A round-up of news and events from our Employment Law team:

News from across the firm:

If you would like to see archived news please click here.

MAY 2011

• Home Truths seminar for care home owners: June 2011: Adams & Remers LLP is hosting a seminar for care home owners and managers – Home Truths, in association with Chandler & Co on Thursday 30 June at Jury’s Inn, Brighton from 2pm. Speakers include Cathy Hoar, Associate Employment Law, Adams & Remers.

• New rights for parents in the workplace: In May 2011 the government published its Consultation on Modern Workplaces, which makes proposals for a new system of shared flexible parental leave and an extension of the right to request flexible working. With employment rights changing so frequently, it is sometimes difficult to keep up. This article will set out, in basic terms, the current system and the proposed changes.

• Employment Breakfast Briefing: July 2011: The Employment team at Adams & Remers are hosting a series of Breakfast Briefings on hot topics for employers and HR professionals the next of which takes place on 7th July (following on from our recent briefings in the series which took place in March and May).

APRIL 2011

• The Royal Wedding - a guide to holiday entitlements: Whilst the joy of the Royal Wedding on 29th April will for many people be centered on an extra day off work, thanks to the creation of the extra celebratory bank holiday, they should remember they do not necessarily have the automatic right to paid leave on bank holidays.

JANUARY 2011

• Paternity Leave Changes: Many new fathers like to take an active role in the care of their children and new changes to the rules on paternity leave which begin on the 3 April 2011 and apply to children born after this date, will give fathers the chance to be hands on for a total of up to 26 weeks and be paid for it, if they meet certain criteria. The qualifying criteria are complex, but essentially employees will now be able to choose whether they take Ordinary Paternity Leave (OPL) and/ or Additional Paternity Leave (APL). Read more ...

• Government confirms abolition of the Default Retirement Age: The Government has confirmed that the default retirement age (DRA) of 65 will be abolished from October 2011, with a phasing out process starting from April 2011. Read more ...

• The Employers’ Charter - a charter to hire and fire at will? On 10 January 2011, the Prime Minister held a ‘jobs summit’ at number 10 with 19 leading UK employers as part of his stated commitment to a “pro-business, pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda”. The Government is also preparing to launch an “employers’ charter”, aimed at encouraging employers to create jobs by reducing the risk of Employment Tribunal claims. Read more ...

• Countryfile case highlights age discrimination issues for employers to consider: The recent and much publicised Employment Tribunal decision regarding Miriam O’Reilly’s claims of discrimination by the BBC have again highlighted the need for employers to follow objective and formal processes when assessing changes to staff roles. Read more ...

OCTOBER 2010

• Quick Reference Guide : Updated October 2010: A guide containing useful information such as current National Minimum Wage, maternity pay entitlements, sick pay entitlements and compensation limits. Read more ...

• The new Equality Act and its implications: It has been hailed as a landmark move to harmonise discrimination legislation and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality. But what will the Equality Act mean in practice for employers and employees? Read more ...

SEPTEMBER 2010

• Employment Seminar 29th September 2010 with Tate Recruitment: Adams & Remers team up with Tate Recruitment to present a morning seminar, designed for employers and HR professionals, focusing on the key current issues in employment law: The Equality Act, Fit Notes, Pensions Reform, The right to request time off for training, The Agency Workers Regulations. Read more ...

AUGUST 2010

• Default Retirement Age to be scrapped: The Government has announced that it will remove the default retirement age of 65 from October 2011, with a phasing out process starting from April 2011. This article explores the proposals and what it means for employers. Read more...

• Think before you poach. A recent High Court judgment has implications for businesses seeking to poach key individuals from their competitors, and for those drawing up employment contracts. Read more...

JUNE 2010

• The Recent Budget – what’s in it for employers? We have all been coming to terms with the recent emergency Budget, and how it will affect us and our businesses. Here are the important measures from an employment perspective: Read more...

MAY 2010

• Breakfast Briefings: The Employment team at Adams & Remers would like to invite you to a series of breakfast briefings aimed at tackling three common employment problems. Read more...

• How to Ensure Your Business Copes with World Cup Fever: With the World Cup and Wimbledon fast approaching, businesses would be well advised to consider whether they might see a rise in the number of staff taking sick days in order to watch key matches. It is a well known fact that sickness levels rise during key sporting events, either because employees wish to take time off work to watch the match itself, or because they are recovering from the night before. Read more …

• Employers' Guide to "Fit Notes" and Sickness Absence: A new ‘fit note’ was introduced in April this year. It replaces the traditional sick note and aims to introduce a new ‘can do’ attitude towards medical statements. Read more ...

• Work-Based Pension Reforms: In December 2002 the Government set up an Independent Pensions Commission to review the Pension System and make recommendations for reform to meet the challenge of providing a fair and adequate retirement income in a society where the population is growing and people are living longer. Read more ...

MARCH 2010

• Equal Rights for Agency Workers: Agency workers are often used as a valuable resource for employers to ‘fill the gaps’ temporarily without having to go through a cumbersome recruitment process; you have the comfort of knowing that the qualifications, expertise and right to work have been checked out by the agency; and the workers can be easily dispensed with when they are no longer needed. Read more...

• Employing Migrant Workers: It is now more important than ever to be aware of immigration and visa rules when recruiting staff. With many migrant workers flocking to the South coast for seasonal work, Brighton businesses should be aware of the need to check identity documents carefully. Read more ...