Weekly Issue 469

Fatherhood wage "bonus"

According to a recent report by the TUC, fathers working full-time get paid a fifth more than men with similar jobs who don’t have children.

In the public interest

Under the whistleblowing provisions, claimants making a qualifying disclosure have to show they have a reasonable belief that it is “in the public interest”. In Morgan v Royal Mencap Society, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that it was reasonably arguable that an employee could consider health and safety complaints were in the wider interests of employees generally and therefore in the public interest.

Interim injunction

Generally, courts will enforce a restrictive covenant if it protects information that is confidential to the employer and is set within realistic geographical limits over a reasonable time period. In Bartholomews Agri Food Ltd v Thornton, the High Court held that a restrictive covenant that was unenforceable at the time it was agreed because the employee was so junior, remained unenforceable despite his subsequent promotion.