Weekly Issue 294

Government railroads through plans for employee ownership

Having given interested parties just three weeks to respond to a so-called consultation on employees swapping rights for shares in their employer’s firms (which closes this week), the government has published proposals to increase the number of employee owned firms anyway.

Privilege waiver

Negotiations about compromise agreements (which allow employees to sign away their statutory rights in return for a severance payment) are “privileged”, meaning they cannot be disclosed unless both parties agree.

Harmonising terms

It is unfair under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) to dismiss an employee if the reason is connected with the transfer and is not an ETO reason entailing changes in the workforce.