Weekly Issue 482

Deaths at work

Provisional figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have revealed that there were two more deaths at work in 2015/2016 compared to 2014/2015. The construction sector had the highest level of fatalities, with 43 workers killed.

Equality Act gap

The Court of Appeal has held in Blackwood v Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust that section 56(5) of the Equality Act 2010 has to be rewritten so that students who have been subject to discrimination during a vocational work placement can bring a claim in a tribunal (as opposed to the county court) against the employment service provider.

Prejudicial privilege

The law says that evidence of pre-termination negotiations is inadmissible in unfair dismissal cases. In Faithorn Farrell Timms LLP (FFT) v Bailey, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that this covers not just the content of the discussions, but also the fact that they have taken place and that “without prejudice” privilege cannot be waived.