On 20 March 2020, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the Scheme) as part of the UK government’s measures to help support businesses through the current COVID-19 pandemic. Brief guidance followed after the announcement, with more detailed guidance released on the evening of 26 March 2020. There is a lot we … Continue Reading
Whilst the current COVID-19 pandemic has seen many businesses and industries suffer a significant downturn in work, for others the situation is reversed. Against this background, the UK government has announced further emergency legislation to relax the rules around the taking of annual leave. Under normal principles in the Working Time Regulations 1998 (the WTR), … Continue Reading
Under German law, the (mostly mandatory) provisions of the German Federal Vacation Act (Bundesurlaubsgesetz – BUrlG) constitute the basic legal framework for vacation entitlements. The Federal Vacation Act itself has not been changed for years. However, there are still a number of unanswered questions and controversial debates regarding vacation claims in Germany. In 2019, the … Continue Reading
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recently decided that the Working Time Directive (WTD) imposes an obligation on employers in all EU member states to record all working time, not just excess hours or overtime. This marks a significant departure from standard practice and may mean that employers will, in future, be required to … Continue Reading
Does pay for regular voluntary overtime need to be included in the calculation of holiday pay? Yes, says the Court of Appeal in a decision which confirms several prior Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decisions that the entitlement to holiday pay under the Working Time Directive (WTD) must include pay for regular voluntary overtime. As we … Continue Reading
An employee’s entitlement to holiday, and the pay he or she receives while taking holiday, has been a hot topic in the courts over the past few years. In the case of Plumb v Duncan Print Group Ltd, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) has returned to the topic of an employee’s entitlement to holiday while … Continue Reading
This post was written by Joanna Powis. From 30 June 2014, the statutory right to request flexible working was extended to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service. The right was previously limited to employees with caring responsibilities. It is important to remember that the rules are limited to a right to make a flexible … Continue Reading
Holiday pay is often a tricky issue for employers and one which seems to be changing constantly. In the light of several new cases discussing holiday pay which have been reported over the summer and in the last couple of weeks, we take the opportunity to round up the legal developments, and set out five things … Continue Reading
The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games are just around the corner! The Olympic Games take place from 27 July to 12 August 2012 and the Paralympic Games from 29 August to 9 September 2012. This briefing contains guidance on the issues employers are likely to face as a result of employees who have volunteered … Continue Reading
UK: The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has provided important clarification on the annual leave entitlement under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) of workers (including employees) who are off work on long-term sick leave. In the case of Fraser v Southwest London St George’s Mental Health Trust, the EAT has decided that: a worker on … Continue Reading
In Pereda v Madrid Movilidad SA, the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) has decided that where a worker is sick during a period of pre-planned annual leave, annual leave must be granted to him for a different period and if he is prevented from taking it during the current holiday year, he can carry it … Continue Reading
The House of Lords, in the case of HM Revenue and Customs v Stringer and others has overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal in that case, ruling that claims for unpaid statutory holiday pay and accrued statutory holiday pay on termination under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (“WTRegs”) can be made as unlawful … Continue Reading
The European Court of Justice has ruled that workers on long term sick leave will not lose their right to holiday pay where they have been unable to take the holiday by virtue of being on sick leave. This decision is very unwelcome to employers as it will increase the cost of both continuing to employ … Continue Reading
The UK’s ability to opt out of the 48 hour working week is now in peril following the European Parliament vote this week to have it scrapped. The UK’s opt out of this element of the Working Time Directive (in other words employees in the UK being able to agree to opt out of the limit) … Continue Reading
