Sarah Whitemore

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) allows employers to review criminal record information about current or potential employees in order to help judge their suitability to work in certain roles. The DBS provides four different levels of criminal records...

Many people struggle with fertility issues. The NHS estimates that 1 in 7 couples in the UK are faced with infertility problems. Infertility, and associated treatments, can have a significant impact on a person’s mental health: they may experience...

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and it is a sacred month of fasting, prayer, and reflection for Muslims all over the world. Muslims will not eat or drink during daytime hours and will refrain from undesirable habits such as smoking,...

More than 30 companies in the UK will trial a four-day working week in June 2022. The trial, coordinated by 4 Day Week Global, aims to establish if flexible working can improve productivity. For six months employees will work 80% of their usual hours with no...

We often get asked about whether employees are entitled to make changes to their working practices, and if we make changes for one employee whether there is an obligation to do the same for others because a precedent has been set. Questions vary from whether...

For our final interview during National Careers Week, we are discussing careers with Sarah Whitemore, Equity Partner and Solicitor in our Employment Law department. Sarah has been a Warner Goodman employee since 1992 when she joined as a Trainee...

After several months of employers utilising the furlough leave initiative launched in March 2020, on Friday 29^th May Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced reforms to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

There are some organisations that depend on volunteer workers to survive, such as charities and fundraising bodies. Employers need to be aware that recruiting volunteer workers comes with certain regulations that must be met. Sarah Whitemore, Employment Partner, here explains the legal obligations for employers to stay on the right side of the law, and how they can support charitable organisations in doing so.

Hampshire law firm, Warner Goodman, are delighted to announce that they are finalists for the Company of the Year category in the Venus Awards Hampshire 2017.

Homelessness is a continuing concern within Hampshire, and unfortunately numbers carry on rising with each year. Figures released early in 2017 from the Department for Communities and Local Government show that in 2016, 4,134 people a night were forced to sleep rough across England; an increase of 16% from 2015.

Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR) are becoming more prevalent, and while there is currently a maximum fee of £10 to make a request, under new data protection rules, namely GDPR, they will be free of charge in the future.

Accurate calculations of the National Minimum Wage continue to cause headaches for employers, with an employment tribunal acknowledging the complexity, saying there is no single key to unlock every case.

According to a recent survey by City & Guilds, only 33% of employers liable to pay the new apprenticeship levy are aware of the plans, with 28% unsure about whether it would impact their business.

Leading law firm Warner Goodman has made a key signing ahead of the new Premier League season with Southampton Football Club joining its employment law portfolio.

As employees of Southampton law firm Warner Goodman LLP approached the office on the morning of Wednesday 21st October, for some it wasn’t their briefcases they were carrying! Instead, they came laden with a variety of home made cakes all in aid of the Brendoncare Bake!

The afternoon of Thursday 8th October saw the launch of a new event for the Employment team at Hampshire law firm Warner Goodman LLP, as they hosted their first Employment Law in Education Forum. St Mary’s Stadium was the venue of choice for this inaugural event with HR representatives from over 30 schools, colleges, universities and academies from across Hampshire in attendance.

Does your holiday entitlement year run from 1 April – 31 March? If so, does your employment contract state that your employees’ paid annual leave entitlement is “20 day’s holiday plus bank holidays”? If the answer is another “yes” you need to ensure your business is prepared for the upcoming shift in Easter holiday dates. Sarah Whitemore, Employment Partner, explains how the dates will impact your holiday year and what steps you should consider to avoid your employees losing part of their holiday entitlement, and you being at risk of breach on contract claims.

2013 is looking to be another successful year for the Employment Team in terms of their Seminars and Masterclass diary. Employment Partner, Sarah Whitemore, tells us what delegates can look forward to this year, and why attendee numbers grow year on year.

A personal remark on a personal twitter feed can be reasonable grounds for disciplinary action by an employer according to the Employment Appeal Tribunal following a recent case involving an employee who was dismissed after posting allegedly abusive, non work-related messages on his personal Twitter account.

Holiday pay calculations under the Working Time Regulations have been subject to many changes over the years, and it looks like this is set to continue. 2014 saw several tribunal claims challenge the proposition that overtime and commission payments should not be included within weekly pay, and consequently holiday pay.

Winter is well and truly upon us with the wind, rain and frosty conditions making it very tempting to stay indoors to keep warm. Some people, even children and teenagers, don’t have that option though with no home to go to. Sarah Whitemore, Employment Partner, recently put herself in the shoes of the homeless teenagers on our streets to raise money in their name.

Employees who use their company account for personal email exchanges have received a wake-up call after an employment tribunal ruling that the privacy of such messages is not protected. Sarah Whitemore, Employment Partner, reviews the recent case, Atkinson v Community Gateway Association, in which Mr Atkinson failed in an attempt to have the content of personal messages he sent from his work email account excluded from a disciplinary investigation.

On Wednesday 15th October staff from local law firm, Warner Goodman LLP, picked up their whisks instead of their pens and showed off their baking skills as they took part in the Brendoncare Bake.

Employees suffering from depression caused by work-related stress could ask their employers to pay for psychiatric counselling, following a recent ruling by the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Here Sarah Whitemore, Employment Partner, explains what this means for employers in the future.

2013 saw the Employment Team events calendar expand due to their growing popularity, and 2014 is looking to be just as promising with more informative and enjoyable events ahead. Employment Partner, Sarah Whitemore, tells us what can be expected this year, and why delegates won’t be disappointed.

All businesses like to kickstart their New Year on a positive note, and that’s exactly what the Employment Team have seen with their Peace of Mind package, a package of support for local employers. Record numbers of employers are either renewing their membership or signing up for new packages.

Employers could be forced to pay out billions in backdated holiday pay claims following a recent Employment Tribunal ruling. Here Sarah Whitemore, Employment Partner at Hampshire based law firm Warner Goodman LLP, review the case in which an Employment Tribunal held that overtime pay must be included when calculating holiday pay under the EU Working Time Directive.

When it comes to business development, LinkedIn has replaced the old fashioned address book for keeping up with business contacts. But whilst many companies encourage employees to use the online social networking site to keep in touch with customers, Sarah Whitemore, Employment Law Partner, highlights here what can be a potential downside of such relationships when an employee moves on.

As the Supreme Court rules on long-running council worker equal pay struggle, widescale reviews of pay policies are predicted, and it’s the small businesses that will feel the shockwaves warns Sarah Whitemore, Employment Partner at Hampshire based law firm Warner Goodman LLP.

With UK businesses waiting for a greatly anticipated rise in economic activity, employers are being urged to make sure they have read the small print of newly introduced employment legislation.

Like Wayne Rooney, everyone has the right to reap the benefits of their career success, and employers cannot stall the progress of key employees by imposing conditions after someone moves on – it’s got to be in their contract, and even so any restriction has to be reasonable.