Virgin Rail uniforms hit the headlines some time ago, as some female employees refused to wear the “skimpy” and “revealing” blouses, claiming passengers would be able to see any dark underwear worn underneath. The official uniform launch was delayed by three weeks in order to allow staff “to have a uniform they felt comfortable in”, and to help achieve this, any concerned employees were offered a £20 clothing voucher to buy 'suitable underwear'. This may have been more of a p

Dear Rosalie We have a woman on maternity leave who has raised a grievance about her treatment. She is unhappy because we recently told her she would not get a pay award as we only had 5 months of the year to assess her performance. She is also unhappy that we have not kept in touch with her over issues like removing her desk and not putting her into a team for bonus purposes. We don’t think we have done anything wrong. Rosalie replies: You are in difficulty, especially with

The symptoms of it can be – in certain circumstances – according to a Glasgow Employment Tribunal. Ms Davies, a Court Officer for the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS), had been suffering from extensive medical problems related to the menopause. She was prescribed medication which required to be dissolved in water. On one occasion, after returning to the Court, she noticed that a water jug on her table had been emptied. She could not remember if this contained her m

Sexual harassment is a difficult issue for any workplace, but ignoring it is never an option. Since October last year, it has become a proactive duty for employers to prevent sexual harassment, rather than the previous duty, which was to react to such harassment when it happened. So how do we reckon employers are doing one year on? Well, probably not as well as they could is the short answer. Remember the legislation was introduced by the previous Government, with the aim of

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has set out its priorities for the year ahead – and there are some major changes on the horizon...

It is now estimated that 1 in 7 people within the UK population are probably neurodiverse. Consequently, it is perhaps no surprise that...

If your business has offices, clients, or colleagues in Europe, you will want to be aware of an important change in UK travel rules that...

Dear Rosalie I agreed to let a Manager go with a settlement. Unfortunately, the people responsible for implementation had no experience...

New laws on Sexual Harassment came into force last October, and the Government has threatened to tighten these even further, with the...

An Employment Tribunal has determined that the protected characteristic ‘gender reassignment’ under the Equality Act 2010 includes...

Since the Supreme Court ruling in April that changed the narrative over gender issues, the Courts have not had a chance to consider how...

The True Cost of Getting Right to Work Checks Wrong In July 2025, a fish and chip shop owner was left in “total shock” after being hit...

Everybody tells us that AI is going to replace many of the roles and functions currently carried out by real people. And in some areas...

Dear Rosalie We employed an employee for 20 years. She had been invited to a disciplinary hearing, which was then postponed for three...

The Harvey Weinstein scandal and allegations at Westminster, amongst others, placed the spotlight on sexual harassment reporting.

Commentary The new Employment Rights Bill marks the most significant overhaul of workplace law in a generation, reflecting the...

True to form, as we are in the midst of another heatwave, those of us who spend all of our time indoors at work will no doubt, in our...

While often operating behind the scenes, just about all businesses rely on cleaners to keep workplaces safe, hygienic, and operational....

The Supreme Court recently delivered its verdict on the rights of women and men, and the implications of biological sex and gender. And,...

TUPE situations can be complicated and involved. Not to mention stressful and uncertain for everyone they affect. But what happens when...