Weekly issue 76 - January 2003

Give us a break

We previously reported the case of Curr v Marks & Spencer in the Employment Appeal Tribunal (June 2002, LELR 71), a case concerning the status of an employee during a career break

No absolute freedom to party

When the Human Rights Act 1998 came into force many readers had hopes of being able to use the right to respect for private and family life to protect workers from employers who imposed conditions such as random alcohol and drug testing

Showing that words can hurt too

This case considered the law relating to racial harassment. An Employment Tribunal found that the Applicant, who is of black Afro-Caribbean origin, was discriminated against because of a racially insensitive remark made to her by a white work colleague

Striking a Dynamic victory

In 1999 the Law was changed to provide a little more legal protection from unfair dismissal for dismissed strikers and workers taking other forms of industrial action

Labour law and the EU

The Charter breaks new ground by including in a single list of fundamental rights not only traditional civil and political rights, but also a long list of social and economic rights

Boiling down the human stock

The trasfer of undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 operates to transfer the contracts of employment of those employed in the part transferred