Employment Updates

Updated on 22/09/2021

The government has made many changes to support businesses during the coronavirus crisis. If you're a business owner, employer or self-employed, it's important to keep up-to-date with these changes so you can get the support you need. Our solicitors are making sure we're keeping track of what the legal implications are of the government's changes so that we can help and support you through this time.

Read our latest updates

Job Support Scheme

New guidance on the Job Support 'open' and 'closed' schemes, 27/10/2020
Job Support Scheme - The Details, 25/09/2020

Furlough information

Redundancy dismissals: tribunal says employer not obliged to continue to furlough staff, 06/08/2021
Employer who failed to consider furlough as an alternative to redundancy unfairly dismissed employee, 04/08/2021
Employee who asked to be furloughed because of fears about COVID-19 was not unfairly dismissed, 08/06/2021
Right to work checks - COVID flexibility due to end on 16 May, 22/04/2021
Budget 2021: implications for employers, 03/03/2021
Who is claiming furlough? HMRC publishes its first list, 04/02/2021
Lawyers Say Employees Have No 'Right' To Furlough When Faced With Redundancy, 29/01/2021
Furlough: new rules for calculating the pay of variable hours workers, 29/01/2021
Breaking: furlough scheme extended again - this time until the end of April 2021, 17/12/2020
Furlough fraud - government clarifies how 'naming and shaming' will work, 02/12/2020
Extended furlough scheme - our complete guide to the new rules including important information about redundancies, 16/11/2020
New guidance suggests employers won't be able to claim furlough if they serve notice of redundancy after 1 December, 11/11/2020
What are the new rules on the extended furlough scheme? 06/11/2020
Furlough Scheme Extended Again - This Time Until The End Of March 2021, 05/11/2020
Furlough scheme extended as England gets ready to go into another national lockdown, 02/11/2020
Overclaimed furlough grants? If you don't own up HMRC could name and shame you, 7/08/2020
Updated FAQ's about making furloughed staff redundant, 31/07/2020
Job Retention Bonus - eligibility requirements, 31/07/2020
Redundancy: furloughed workers must receive full notice pay, 30/07/2020
Summer Statement - employment implications, 10/07/2020
SSP extended to people in 'support bubbles', 07/07/2020
Furlough fraud: How to ensure you don’t fall foul of the rules, 07/07/2020
When can employees who are shielding return to work?, 26/06/2020
Are one third of employees asked to commit furlough fraud?, 19/06/2020
New flexible furlough scheme guidance published, 15/06/2020
Employers won't be penalised for making genuine mistakes when claiming furlough payments, 09/06/2020
Furlough deadline 10 June for UK businesses furloughing staff for the first time, 09/06/2020
Details of new furlough scheme from Wednesday 1st July, 30/05/2020
HMRC receive nearly 800 reports of organisations defrauding the Furlough Scheme, 20/05/2020
Furloughing in the education sector, 20/05/2020
Furlough Scheme extended until the end of October 2020, 12/05/2020
Furloughing staff and redundancy – FAQs for employers, 01/05/2020
Furlough inconsistencies between guidance from the UK government and the Treasury Direction – House of Commons publishes new information, 30/04/2020
Early signs that employment disputes are increasing – insight from our employment team, who handle thousands of claims each year, 29/04/2020
Government furlough portal now open – what employers need to make a claim, 20/04/2020
Pensions and furloughing – our latest update on how furloughing will affect pension schemes, 07/04/2020
Updated furlough guidance – further advice for employers, 06/04/2020
Holiday and furlough guidance – the unanswered questions for employers, 03/04/2020
Government will pay up to 80% of redundant worker’s wages – read more about the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, 23/03/2020

Director's duties

Government reforms on director's duties during the coronavirus crisis, 27/05/2020
Top tips for minimising the risk of personal liability for directors, 27/05/2020
Directors rights and responsibilities under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – can directors be furloughed and what can they do on furloughed leave, 07/04/2020
Director duties – key issues and risk areas directors should consider, 06/04/2020

Staff and HR

Employment Lawyers Report 20% Rise In Covid-Related Workplace Claims, 22/09/2021
SSP COVID-19 rebate scheme ends on 30 September 2021, 21/09/2021
Pay cuts: Counting the cost of WFH, 18/08/2021
Self-isolation, COVID-19 vaccinations and GDPR: employers' questions answered, 18/08/2021
COVID-19: list published of 16 sectors where workers may be exempt from 'close contact' self-isolation, 23/07/2021
Frontline health and care staff don't have to self-isolate if they've been in contact with someone with COVID-19, 21/07/2021
Can employers ask clinically extremely vulnerable people to return to work on 19 July?, 15/07/2021
Employers' guide to the NHS test and trace app, 14/07/2021
No jab, no job: implications for the care sector, 09/07/2021
Health And Safety Dismissals - A Tale Of Two Cases, 06/07/2021
Are you thinking about adopting an agile or hybrid working pattern? We've created a toolkit to help you, 05/07/2021
Employee who refused to return to work to protect his vulnerable father was unfairly dismissed, 02/07/2021
Compulsory Care Home COVID Jabs Creates Discrimination Risks, 17/06/2021
Government asks employees to work from home if they can for another four weeks, 15/06/2021
Sending a pregnant woman home during COVID-19 lockdown was not maternity discrimination, 09/06/2021
Returning to the office to work? Key issues employers need to consider before 21 June, 26/05/2021
Right to work checks - COVID flexibility now due to end on 20 June, 12/05/2021
Lawyers Predict Rise In Employment Vaccination Claims, 11/05/2021
ACAS publish advice on long COVID, 05/05/2021
Holidays abroad - employers questions answered, 22/04/2021
Do home workers need a 'right' to disconnect?, 15/04/2021
COVID-19: employee who refused to return to work because be believed his workplace posed a 'serious and imminent' danger loses unfair dismissal claim, 13/04/2021
COVID-19: employee who refused to wear a mask was fairly dismissed, 08/04/2021
HR and employment news in brief - March 2021, 17/03/2021
Education and employment news in brief - March 2021, 03/03/2021
The shielding programme has been expanded - what this means for employers, 17/02/2021
HR and employment news in brief – February 2021, 16/02/2021
Government encourages SMEs to start testing staff for COVID-19, 08/02/2020
Seven things to consider if your employee wants to work from home (and home is outside the UK), 03/02/2021
No vaccine, no job? Can employers insist their staff take the Covid-19 vaccine?, 19/01/2021
Should you furlough staff who are having to home school their children?, 16/01/2021
Long COVID - implications for employers, 12/01/2020
Employment law changes 2021 - guide for businesses, 11/01/2021
Employment law changes 2021: guide for schools and colleges, 07/01/2021
From 2 December clinically extremely vulnerable people can return to work, 30/11/2020
Working from home required under all three new tiers in England, 25/11/2020
New guidance on 'shielders' - what options do you have if they can't work from home? 12/11/2020
Caring for employees in the care sector, 12/10/2020
In changing times, what are the key employment issues property companies need to be aware of?, 01/10/2020
Employers can be fined £1,000 - £10,000 for breaching self isolation rules, 29/09/2020
Returning to work: government moves the goalposts again, 23/09/2020
Christmas cancelled - the 'rule of six' limits work social gatherings, 17/09/2020
FAQ's about self isolation, test and trace and SSP, 15/09/2020
Whistleblowing: why are claims increasing and what's the best way to respond?, 06/08/2020
How to deal with staff returning from Spain, 27/07/2020
Tips to help staff work and care for their children, 03/07/2020
Are you considering temperature checks to get staff back to work?, 22/06/2020
Post travel quarantine rules - advice for employers, 18/06/2020
Lawyers warn businesses reopening of their legal duties to protect workers, 12/06/2020
Do you need to include BAME and obese workers in your return to work risk assessments?, 04/06/2020
Test and trace system could lead to more employment disputes, 29/05/2020
Track and trace system will ask employees to self-isolate for 14 days, 28/05/2020
Re-opening of schools and colleges – advice for employers, 19/05/2020
Whistleblowing warning as UK comes out of lockdown, 18/05/2020
Returning to work – FAQS for employers, 14/05/2020
FAQs for businesses about staying at home, pay and holidays – how to manage your staff’s holidays while they are forced to stay at home, 23/03/2020
FAQs about pregnancy and ‘high risk’ individuals – advice for businesses, 23/03/2020
Coronavirus and cashflow – the difficult decisions about staffing during a crisis, 18/03/2020
Your top 10 HR questions answered – get advice on how to manage increasing staff absences, 11/03/2020

Supporting UK businesses

Budget 2021: implications for employers, 03/03/2021
Roadmap out of lockdown - implications for employers, 24/02/2021
Irwin Mitchell delivers Employment Law seminars, 22/02/2021
Statutory sick pay (SSP) scheme now open for small businesses, 29/05/2020
Trades Union Congress (TUC) sets out strategy on how to get the UK back to work, 30/04/2020
We're helping with a project aimed at supporting workers – the Rehire Project allows organisations to continue to support their workers and let them know of new job opportunities, 02/04/2020
Government to refund statutory sick pay (SSP) – in the latest budget small employers can recover their SSP costs, 11/03/2020

Go back to the coronavirus hub page

No vaccine, no job? Can employers insist their staff take the Covid-19 vaccine?

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