agreement. But what does this mean for employment law and the HR landscape?Read More »

Brexit and HR : The two-minute read

How will personal data flow between the UK and EU now that the transition period has ended?Read More »

International transfers of data after Brexit: Old GDPR rules still apply for six-month extension period

As everyone begins to get into the festive spirit, GQ|Littler has managed to get an inside scoop direct from Santa’s secret UK workshop .Read More »

Santa’s workshop and his elves: 2020 has been “snow joke”

As 2020 hurtles towards becoming an awkward footnote in the annals of human history, we thought we would look back on our time away from the office (still working, #obv, but not in a way any of us would’ve expected in 2019).Read More »

The Covid Diaries: Day 276 - Starter for Ten

This week in the Republic of Labour Law, we look at the employment law winners and losers from 2020.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in December

Can we or should we require employees to get a vaccination before returning to the workplace?Read More »

Forcing employees to get a vaccine: worth a shot?

Littler is pleased to announce a new correspondent counsel relationship with Chiode Minicucci, a leading labour and employment law firm comprised of 18 attorneys in Brazil.Read More »

Littler Expands Client Service in Latin America by Teaming with Brazil’s Chiode Minicucci

We’ve seen a big increase in the use of data subject access requests (“DSARs”) over the last few years, but we think that the new guidance from the UK’s data protection regulator (the ICO) will provide some reassurance to employers.Read More »

Five bits of good news for employers from the new DSAR guidance

Commentators have speculated that employers might seek to use the furlough scheme as a means to soften the blow of Brexit-related disruption to their business, does this work?Read More »

Is the furlough extension a Brexit safety-net?

Welcome to our November edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law - Irish HR Updates in November

On 5 November the UK government announced that the furlough scheme would be extended until late Spring 2021.Read More »

Furlough extended until March 2021 as England re-enters lockdown

The move into Spain marks the tenth European country Littler has expanded into – alongside continued growth in North America, South America and Asia – and gives the firm a presence in Western Europe’s five largest economies.Read More »

Littler Enters 10th European Country

We share 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 12 - Reward Flexibility

We share 11 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 11 - Pay Less Tax - a company Tesla anyone?

As we move into winter and enter lockdown 2.0 it is a good time to take stock of the employment law landscape and plan ahead.Read More »

COVID-19: What has changed for employers since March?

Employers should act now to understand and mitigate the tax risks associated with employees working abroad.Read More »

Advice for employers with staff working overseas during COVID-19: Act Now!

The new IR35 rules come into force as of April 2021 (postponed from April 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). TheyRead More »

Postponed changes to IR35

We share 10 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 10 - Defer Pay

Welcome to our Halloween edition of Republic of Labour Law, a spooky newsletter in which we distil the most frightening Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in October

We share 9 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 9 - Create Churn

We share 8 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 8 - Office Closure / Reduce Office Overhead

We share 7 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 7 - North Shoring

We share 6 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 6 - Voluntary Exit Package

We are very pleased to announce that we have been awarded the Future of Legal Services Innovation Award.Read More »

GQ|Littler wins Legal Week's Future of Legal Services Innovation Award 2020

We share 5 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 5 - Time Off

One of the leading directories Chambers & Partners, published its 2021 guide to the leading UK law firms, ranking GQ|Littler as one of the top 27 firms for employment in the UK and describing it as "a highly experienced boutique employment law firm."Read More »

Chambers & Partners puts GQ|Littler among Top 27 employment law firms in the UK

We share 4 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 4 - Natural Wastage

The leading legal directory Legal 500 published its guide to the UK legal profession, recognising GQ|Littler as a Leading Firm and naming ten lawyers as recommended individuals.Read More »

GQ|Littler has been recognised as a Leading Firm by the Legal 500

We share 3 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 3 - Reduce Benefits

We share 2 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 2 - Cut Pay

We share 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs Without Redundancies

We share 1 of 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.Read More »

12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 1 - Claim Government Help

A checklist for your Work from Home Policy.Read More »

Working from Home Policy Checklist

GQ|Littler, a specialist employment law firm, is very excited to announce that Daniel Pollard and Sophie Vanhegan have been admitted as equity partners to support the firm’s ambitious growth strategy.Read More »

GQ|Littler announces two additions to the Equity Partnership

We are thrilled that 50+ Littler lawyers in 12 countries have been recognised by Who's Who Legal.Read More »

Who's Who Legal recognises 50+ Littler lawyers

How do the rights of overseas workers change at the end of 2020?Read More »

Brexit and Immigration

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Ben Smith has joined our associate team, having successfully completed his training contract with usRead More »

Congratulations to our newly qualified associate, Ben Smith

Welcome to our September edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in September

The next person who says the phrase ‘the Next Normal’ will have to talk to the hand. But it will be a sanitized hand, at least.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 198 – Quarantine, the Inside Joke

Traditionally, collective redundancies are administratively burdensome, document heavy and fraught with legal risks. They don’t have to be.Read More »

Collective Redundancies in Four Clear Stages

Today the UK Government announced a new wage support scheme for employers that will replace the furlough scheme from 1 November 2020 (running until 31 April 2021).Read More »

UK Government announces successor to the furlough scheme - the Job Support Scheme

A survey of more than 750 executives reveals that remote work, employee wellbeing, managing annual leave and workforce reductions are top of mind with European companies.Read More »

European Employers Expect Long-Term Workplace Changes

We thought we’d share with you what some of the GQ|Littler team have been getting up to this summer.Read More »

We’re all [not] going on a summer holiday

Welcome to our August edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in August

We unpick the issues around holiday and furlough.Read More »

Holiday and Furlough - The Five Minute Guide

Erin Webber (Denver) will become president and managing director of the firm, effective January 2021, for an eight-year term.Read More »

Littler Elects Erin Webber as Next Managing Director and President

Where businesses are faced with the possibility of becoming insolvent, the impact on employees is significant.Read More »

Insolvency: What does HR need to know?

We share our top tips for HR professionals in preparing for a sale when the business is insolvent.Read More »

Preparing for a Fire Sale: Top tips for HR in an Insolvent Business Purchase

One of the main questions HR practitioners may face from employees when the business faces the possibility of insolvency is ‘what happens to our pay?’.Read More »

Insolvency: Employee Debts and the National Insurance Fund

Collective Consultation Minimum Timeline

We take a look at Salesforce's global approach to the pandemic in a conversation with Erica Humphrey.Read More »

The client view - GQ|Littler meets Erica Humphrey of Salesforce

Welcome to our July edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in July

This is the third and final instalment in our three-part series looking into the importance of employee representatives (“reps”).Read More »

Role of Reps and Special Protection

Some things to think about…Read More »

How do you run an election for reps for information and consultation purposes?

We have put together three Q&A documents which together cover the importance of employee representatives (“reps”), when they are legally required, how they are elected and, once elected, what their role is.Read More »

Do You Need to Elect Employee Representatives?

The Court of Justice of the European Union (the ECJ) has handed down its long-awaited decision in Max Schrems’ latest challenge to EU-US data transfers.Read More »

European Court throws out EU-US data transfer regime (again …)

Face masks were made mandatory in shops and supermarkets from 24 July, but what is the current position on face masks and coverings in the workplace?Read More »

Behind the (face) mask

A set of frequently asked questions which outlines the key points of the EU legal framework on large-scale redundancies that employers need to think about when planning reductions in force in Europe.Read More »

Reductions in Force FAQs - EU

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for The Legal Innovation Awards 2020

As the novel coronavirus COVID-19 continues, employers continue to face significant challenges to their business and their workforce.Read More »

UK Employer Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs

This month, Philip Cameron, Paul Quain, Chris Coombes and Elliott Lauder published a three-part series of articles focusing on the topic of employee representation in the workplace.Read More »

Large Scale Redundancies - Election of Employee Reps

Welcome to the June edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in June

What practical steps can employers take to redress inequality in the workplace?Read More »

Black Jobs Matter, Too

It’s probably not the hottest topic on everyone’s lips at the moment, but we want to explain why employers should be thinking now about electing employee representatives.Read More »

Let's Talk About Reps...

Earlier this week a group of 26 top employers including Deloitte, Schroders, Santander, TSB and Zurich Insurance have signed an open letter, written in collaboration with the charity Working Families, to call on the government to close the loopholes in the legislation on flexible working requests.Read More »

Top employers call for change to Flexible Working Requests

On 22 June 2020, the government announced that shielded employees are able to return to COVID-secure workplaces from 1 August 2020.Read More »

Shielded employees to return to work in August

We have created a chart to outline the current state of the law in 19 European countries.Read More »

COVID-19: Europe at a Glance

We run through how to manage the process of collective consultation, employers' legal obligations, the challenges COVID-19 presents to the process and how to manage documentation requirements for redundancies.Read More »

Collective Consultation FAQs - UK

A piece in The Guardian laments HR’s use of the English language, and claims that George Orwell would have despaired.Read More »

How to cascade your messaging: what George Orwell can teach us about HR

Littler expands it's global reach to include Poland increasing the global footprint to include more than 1,500 attorneys in 23 countries.Read More »

Littler Expands to Poland with 20-Lawyer Firm

Return to Work Series: Dealing with challenging employees.Read More »

What do we do if employees refuse to return to work due to Covid-19?

Return to Work Series: How can employers manage the tricky issues?Read More »

Balancing the risks: processing health data and keeping employees safe in the workplace

Return to Work Series: Where to start with reopening the workplace.Read More »

Return to Work: Staying (reasonably) safe and healthy

Welcome to the May edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in May

It's time to say goodbye, at least to our daily blog about employment law firm life during lockdown.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 50 - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Although we don't know when lock down will end, many are assuming restrictions will be lifted soon and we are almost at the end. They are the markers of the third quarter stage.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 49 - Third Quarter Stage

Do over 80% of workers want to be tracked?Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 48 - The Psychology of Returning to Work

Does reading this article count as work?Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 47 - Should You Be Reading This Blog?

Ursula Bosworth is our Marketing Director and we have invited her to join in creating our daily diary entries, for a different view of our Covid-19 practice.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 46 - We can dance if we want to...

As I ventured down Cheapside* [*one of the main streets in the financial/legal heart of London], a hoard of City traders in tattered clothes gathered around a closed pub scratching at the window.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 45 - I Ventured Into the City

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 44 - 1984

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 43 - Office Space

From 13 May 2020, the release from lockdown has begun in England and we have the proposals for the phases of return.Read More »

UK’s exit from lockdown: a disunited kingdom?

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 42 - National Working from Home Day

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 41 - I Like to Ride my Bicycle

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 40 - 40 Days and 40 Nights

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 39 - May I Have Some More?

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 38 - Hey Ho, Hey Ho ...

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 37 - Wake up sleepy Jean

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 36 - Through the Looking Glass

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 35 - Ground Control to Major Tom

As an employer lawyer with my foot in two jurisdictions (Ireland and the UK), it is often interesting to see how they interact.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 34 - The Irish Understanding

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 33 - Time flies

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 32 - Red Red Wine

The Next Normal - An Employment Law Perspective

This month we are taking a cold, hard look at the employment law red flags, opportunities and issues we can foresee.Read More »

How can employers reconcile working from home and confidentiality?

This month we are taking a cold, hard look at the employment law red flags, opportunities and issues we can foresee.Read More »

Bracing employers for post-pandemic flexible work requests

This month we are taking a cold, hard look at the employment law red flags, opportunities and issues we can foresee.Read More »

Discrimination, harassment and bullying in Covid times

This month we are taking a cold, hard look at the employment law red flags, opportunities and issues we can foresee.Read More »

Disciplinaries and grievances where employees are working from home or ‘furloughed’

This month we are taking a cold, hard look at the employment law red flags, opportunities and issues we can foresee.Read More »

Expensive business, what employees are entitled to at home

This month we are taking a cold, hard look at the employment law red flags, opportunities and issues we can foresee.Read More »

Safe at home: An overview of employers’ health and safety obligations

This month we are taking a cold, hard look at the employment law red flags, opportunities and issues we can foresee.Read More »

A matter of Policy – Do you need a working from home policy now?

While coronavirus is – understandably – occupying lots of our attention right now, HR professionals should remember that the usual annual updates to statutory rates came into effect at the start of April.Read More »

Out with the old – annual updates to statutory rates come into effect

Welcome to the April edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in April

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 31 - Open for Business (Sort Of)

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 30 - Testing Times

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 29 - Blue Monday

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 28 - RuPaul GIFs and GDPR

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 27 - Let the Sunshine In

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 26 - It's Oh So Quiet

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 25 - The Company Card

Here are some steps employers could consider taking to combat mental health issues during the Covid-19 pandemic.Read More »

Stepping up mental health support during Covid-19

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 24 -Permanent and Pervasive?

We have started blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 23 - Big Brother

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 22 - Well, they say a picture paints a thousand words

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 21 - The way we were

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 20 - Follow the leader

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 19 - Wine Time

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 18 - Spring is in the air

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 17 - I've Had the (Working) Time of My Life

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 16 - Sunny Days and Good News

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 15 - Fur-low, Sweet Chariot

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 14 - We Built This City

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 13 - April Fools Day

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 12 - My annual leave experience

Our top tips for working from home.Read More »

GQ|Littler’s top tips for wellbeing while working from home

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 11 - A hard day's night

Welcome to our March edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in March

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 10 - Another week, done and dusted!

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 9 - Glory be to the internet

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 8 - The devil is in the detail

Update 25 March - the UK government has just announced sweeping fiscal measures to support businesses and employees during the Covid-19 pandemic.Read More »

UK government to underwrite 80% of suspended employee wages

This new "furlough" thing is actually quite complicated.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 7 - I fought the law and the law won

Today has been manic.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 6 - Just another manic Monday

Choose your office colleagues carefully. Too late, you have chosen to live with these person/people and you must now work together in self isolation for months to come.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 5 - Working with your flatmates - A guide

Today was my turn to brave the pandemic and head into the office.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 4 - Alone again, naturally

We had our latest all-hands team meeting this morning by video call.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 3 - Video killed the radio star

We are blogging about life running a law firm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daily updates. It’s a fly-on-the-wall thing. We hope you enjoy it!Read More »

The Covid diaries: A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis

There have been two significant HR updates overnight from the UK, dealing with tax changes and GDPR compliance.Read More »

Significant HR updates to IR35 and GDPR in the UK

They say the second stage of grief is anger, once the denial subsides. We are now in this strange limbo where the denial is indeed eroding but what it leaves behind is not so much anger - but bafflement. Lawyers don't like to be baffled, this is very new territory for us.Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 2 - What do we do now?

A month ago we were all so happy to finally stop talking about Brexit (mostly). We had lived and breathed it for three years and frankly, we were done. On to better times....Read More »

The Covid diaries: Day 1 - And so it begins

The Coronavirus outbreak: what employers should do.Read More »

Coronavirus: What do UK employers need to know?

Does flexible working retain working mums and close the gender pay gap?Read More »

Let’s keep mum!

Welcome to our inaugural edition of Republic of Labour Law, a monthly newsletter in which we distil the most important Irish legal and HR updates from the last month in 500 words or less.Read More »

Republic of Labour Law – Irish HR Updates in February

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, is pleased to announce that Gerlach Rechtsanwälte, a labor and employment law firm in Austria, is joining its global platform.Read More »

Littler continues global growth with expansion into Austria

Backlog of cases increased 39% last year alone.Read More »

Judges not using power to dismiss claims or responses early at Employment Tribunals

Dealing with work-related stress increasingly important for employers.Read More »

741,210 fit notes issued by doctors due to stress last year – up 8%

In 2019, the scope of ‘protected beliefs’ hit headlines as a tribunal found that ‘ethical veganism’ — a form of veganism that involves avoiding all forms of animal exploitation and harm in all aspects of life, from clothing to pharmaceutical products — was protected.Read More »

‘Ethical veganism’ is a protected belief – what does that mean for employers?

At the end of 2019, the courts decided that ethical veganism is a protected philosophical belief under discrimination legislation.Read More »

What constitutes a philosophical belief?

After a dramatic election, the stage is set for the UK to leave the EU on 31 January 2020Read More »

Brexit – The Essential Labour Law Guide

Browse through brief employment and labor law updates from around the globe.Read More »

Littler Global Guide - United Kingdom - Q4 2019

Sexual misconduct reports increased 16% last year alone to a record highRead More »

Number of sexual misconduct reports received by SRA more than doubles in five years

Well, first of all, the UK is going to get Brexit done! What will feel like after years of wrangling will remain to be seen.Read More »

2020 Vision - A look at the year ahead

Well’s it’s been quite a year. Thank goodness its almost over!Read More »

That was the year that was! 2019

Britain goes to the polls in two weeks’ time to vote for the fourth time in five years!Read More »

Election fever - what is getting employment lawyers hot and bothered?

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for The Legal 500 Awards 2020

The survey - completed more than 550 in-house counsel and HR professionals across Europe - shows European employers navigating a variety of legal, social and equality-related issuses impacting their workplaces.Read More »

Littler's 2019 European Employer Survey Report

For managers, HR and in-house legal counsel, Christmas parties can be a mixed blessing.Read More »

The five minute Christmas party guide

GQ|Littler, the specialist employment law firm, has announced the appointment of Cerys Williams as a Partner.Read More »

GQ|Littler appoints new partner - Cerys Williams

As you may have heard, with the help of colleagues from all over the world, Littler launched the European Employer Conference on 14 November 2019 right here in London, and it got off to a great start.Read More »

5 key themes explored at the European Employer Conference

Is moving to Ireland the answer? Possibly. But it depends on what the UK decides to do and the UK has not yet decided! Trying to predict when and how and maybe if the UK is going to leave the EU would challenge the prophetic abilities of Nostradamus.Read More »

EWC- should I stay or should I go?

Can you bypass a recognised trade union and make offers direct to the workforce?Read More »

By-passing the union - yes or no?

A question often asked by employers who are facing a strike or other forms of industrial action is whether or not they can engage agency workers to cover for those who are taking part in the strike.Read More »

Keep calm and carry on: covering striking workers

Strikes are commonly accompanied by picketing. But, what actually is a picketRead More »

21st century picketing

One of the leading directories Chambers & Partners, published its guide to the leading UK law firms, ranking GQ|Littler as one of the top 25 firms for employment in the UK and describing it as a “highly experienced boutique employment law firm”.Read More »

Chambers & Partners puts GQ|Littler among Top 25 employment law firms in the UK

The leading legal directory Legal 500 published its guide to the UK legal profession, promoting GQ|Littler in the rankings for London firms working with employers, while six partners were named as recommended individuals.Read More »

GQ|Littler has been recommended by the Legal 500

Gender identity is a an ever-increasingly important issue in relation to which awareness is growing. This article explores gender identity in the workplace and some of the ways employers can create an inclusive environment for those employees who identify as something outside the binary concept of gender.Read More »

Transforming gender identity practice and policy at work

There is a huge amount of information on Google about how employers can be more trans-inclusive, but what are the most useful sources for you to look at? We have collated the best sources of guidance for you to use right here.Read More »

5 handy guides to trans-inclusivity in the workplace

There is surprisingly little case law on the topic despite the European Court of Justice (ECJ) deciding back in 1996 that the scope of sex equality extended to discrimination against transsexuals in P v S and Cornwall County Council.Read More »

Gender identity in the workplace - what do the courts say?

Earlier this year, we wrote about the state of Brexit negotiations in the United Kingdom, and concluded that “with just over a month to go until Brexit takes effect” it was still “bewilderingly unclear” what form Brexit would take and how exactly employers should prepare.Read More »

Brexit – a political update

California legislators approved a landmark bill on Tuesday that would require gig economy companies to treat contract workers as employees, a move that will have significant business and employment law implications for organisations in the sector.Read More »

California Passes Landmark Gig Economy Legislation

Recently, the Greek Data Protection Authority (DPA) fined PWC €150,000 for incorrectly using consent as a lawful basis to process personal data. We look at what happened, and what can be done by UK employers to avoid a similar fate.Read More »

GDPR and lawful basis: how to make sure you don't get caught out

The new IR35 rules come into force as of April 2020, which may shift the burden of ensuring compliance with IR35 from your independent contractors’ personal service companies to you as the end user.Read More »

IR35 Special Report

To much fanfare and the great excitement of many employment lawyers, the UK Supreme Court recently delivered its first judgment on employment post-termination restrictions for a century in Tillman v Egon Zehnder.Read More »

The supreme view on post-termination restrictions

Want a certificate for all your hard work on GDPR?Read More »

GDPR Certification is coming...

With the assistance of our international colleagues across Littler we’ve again been collating some ‘surprising facts’ and ‘top tips’ for employers around the world.Read More »

International tips & tricks - part 2

The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland considered the meaning of "a series of deductions" under Northern Ireland's holiday pay legislation.Read More »

Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland rules on the meaning of "a series of deductions"

Featuring speakers from Accenture, Uber and Oracle, the event, to be held on 14 November 2019, will focus on “The Changing Face of the Workplace” in Europe and beyond.Read More »

Littler has announced its inaugural Littler European Employer conference, to be held in London

If you work in HR in the insurance (or financial services) sector, you are likely to have heard about the Senior Managers and Certification Regime ("SMCR"). In this article we set out the key ways that SMCR will impact your role in HR.Read More »

“I’m new to the insurance sector. What do I need to know about SMCR?”

Raoul Parekh and Deborah Margolis spoke recently on a webinar with our Littler colleagues on the topic of gender pay equity reporting and how international employers can tackle EMEA gender pay reporting laws.Read More »

Webinar: Pay equity / gender pay for international employers

A bill was introduced to Parliament on 21 May 2019 seeking to extend protections to women who are pregnant or on maternity leave in the case of redundancy.Read More »

Proposals to prohibit making employees redundant during pregnancy or maternity leave

The Court of Appeal has held that it is not discriminatory for enhanced shared parental leave pay (mostly claimed by men) to be paid at a lower rate than enhanced maternity leave pay (claimed by women).Read More »

Shared parental leave pay – clarity on your requirement to enhance

The current debate over the use of NDAs (“Non-Disclosure Agreements”) in the context of sexual harassment claims, does not look like it will die down any time soon.Read More »

UK "NDA" debate continues

This month, with the assistance of our international colleagues across Littler, we’ve been collating some ‘surprising facts’ and ‘top tips’ for employers around the world. This month we have facts from Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, and Italy.Read More »

International tips & tricks - part 1

As we sip champagne reflecting on the first anniversary of GDPR, we consider the key obligations that employers need to be aware of.Read More »

12 months since GDPR - what do employers really need to know?

A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) case considered whether an employer was entitled to dismiss an employee for not being fit and proper because the Employment Tribunal (ET) had found that he lacked credibility as a witness.Read More »

Fitness and propriety: Financial services employee dismissed for lacking credibility as a witness

There was a lot of excitement in April about a UK Supreme Court decision dealing with a copper mine in Zambia. Huh? A copper mine in Zambia, 7,500 km away from London?Read More »

The Zambian copper mine case – What happened and why are we writing about it?

The Court of Appeal has recently held that the dismissal of a nurse for improperly proselytising at work was fair (Kuteh v Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust).Read More »

Judgment Day for proselytising employee

On 5 April 2019, Sophie Vanhegan and Hannah Mahon in our team launched the Littler Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) in Europe in Paris, at the offices of fellow Littler Global firm Fromont Briens.Read More »

Launch of Littler Women's Leadership Initiative Europe

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busyRead More »

The monthly round up of weird and wonderful employment law news

Following a good disciplinary process can be a challenge, even in the most straightforward of cases.Read More »

What should employers do when employee misconduct might be criminal?

In early April the deadline passed for large UK employers to report on their gender pay gap (“GPG”).Read More »

Gender pay gap – where are we now?

Spring has sprung – and with it the usual annual changes to statutory rates came into effect in the first week of April.Read More »

Out with the old – annual updates to statutory rates come into effect

Caroline advises a wide range of clients on all aspects of employment law, from board level exits and complicated restructures to managing employment tribunal litigation.Read More »

GQ|Littler promotes Caroline Baker to partner

With Brexit due to take place in either just over two weeks (if the proposed deal is rejected) or just under a month (if the deal is approved), there is uncertainty over a whole host of issues.Read More »

How Brexit will affect your data protection efforts

A couple of weeks ago we held a breakfast briefing on all things to do with HR in the USA.Read More »

Going Stateside - The breakfast briefing - 5 surprise take-aways

The past fortnight alone in the world of British politics has contained more twists than a Game of Thrones novel.Read More »

The State of Brexit

Before an employer decides to push the button on suspension, there are several factors they should consider.Read More »

Suspending belief – is it appropriate to place an employee on leave?

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busy.Read More »

From cold hearts to hot wheels - the monthly round up of weird and wonderful employment law news

I’m sure readers saw the title of this article and thought “what!? White straight men are the most represented group in businesses!”Read More »

“Not hired because I am a white straight man”

Following Asda’s recent unsuccessful appeal, this article considers equal pay claims through an employer’s lens.Read More »

The equal pay conundrum: what’s an employer to do?

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busy.Read More »

The monthly round up of weird and wonderful employment law news

Gender pay gap reporting obligations will reach their second anniversary in April 2019.Read More »

Gender pay reporting, take two: what should employers do differently this time?

Last month, GQ|Littler hosted the first of our interactive Breakfast Club Workshops where we explored when employers might deliberately choose not to follow textbook dismissal procedures.Read More »

Standard dismissal procedures – when not to follow them

In the brave new world of online dating, it’s an increasingly common problem: you hit it off with someone right away – the first date goes well, perhaps the second one does too!Read More »

What to do if you’re ghosted… by your employees

New research into the levels of discrimination faced by ethnic minority applicants published last month revealed some startling figures, indicating that, despite significant advances in discrimination legislation, levels of discrimination remain unchanged since the 1960s.Read More »

Discrimination against ethnic minority applicants – challenging unconscious bias

On 14 February, we delivered a timely webinar on the implications of Brexit, a recording of which can be accessed here.Read More »

The Brexit time bomb - Armageddon or business as usual?

Acas has recently published new guidance on age discrimination. This update is timely in light of an age discrimination claim brought by an NHS employee that caught the public’s attention.Read More »

The age old problem - discriminating against elderly employees

Although many HR professionals dealing with disability discrimination issues are all-too familiar with the legal definition of a “disability” in the Equality Act 2010, many are unaware of the various exclusions to that definition.Read More »

From alcoholism to exhibitionism - When the law says a condition is not a disability

As part of its ongoing ambitious growth strategy GQ|Littler, the specialist employment law firm, has announced the appointment of Philip Cameron as partner with effect from January 2019. He joins the firm from Debevoise & Plimpton, where he worked in an in-house capacity.Read More »

GQ|Littler appoints new partner - Philip Cameron

GQ|Littler’s predictions on what will keep us all busy over the next 11 months.Read More »

2019 - The annual crystal ball article

In December, the government revealed its proposals to implement the Taylor Review, the independent review of working life and employment rights in the UK.Read More »

The good work plan: The Government's response to the Taylor Review

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court heard the appeal in Tillman v Egon Zehnder Ltd, in which a six-month non-compete restrictive covenant was found to be invalid.Read More »

Post-termination restrictive covenants - Do yours hold up to the scrutiny of the Court?

As we now know, the Withdrawal Agreement deal was roundly rejected by Parliament on 15 January 2019 (despite the 18 months that it took to negotiate) and Mrs May is now making efforts to sell her ‘Plan B’ to MPs.Read More »

Brexit - January update

GQ|Littler appoints new Partner with extensive employment litigation and trade union experienceRead More »

GQ|Littler appoints new Partner - Philip Cameron

Lawyers warn cases are being pushed further into the future, as employers are told to take steps to mitigate the impact of delays.Read More »

Many new tribunal claims may not be heard until 2020

We take a look back on the last 12 months in the weird and wonderful world of employment law.Read More »

The employment law year in review

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busy.Read More »

The monthly round up of weird and wonderful employment law news

Discrimination against trans employees has taken centre stage in the US as the US Supreme Court weighs up whether it will consider if dismissing a trans employee because of their gender identity breached federal discrimination laws.Read More »

Protecting transgender employees from discrimination in the US

As you may have seen in recent press coverage on Bloomberg, in The Times and The Guardian we have just published a major new study into HR trends and attitudes across EuropeRead More »

Just published: major new research from Littler into HR trends and attitudes across Europe

The last few weeks have seen a flurry of activity in the Defined Benefit (DB) pension scheme sphere. We take a look what this means for DB schemes and the employers who are tied up with them.Read More »

A busy time for Defined Benefit pension schemes (and the employers too)

Last month, the government announced big changes to the way that medium and large-sized companies engage individuals through personal service companies (“PSCs”)Read More »

Changes to the contractor tax and compliance rules: how can you minimise your risk?

In the UK, non-disclosure agreements (or NDAs as they have now become known) is a term used to describe two distinct type of agreement.Read More »

Should confidentiality clauses be banned? Be careful what you wish for

In a new feature, two GQ|Littler lawyers take opposing sides on the above question. The issue has come up this month after leading advertising agency JWT faces claims of discrimination from white, straight, British men.Read More »

For and against: Employers have the legal tools they need to address the diversity problem

Holiday pay continues to be a complex area of law that many employers struggle with. It can also be an expensive one for employersRead More »

The restless topic of holiday pay (courtesy of the EU)

Out team took stock of the new data protection rules for employers six month on, and evaluated whether all the fuss was really worth it.Read More »

Webinar: listen again to the latest news on GDPR

The UK supermarket chain Morrisons has been all over the press after it was held liable for a data breach by a rogue employee.Read More »

Data breach and Morrisons: can a rogue employee leave you on the hook?

In the latest in a long line of case law dealing with ‘worker status’, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has rejected an appeal by Addison Lee.Read More »

Worker status woes: Addison Lee loses appeal on status of drivers

But UK still lags behind other European countries in responding to #MeToo. 39% have revised hiring practices to close the gender pay gap.Read More »

71% of UK businesses have now taken concrete action in response to #MeToo movement

Chambers & Partners, one of the leading legal directories, today published its guide to the leading UK law firms, ranking GQ|Littler as one of the top 20 firms for employment in the UK and describing it as a “Highly experienced boutique employment law firm”.Read More »

Chambers & Partners puts GQ|Littler among Top 20 employment law firms in the UK

In a move many have been expecting, on 29 October 2018 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a significant change.Read More »

IR35 shake-up: major change to contractor tax and compliance rules announced

As many readers will be aware, national minimum wage (“NMW”) risk is a special case in the employment law world.Read More »

Minimum wage enforcement following TUPE transfer: could you pay for others’ mistakes?

The leading legal directory Legal 500 today published its guide to the UK legal profession, promoting GQ in the rankings for London firms working with employers, while all its partners* were named as recommended individuals.Read More »

GQ|Littler: ‘responsive, hardworking and committed to providing the best legal guidance’

You may be forgiven for thinking that now that 25th May has passed that the GDPR panic is over. However, GDPR represents the new way of doing things.Read More »

What to do if you have a data breach in the post GDPR world?

The recent Court of Appeal decision in Director of the Serious Fraud Office v Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation has provided some helpful guidance for companies.Read More »

When are internal investigations privileged?

Legal 500, one of the leading legal directories, has published its latest guide, promoting GQ|Littler in its rankings for London firms working with employers.Read More »

GQ|Littler Promoted in Legal 500 Rankings

Whilst Hollywood initially bore the brunt of the #MeToo movement soon after the tech sector and professional services’ firms faced the spotlight.Read More »

Peer reviewed behaviour – What can the STEM industries learn from #MeToo

Cakes have become an unlikely – yet delicious - battleground for gay rights over the past few years.Read More »

UK Supreme Court rules on ‘gay cake’ case

Each quarter, Littler publishes a roundup of key employment law developments from around the world.Read More »

Key employment law updates from around the world - Littler Global Guide Quarterly published

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busyRead More »

From solicitors behaving badly to conspiracy theories - The monthly round up of employment law news

Anyone watching the McGregor/Khabib UFC fight will remember it for one thing only – Khabib launching an attack on McGregor’s support team afterwards and McGregor himself getting attacked in the octagon after the fight was over.Read More »

Fight or flight? Dealing with violence in the workplace

Parents who experience the unfortunate loss of a child under the age of 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy will be entitled to two weeks’ leave (if they have 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer).Read More »

Parental bereavement leave - New rights to leave and pay

GQ|Littler has been shortlisted for the Boutique Law Firm of the Year award.Read More »

GQ|Littler shortlisted for British Legal Awards

An overview of the effect of Brexit on EU workers in the UK, and UK workers in the EU.Read More »

Brexit – transitional provisions in the balance

We take a look at the strange goings-on this month in the world of employmentRead More »

From pole dancing principals to Star Wars CVs - The monthly round up of employment law news

We consider the TUC's proposals on a four-day working weekRead More »

Working hard or hardly working? The TUC’s four day working week proposal.

Listen to a recording of our most recent webinar, looking at some of the hottest topics in employment at presentRead More »

Spotlight on diversity and inclusion, workplace behaviour and pay equity

An overview of the key challenges and possible solutions to this increasingly-popular technologyRead More »

Shared services centres – the essential HR/legal checklist

A bill is making its way through the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament) that would bring shared parental leave to the Republic of Ireland - will lawmakers there learn from the UK experience?Read More »

Ireland set to embrace shared parental leave after false start in UK

Employers using master trusts as a pension provider may face lengthy consultation periods and challenges to keeping employees’ funds together as the industry faces its biggest ever shake up.Read More »

Employers using master trusts brace for turbulent time ahead

The Women 2018 US Open final will be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Serena Williams was handed code violations leading to a row that has highlighted the issue of consistency of decisions between the genders.Read More »

Sexism and tennis… an old row in a new court?

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busy.Read More »

From hot staff to cold offices - The monthly round up of weird and wonderful employment law news

GQ|Littler, the specialist employment law firm, has announced that Raoul Parekh has been made Partner and Caroline Baker has been promoted to Senior Counsel.Read More »

GQ|Littler appoints new Partner and new Senior Counsel

The short answer is no, but the catchy titles merits a closer look at this topical issue.Read More »

Do flexible working arrangements breach Working Time Regulations?

The government Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (“BEIS”) Committee has, for the past few months, been hearing evidence reflecting on the first year of the gender pay gap reporting regime.Read More »

BEIS Committee recommends expansion of gender pay gap reporting

An unnamed jazz bar in London’s trendy Shoreditch has hit the news for its approach to recruitment.Read More »

Are You “Extremely Attractive”? If not, don’t apply!

Would you like to increase performance, revenue and profit? A new study has once again shown that teams with a mixture of men and women out-perform single sex teams.Read More »

Mixed teams? Maybe not a mixed blessing!

All but a handful of employers in the UK have now reported their gender pay gaps (“GPG”).Read More »

Narrowing the gap: what next for gender pay gap reporting?

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busyRead More »

The monthly round up of weird and wonderful employment law news

Imagine you’ve just found out that one of your ex-employees has joined a competitor and has shared your most important trade secret with them. What legal protection do you have?Read More »

Are your trade secrets protected under the new law?

The past few weeks have seen some interesting legal developments relevant to the treatment of transgender people in the workplace.Read More »

Gender identity and discrimination: recent developments

Temping agency TempTribe, who supply waiters, bar staff and porters for events for thousands of clients including The Body Shop, Fortnum & Mason, Wembley Stadium and Capital FM, have recently refused to engage a black student because she had dreadlocks.Read More »

‘Dread’ful uniform requirements

With World Cup hype at fever pitch, there is no better dampener on the mood than an employment lawyer laying out your options to deal with missing employees...Read More »

It’s staying home

The world held its breath earlier this month. Not because Germany made an early departure from the world cup! In fact, we were looking eastward.Read More »

What should we learn from the Donald Trump & Kim Jong Un meeting? Paul Quain

If you were having a relationship with a colleague, would you tell HR? Should you?Read More »

Would you tell HR about your office fling?

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busyRead More »

The monthly round up of the weird and wonderful employment law news

Earlier this year, following a two day jury trial, the CPS succeeded in obtaining a successful prosecution of a corporation for failing to prevent bribery.Read More »

"Failure to Prevent Bribery" offence - what does it mean for employers?

The Supreme Court held this month that Mr Smith, who worked for Pimlico Plumbers and had been called an “independent contractor” was in fact a “worker”.Read More »

Supreme Court finds leaks in Pimlico’s independent contractor model

The US Supreme Court recently ruled in favour of a baker in Colorado, who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. The owner of the shop, Mr Jack Phillips, cited his Christian beliefs when he said that he would not provide a cake for a same-sex couple.Read More »

The US gay cake case

UK partners Jon Gilligan, Richard Harvey, Darren Isaacs and Paul Quain have been recognised as experts in the field of ‘Labour, Employment and Benefits’ law in the 2018 edition of the Who’s Who Legal guide.Read More »

Four GQ|Littler partners named as experts in Who’s Who Legal 2018

We are pleased to announce that Hannah Mahon was made a Partner at the beginning of May.Read More »

GQ|Littler appoints new Partner - Hannah Mahon

We are delighted to announce that our partner Dan Pollard will serve as the new Treasurer of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA).Read More »

GQ|Littler Partner named as Treasurer of UK Employment Lawyers Association

This is part six in a series of articles exploring the employment law regime in jurisdictions where businesses may be considering moving some of their staff post-Brexit. It is intended to provide a high-level overview, drawing out the main legal requirements to consider. This month’s focus: Spain.Read More »

Employment law in Europe, the need-to-know guide. This month – Spain

As you will no doubt be aware from the flurry of GDPR-related emails over the last couple of weeks, GDPR came into force on Friday 25 May 2018.Read More »

GDPR and the new Data Protection Bill 2018 has arrived!

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v Haywood [2018] UKSC 22Read More »

When will notice of termination take effect? The Supreme Court delivers some useful guidance

Every month, we take a look at the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the world, with a tongue in cheek assessment of what has kept our fellow workplace lawyers busy.Read More »

Naked team building to pet-ernity leave – the employee perks arms race reviewed

Earlier this month, Angus Sinclair, the former private secretary of John Bercow, Commons Speaker, gave interviews to the media accusing Bercow of bullying him, despite being paid £86,250 in 2010 as part of a deal that required him to sign a non-disclosure agreement (a so-called “NDA”).Read More »

Order, order! What can be disclosed when there is a NDA?

GQ|Littler was named as the winner of the Boutique Law Firm of the Year category at last night's Legal Business Awards - the "Oscars for the legal industry".Read More »

GQ|Littler wins Boutique Law Firm of the Year at Legal Business Awards

Telecommuting used to be rare because it used to be almost impossible.Read More »

How to employ—and payroll—a telecommuter working from home overseas

The monthly round-up of the weird and wonderful employment law news from around the worldRead More »

Could mice have eaten half a ton of marijuana?

The High Court has recently decided that Lloyds Bank did not have the power to apply a malus (reduction) clause to awards vested under a long-term incentive plan.Read More »

Bank fails in attempt to recoup executives’ bonuses

This is part five in a series of articles exploring the employment law regime in jurisdictions where businesses may be considering moving some of their staff post-Brexit.Read More »

Employment law in Europe, the need-to-know guide This month – Italy

With all of the recent press attention on the #MeToo movement, the spotlight has recently been placed on the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or confidentiality provisions in workplace settlement agreements.Read More »

NDAs – what do you need to know?

The deadline to report gender pay data for eligible firms was 4 April 2018 and no doubt you will have seen the deluge of press coverage on the topicRead More »

First year of gender pay gap statistics show 87% of employers pay men more than women

A firm in New Zealand has recently trialled a four day work week, breaking away from the five-days-on / two-days-off formula which has been common practice for many decades.Read More »

Four Day Work Week

A court has heard that a bookkeeper who wanted another child stole more than £92,000 from her employer for IVF treatment.Read More »

Bookkeeper steals more than £92,000 from employer for IVF

A year ago we carried out a survey among employers that suggested only five per cent of businesses were looking for major change in employment law post-Brexit.Read More »

Brexit and employment law: have attitudes hardened?

A court in Germany has ordered Volkswagen to reinstate an employee who it sacked fearing he might launch a terrorist attack against the car giant.Read More »

Court orders reinstatement of sacked employee who pledged to join ISIS

What do the crew of the Indian Empress, a £93m superyacht owned by Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya, and the employees of Wagamama, TGI Fridays, and 177 other companies in the UK have in common?Read More »

Don't leave the Yacht - minimum wage outrage!

A tongue-in-cheek review of the weird and wonderful employment law news from the UK and around the worldRead More »

From Trump’s tweets to supermarket sweeps, the monthly round-up of everything else

This is part four in a series of articles exploring the employment law regime in jurisdictions where businesses may be considering moving some of their staff post-Brexit.Read More »

Employment law in Europe, the need-to-know guide This month – France

A recent Court of Appeal decision has raised concerns about potential discrimination claims resulting from workplace cultures of long hours.Read More »

Long working hours and disability discrimination

Spring has sprung – a good time for a reminder of the annual statutory rate changes for employers, along with other changes to the taxation of termination payments.Read More »

Out with the old, in with the new – changes to termination payments and statutory rates

Chief Constable of Norfolk v Coffey UKEAT/0260/16Read More »

Is disability in the eye of the beholder?

A banker was sacked from his role with Clydesdale Bank after failing to take action against two colleagues, Z and N, who were accused of having had sex in a bar on a work night out.Read More »

Manager sacked after failing to discipline colleagues accused of having sex in Dirty Martini

In February the Government published its response to last July’s review by Matthew Taylor on working practices in the UK (widely known as the ‘Taylor Review’).Read More »

Government responds to the Taylor Review

As the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’) fast-approaches (we are now under three months away!) many HR departments will be looking at their current processes to assess whether they will meet the requirements of GDPR after 25 May 2018, when GDPR comes into force.Read More »

Putting the R(etention) in GDPR

Since accusations were made against Harvey Weinstein, there has been a fundamental (and long overdue) shift in how harassment in the workplace is perceived and managed.Read More »

#MeToo – The Challenge for Employers

Hiring driven by success of merger with LIttlerRead More »

GQ Employment Law recruits new lawyers as part of continued growth

Paying the national minimum wage (“NWM”) seems easy: just make sure you set hourly rates at or above the legal minimums.Read More »

National Minimum Wage Compliance: the challenges and how to solve them

This is part three in a series of articles exploring the employment law regime in jurisdictions where businesses may be considering moving some of their staff post-Brexit.Read More »

Employment law in Europe, the need-to-know guide This month – the Netherlands

When dealing with senior terminations, contested employment tribunal claims tend to be considered as a fairly unlikely prospect, particularly where such termination is linked to misconduct.Read More »

Senior departures – are employment tribunal claims more likely?

IG Metall, the German trade union which represents 3.9 million workers in the metal and engineering industry, has called for all-day strikes after union leaders and employers in the southwestern state of Baden-Wüerttemberg failed to reach agreement in 16 hours of talks overnight on Friday 26 January.Read More »

Striking whilst the iron is hot!

Our international projects team is experiencing an upsurge in M&A activity, mostly driven by large US-based companies wanting to restructure their global businesses.Read More »

International Projects

Following the abolition of fees in July 2017, employment tribunals will come under growing pressure from a substantial increase in cases, as is demonstrated by claims for unfair dismissal increasing by 47% to 4,345 over the three months to 30 September 2017*.Read More »

Where next for Employment Tribunals?

A director of a department store operating company in the Republic of Ireland has been found criminally liable for failure to keep adequate records under Irish employment law.Read More »

Record Crimes – Lessons from Ireland

Equal pay has been in the news again recently, but this time not for good old gender pay gap reporting (see our previous coverage here and here).Read More »

Carrie Gracie and the BBC: Are pay scales the solution to equal pay woes?

This is part two in a series of articles exploring the employment law regime in jurisdictions where businesses may be considering moving some of their staff post-Brexit.Read More »

Employment law in Europe, the need-to-know guide This month - Germany

A 24 year old nursery school teacher has been found to have been discriminated against when she was fired by her ultra-orthodox Jewish nursery employer.Read More »

Discrimination to dismiss for not following Orthodox beliefs

As a bit of light relief, we are sharing ten HR stories from 2017 which we found interesting (to say the least!). Use the links underlined in blue for the full stories.Read More »

10 Surprising (and sometimes funny) things that happened in HR in 2017

You’ve read our résumé of employment law developments from 2017, and now you wonder: what should I expect from 2018? Let GQ Employment Law gaze into its crystal ball on your behalf...Read More »

What’s coming up? 2018 in employment law

As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at one of the biggest employment law changes of 2017: gender pay gap reporting.Read More »

The Gender Pay Gap Regulations: The story so far

The case of Wm Morrisons Supermarket PLC v Various Claimants (2017) arises out of the well publicised data breach by supermarket Morrisons (the fourth largest in the UK).Read More »

You are liable for data breaches by rogue employees regardless of how much care you take

The 2017 tsunami of high-profile sex harassment allegations against politicians, entertainers and news reporters has employers rethinking their approach to eradicating workplace harassment.Read More »

How well do your anti-harassment tools work overseas?

If you work in employment law, the word of the year must be ‘Gig Economy’.Read More »

Did anything significant happen in 2017? An employment lawyer’s perspective……?

The basic position is that the new employer (the transferee) steps into the shoes of the previous employer (the transferor).Read More »

We’ve employees under TUPE that had a contractual bonus linked to the transferor’s profits. Any advice?

Lawyers from GQ and Littler will be hosting a panel discussion at the sixth annual IFLR European In-House Counsel Summit in London on 24 January 2018, organised by the International Financial Law Review.Read More »

GQ|Littler to lead panel at IFLR European In-House Counsel Summit on 24 January

The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has announced a serious of measures aimed at reducing economic crime, including fraud and money laundering.Read More »

New government plans announced to tackle fraud

The Court of Justice for the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that a worker is entitled to holiday pay he accrued over a period of 13 years of self-employment.Read More »

More holiday pay claims – the Court of Justice allows worker to claim 13 years’ unpaid holiday.

Ghana International Bank’s second most senior executive was sacked recently after picking up £350,000 in cash from Osei Tutu II, one of Africa’s wealthiest rulers, and taking a taxi to deposit it at the bank.Read More »

Bank executive fired after travelling by taxi to deposit £350,000 of Ghanaian King’s money

A tribunal has held that a man who ‘humped’ a table in front of colleagues had not committed an act of gross misconduct and was therefore unfairly dismissed.Read More »

No table is safe after table “humping” found not to be gross misconduct

Last month, a Tesco superstore in Reading was forced to close after an ex-security guard climbed into the roof of the store and refused to come down for more than 20 hours.Read More »

The lengths (and heights!) aggrieved employees will go to…

Whether a multinational must translate employee communications overseas traditionally never got asked very often. Decades ago, multinationals ran their international operations as siloed units.Read More »

How to Make Global Employee Communications Comply with Overseas Translation Mandates

This is part one of a series of articles exploring the employment law regime in jurisdictions where businesses may be considering moving some of their staff post-Brexit. It is intended to provide a high-level overview of the local regime, drawing out the main legal requirements to consider. This month’s focus: The Republic of Ireland.Read More »

Employment law in Europe, the need-to-know guide. This month - The Republic of Ireland

Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his Autumn budget on 22 November 2017. The most significant development for employers was buried under the unassuming heading of “Off-payroll working in the private sector”.Read More »

UK Budget: Changes to Contractors who work through Personal Service Companies

We are now some five months into the UK’s Brexit negotiations with the EU, and even hard line Brexiteers would agree that things are proceeding…slowly.Read More »

What can Brexit teach us about Settlement Negotiations?

Worker status is once again making headlines, with a number of important developments since our last update.Read More »

Worker Status Update: November 2017

On the 9th of November we celebrated the joining up of GQ and Littler at the Wohl Room of the National Gallery.Read More »

GQ and Littler celebrate their combination at the National Gallery

In its recently published 2018 edition, leading legal directory Chambers & Partners has promoted GQ in its rankings. Read More »

"GQ is a premier outfit” says 2018 edition of Chambers directory."

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) handed down its judgment in in Bărbulescu v Romania following an appeal from the Chamber of the ECtHR’s decision in January 2016 (read our analysis of that decision here).Read More »

European Court of Human Rights revisits employee privacy

An air stewardess, whose pay was reduced due to her larger dress size, has won her discrimination claim in the Russian courts.Read More »

Air stewardess’ pay is linked to dress size

A recent survey of the Institute of Directors members found that 30% of its members haven’t heard of the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’) and 40% didn’t know if their business would be affected by it.Read More »

Have you heard of GDPR? 30% of Directors haven’t…

Multinationals inevitably vary their employee compensation packages—their pay rates, employee incentives, bonus plans, benefits offerings—by country of employment. It is pointless to inquire into some multinational’s entry-level total compensation package for its managers, engineers, in-house lawyers, computer techs, punch-press operators, cashiers, secretaries, truck drivers or fry cooks without specifying their place of employment.Read More »

How to launch an employee compensation, bonus or benefits plan internationally

Prior to the release of the iPhone X in September this year, a US based vlogger uploaded a video showing an organised visit to the Apple site in California with her father, who was working as an Apple engineer.Read More »

Confidentiality in the Workplace: Keeping Mum (or Dad)

We are delighted to announce that our Senior Associate Caroline Baker was part of the team that collected a prestigious Law Society Legal Excellence Award on behalf of the Employment Lawyer’s Association.Read More »

GQ’s Caroline Baker is part of a team which collected Law Society Pro Bono Award

A Tribunal has found that a woman who was told she might be “better suited to a traditional estate agency” was discriminated against because of her age. Read More »

“Traditional” is found to be discriminatory

“GQ excels in representing clients in litigation”Read More »

GQ in the Legal 500 2017

As members of LittlerRead More »

Learn how to launch an international comp plan, and other global updates

The BBC published the results of their detailed pay review last Wednesday. Read More »

BBC publishes gender pay data revealing 9% gap

Over the summer months, several large redundancies and restructuring processes have been reported across a range of companies including Tesco, RBS , Wilko and Asda.Read More »

Redundancy situations – 5 top tips for getting it right

Clients who do business in France will no doubt be watching with interest the labour law reforms being rolled-out by President Macron.Read More »

French labour reforms

A few weeks ago, Google employee James Damore was fired for writing a paper entitled “Google’s Ideological Eco Chamber” in which he argued that the “abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these difference may explain why we don’t see equal representation of women in tech and leadership”.Read More »

“Are women biologically less suited to certain jobs?”: Tackling different points of view in the workplace

Disputes over the status of gig economy workers continue apace, with many claims ongoing and pending.Read More »

Gig economy update

Sports Direct is being investigated by the Welsh language commissioner for an apparent ban on staff speaking any language but English at their store in Bangor. Read More »

Mind your words – insisting employees speak English at work

Most all major U.S. employers, and many smaller ones, have issued and periodically update employee handbooks—staff guides explaining how the organization’s particular workplace works.Read More »

How to craft an employee handbook outside the United States or whether to issue one at all

HR professionals will be familiar with the concept of gender pay gaps, and larger organisations are likely to be some way into their planning for compliance with the UK’s gender pay gap reporting obligationsRead More »

Do you have a race pay gap? PwC goes first…

In a late-August decision with potentially far-reaching implications for foreign and multinational employersRead More »

US Whistleblowing protection applies to conduct outside the US after all

The use of data subject access requests by disgruntled employees in disputes has become a favourite weapon of claimant lawyers. Responding can be incredibly time consuming and expensive. The risk of getting it wrong will radically change following the implementation of the GDPR in May 2018.Read More »

Data Protection Subject Access - the tactics, the impact of the GDPR and a practical guide

UPDATE: Now revised to include details of judgmentRead More »

ET rules Addison Lee drivers entitled to holiday pay and minimum wage - UPDATED

There is nothing more satisfying for a certain type of lawyer than to help their clients find a loophole to get out of their obligations. Read More »

How easy is it for your team to get out of their non-competes on a technicality?

Breach of interim injunction leads to individual being sent to prison This case, OCS Group UK Limited v Dadi & Ors, is about what happens when an individual breaches an interim injunction. Read More »

Breach of interim injunction leads to individual being sent to prison

A company which provides pathology services to the NHS, The Doctors Laboratory, is the second company to admit that it had wrongly classified some staff as independent contractors as opposed to workers. Read More »

Is admission the new trend in the gig economy?

Over the last month, equal pay for men and women has been making headlines following the release of pay data for well-known celebrities. Read More »

Celebrities and the gender pay gap

Following a failed Tribunal claim, Northumbria Police are attempting to recover nearly £600,000 in costs from a former employee. Read More »

Costs recovery in the Employment Tribunal – a change in attitude?

On 23 - 25 May and 26 June 2017, the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) in London, which handles collective disputes and other issues relating to union recognition and rights, heard a claim for union recognition by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents Deliveroo riders in the Camden area of London.Read More »

Gig economy update: Deliveroo riders bring claim for union recognition

On Tuesday 11th July, the UK government published Matthew Taylor’s Review of Modern Working Practices. The Taylor Review was commissioned by Prime Minister Theresa May to consider how the UK labour market can address challenges of modern working practices.Read More »

The biggest shake up of Employment Law in a generation?

In a strongly worded unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court has found that fees charged to bring a claim in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeals Tribunal are unlawful. Read More »

Supreme Court finds that Employment Tribunal fees are unlawful

This case involved a maths teacher who was dismissed for capability reasons and who unsuccessfully appealed against her dismissal. Read More »

Appealing to the Senses: Presumption that Appeal was for Same Reason as Dismissal

Construction firm Mears has banned its workers from heavy stubble or beards on the grounds of health and safety.Read More »

Can Mears ban beards?

The TUPE Regulations* protect the rights of employees on the sale of a business providing for their automatic transfer to the purchaser with continuity of service. Read More »

When can a share sale trigger TUPE?

There are few scenarios that are more frustrating for a business than dealing with an employee or former employee who has an inflated view of the value of his/her claim.Read More »

Unrealistic claimants – A better way?

A police officer was sacked after being caught on tv at the races celebrating his horse’s win after having called in sickRead More »

Police officer caught on tv at races after pulling a sickie

The French Supreme Court has recently handed down two employment decisions which will be of interest to clients with operations in the country.Read More »

French Supreme Court protects employees

GQ Employment Law recently hosted the first in a regular series of webinars ‘Have I Got Employment News for You? - LIVE!’ Read More »

GQ host webinar: Have I Got Employment News for You? - LIVE!

GQ's Paul Quain comments on the Supreme Court’s ruling on tribunal feesRead More »

Employment Tribunal ruling likely to trigger rush of claims

Legal expert Darren Isaacs looks at the UK employment laws industry wants to see changed after the UK leaves the EU.Read More »

Sick leave and discrimination laws in employers’ sights post-Brexit

A quick look at Employment Tribunal statistics for the beginning of this year.Read More »

Employment Tribunal quarterly statistics January to March 2017

Dismissals in Italy can be difficult. Read More »

The Italian Job

Recently the Supreme Court held that a day’s pay in the context of a monthly contract is calculated as 1/365 of the yearly salary (Hartley and ors v King Edward VI College [2017] UKSC 39).Read More »

How much is a day’s pay?

No, said a recent decision of the Court of Appeal. Read More »

Can an employer decide if an employee has blown the whistle?

Well who expected that result? What does the Conservative Party’s potential tie up with the Democratic Ulster Unionist Party (DUP) mean for the future of employment law?Read More »

What does the Election Mayhem mean for Employment Law in the UK?

Controversial changes to the taxation of termination payments have been dropped.Read More »

Change to taxation of termination payments dropped

In just over a week’s time the country will go to the polls to elect a new government. How will this affect potential employment policies and what could this mean for the world of work?Read More »

Election – Spotlight on the Parties’ Workplace Manifestos

Ahead of the general election on 8 June 2017, Jeremy Corbyn has proposed to give the UK four extra bank holidays on each nation’s patron saint day.Read More »

Bank Holidays

In this case, the Claimant, Mr Gnahoua, was awarded only £2 as compensation after he was denied the right to be accompanied at a disciplinary hearing by his employer.Read More »

Tribunal awards £2 compensation for breach of right to be accompanied (Gnahoua v Abellio London)

It remains to be seen how, following the UK general election, the UK’s Brexit negotiations with the EU will unfold over the next couple of years.Read More »

Brexit and Settlement Negotiations

GQ has very recently joined Littler Global, an integrated association of law firms across the world offering a single source solution to international businesses. Read More »

GQ Joins Littler Global

GQ Employment Law has just published an updated short guide to Brexit and its potential effects on UK employment law, since the Article 50 judgement.Read More »

GQ publishes updated guide to Brexit since UK Supreme Court Article 50 judgement

We wanted to let you know about an exciting development at GQ Employment Law.Read More »

GQ Employment Law joins Littler

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, is pleased to announce that GQ Employment Law, a leading labour and employment law boutique in London, is joining its global platform.Read More »

Littler continues global growth through combination with GQ Employment Law in the UK

We have taken the opportunity in this newsletter to share some zero hour contracts trends.Read More »

What’s new with zero hour contracts?

When does an employee’s employment terminate when they are on holiday and only read the termination letter on their return? Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust v Haywood (Court of Appeal)Read More »

Signed, sealed but what about delivered?

A council worker sued his employer over the placement of a potted plant which he considered to be racially motivated.Read More »

Race discrimination claim brought over a potted plant

O'Brien v Bolton St Catherine's Academy [2017] EWCA Civ 145Read More »

Court of Appeal gives guidance on dismissal following long-term sickness absence

We have been fielding a growing number of enquiries from overseas businesses wanting to set up shop in the UK.Read More »

Starting up in the UK – Questions foreign businesses ask

Often in contracts or settlement agreements, instead of providing that a party must achieve a particular outcome, we allow that party to simply try to achieve the outcome.Read More »

The sliding scale of “endeavours” obligations

GQ's post-Brexit employment law survey featured in City A.M, The Independent and by LondonLovesBusiness.Read More »

UK businesses reject major change to employment laws after Brexit

We are pleased to announce that our team has grown, with one new associate and one paralegalRead More »

The GQ team grows

GQ Employment Law and Ganguin Samartin recently hosted a webinar on ‘Brexit: the HR and immigration implications for international business’Read More »

GQ host joint webinar on Brexit – the HR and immigration implications

Third-party funding for litigation – i.e. a party accepting investment from others to fund legal costs in exchange for an additional payment if the funded party is successful – is going from strength to strength in the UK.Read More »

Litigation funding taking off at last?

New rules on regulatory references within banks, PRA designated investment firms and large insurers/reinsurers came into force on 7 March 2017. The rules apply to those undertaking senior management functions and significant harm functions.Read More »

New regulatory references rules for banks and insurers

In Boxer v Excel Group Services Ltd (in liquidation) the Employment Tribunal has delivered the latest chapter in the contractor/worker saga.Read More »

Worker or contractor? The saga continues…

Below is a quick summary of the main changes due to come into force in April 2017, the most significant of these being the introduction of the gender pay gap reporting duty. Read More »

April’s changes

One of our trusted friends in Dubai recently alerted us to a local law which can only be described as T.O.U.G.H. on employers.Read More »

Dubai’s tough unpaid wages laws

Eating a pie on camera: a bit of a laugh or gross misconduct?Read More »

Have your pie and eat it

A BBC journalist has had her Employment Tribunal claim struck out for unreasonable conduct after the Tribunal found that she had discussed her own evidence with another journalist while the hearing was underway and she was still under oath.Read More »

Witness sent to the dog house for discussing her evidence

If you had a phobia of flying, you probably wouldn’t become a flight attendant. If you were agrophobic, you probably wouldn’t become a miner. Read More »

American court upholds firing of needle-phobic pharmacist

GQ Employment Law and Ganguin Samartin recently hosted a webinar on ‘Brexit: the HR and immigration implications for international business’ which attracted an audience from around the worldRead More »

GQ host joint webinar on Brexit – HR and immigration implications for international business

With the gender pay gap reporting Regulations coming into force in April, it is critical that HR teams can understand and explain gender pay headline figures and the reasons for pay gaps. Daniel Pollard and Paul Quain of GQ Employment Law offer some tips on how to go about this.Read More »

Making the most of your gender pay gap report

GQ Employment Law and Ganguin Samartin invite you to attend our webinarRead More »

Brexit: the HR and immigration implications for international business

In the latest instalment of the litigation relating to holiday pay, the Supreme Court have refused British Gas permission to appeal in the Lock v British Gas case.Read More »

Holiday pay stop press - British Gas refused permission to appeal

How are you going to explain your 18% gender pay gap?Read More »

The gender pay gap and your business

Register now for our free upcoming webinar on Brexit, HR and Immigration. Read More »

Brexit, HR and Immigration - Our Webinar

Marilyn Monroe once famously said “I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot!”Read More »

Discriminatory dress codes get a dressing down

There has been much coverage of the requirement for financial services firms to provide more detailed references for senior employees, so this is just a reminder that the new rules come into force from 7 March 2017 and a refresher on the key requirements.Read More »

Regulatory references go live in financial services sector

The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) announced new redundancy laws on 30 January this year.Read More »

Saudi Arabia – New redundancy rules

The High Court has said again that businesses only need to conduct “reasonable and proportionate” searches when answering data subject access requests (DSAR).Read More »

New ruling on data subject access requests

Legislation commences today which will allow regulations to limit golden parachute payments in the public sector.Read More »

Golden parachute payments in the public sector

The Court of Appeal has ruled that Sainsbury’s was within its rights to summarily dismiss a regional manager who failed to correct an inappropriate email from his HR business partner.Read More »

Sainsbury’s manager dismissed for ignoring inappropriate email

We seem to be going through a period of enhanced industrial unrest. Read More »

A striking future?

Cases expected to broaden to age, race and gender discrimination claims. Following the publication yesterday of ACAS guidance on rules requiring large companies* to publish the differences between average pay and bonuses of their male and female employees, Paul Quain, Partner at GQ Employment Law, says: “We may start to see more group discrimination claims in the future as employers watch what is happening in the market nervously.” Read More »

Gender pay gap rules could see rise in discrimination claims