Weekly Issue 43 - February 2000

The only way is up

Legal rights are all very well, but they only really work if there is an incentive to observe them.

ECJ to rule on TUPE scope

We reported the disappointing decision of the EAT in Frankling & others v BPS Public Sector Limited in Issue 27 of LELR.

Legal but not clean

In a disappointing decision, the Court of Appeal has found that a unilateral reduction in the money payable per job to window cleaners does not amount to an unlawful deduction from wages for the purposes of Section 13 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Sick pay and the DDA

The operation of contractual sick pay schemes may have to be reconsidered in the light of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, according to the case of Hood v London Clubs Management Ltd, a GMB backed case pursued by Thompsons.

Blindfold the boss's all seeing eye

This month's guest author is Michael Ford, barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and author of Surveillance and Privacy at Work, published by the Institute of Employment Rights.

Friendly to families?

With the arrival of the Maternity and Parental Leave etc Regulations 1999, one of the main planks of the Government's much heralded family friendly policy came into effect with the introduction of (unpaid) parental leave for employees, male or female, and the extension and simplification of the existing maternity provisions.

What about my Christmas bonus?

Not very topical in February, but are you entitled to a Christmas bonus paid to other staff if you are away from work on maternity leave or parental leave?