It isn’t an uncommon occurrence for an employee to return from holiday, only to claim to be ill and be delayed in returning to work. If the employee returns and presents a foreign medical certificate as evidence of their sickness, you should treat it as legitimate unless you have evidence that it is not, or evidence that the employee is not really sick. In this article, our Employment team detail what you should do if an employee is sick during their holiday and requests the time off be considered as sickness absence and not annual leave, as well as where you stand in regards to Statutory Sick Pay.
If you have been exposed to asbestos during your working life and you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, such as mesothelioma, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation against your former employer. This will be a life-changing diagnosis, and we appreciate that you will be wondering where to turn for support and advice. Deborah Foundling, Industrial Disease specialist in our Personal Injury team, explains here how we can support you and your family through a claim for compensation and how we can connect you to our wider network of professionals.
Following the recent success of our new brand and website at the beginning of 2019, we are delighted that this project has been shortlisted for the Best Business Development/Marketing Award at the annual LawNet Awards 2019. Ed Voller, Managing Partner,...
Family Mediation is an entirely voluntary process and neither party can be forced to attend if they do not wish to. It is understandable that you may feel nervous or apprehensive about talking to a stranger about difficulties you are having in reaching agreement on certain matters following a divorce or separation. Claire Knight, Law Society accredited and Resolution trained Family Mediator, here explains how Family Mediation can help you reach an agreement and what happens if your former partner does refuse to attend.
If your employer has notified you that your role is at risk of being made redundant, they are obliged to consider whether there is the possibility of offering you alternative employment so as to avoid redundancy. You can refuse the role if one is found, but you should be cautious as doing so on unreasonable grounds will mean that you are not entitled to your statutory redundancy payment. In this article, our Employment team details what your employer must do to offer you an alternative role and for what reasons you can turn down the role and still receive your redundancy pay.
Recently, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published figures showing that deaths caused by mesothelioma reached 2,523 in 2017, with the majority of cases stemming from contact with asbestos in the workplace. This shows that, despite the use of asbestos in the UK being banned completely since 1999, the after effects are still being felt. Here, Catriona Ralls, mesothelioma specialist within our Personal Injury team, details why we need to still take precautions when dealing with asbestos.
If you are considering bringing an Employment Tribunal claim against your former, current or a potential employer, you will have to go through Acas Early Conciliation before you do so. This is the process that employees and individuals are required to enter into before they are able to bring claim to an Employment Tribunal (ET). It is designed to try and resolve disputes, if possible, before they reach the ET; in this article, our Employment team details how to start the conciliation process and how long it could take.
Mesothelioma is an asbestos related disease which can take many years to develop following the initial exposure to asbestos. The latency period for developing symptoms following exposure is typically between 20 and 50 years explains Deborah Foundling, Industrial Disease specialist in our Personal Injury team.
Suspending an employee is never a decision to be taken lightly. If you suspect an employee has committed an act of misconduct and wish to suspend, you first must ensure that it would comply with certain circumstances for it to be an appropriate action. In this article, our Employment team discuss under what circumstances it is appropriate to suspend, what considerations you should make before suspending and what happens once you have suspended.
Downsizing and equity release are effective ways to fund your plans for later life, or to help a loved one onto the property ladder. They both have their pros and cons and the right option for you will depend on your own personal situation. Kiri Saunders-Brown, Solicitor and Equity Release specialist, explains here why equity release may be right for you, and why more people are choosing this option opposed to downsizing.
We understand that if you are struggling to agree on arrangements for your children or your finances following a divorce or separation, you will be looking for support from those around you, such as your family and friends. Family Mediation can help you resolve and explore the options, and you may wish to have this support network around you during this time. In most cases, Family Mediation is just for the parties directly concerned, namely you and your former partner. Claire Knight, Law Society accredited and Resolution trained Family Mediator, explains more here about who can attend and how Family Mediation can help you.
While flexible working is a much more common occurrence than before, requests are not always granted. If your request is rejected, your employer could allow you to appeal their decision. In this article, our Employment team detail what criteria has to be met in order to first make a flexible working request, how you can appeal if your request is rejected and what you can do if your appeal isn’t successful.
