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Ellis v Ratcliff Palfinger
Employees are entitled to take unpaid reasonable time off work to deal with dependant-related emergencies. It’s subject to their telling the employer – as soon as reasonably practicable – why they are absent and for how long they expect to be off work.
Mr Ellis’ automatically unfair dismissal case failed because he hadn’t taken the necessary steps to keep his employer informed of his whereabouts when his wife went into labour and went on to give birth.
Plastering Contractors Stanmore v Holden
Mr Holden was employed by Plastering Contractors Stanmore (PCS) as a general labourer. Four years after he started he agreed to pay PCS £200 in return for becoming a self-employed contractor, leading to him being paid and taxed differently.
From that point, PCS used him on an as-and-when basis although he worked almost exclusively for the company. His pay depended on the work he undertook, according to a tariff set by PCS. PCS provided some safety clothing and a vehicle to ferry him from site to site.
A mother is suing the MOD after her 19 year son fell 7 metres during a training exercise which left him severely brain damaged.
The health watchdog, the Quality Care Commission, has taken drastic action to temporarily suspend a dentist after it established patients were being put at risk.
The boundaries of discrimination law are being tested all the time. As more classes of people gain protection, others naturally seek it out.
Stories like those of Jo Perkins hit the headlines every now and again. Her contract was terminated because she hadn’t covered up a four-inch butterfly tattoo on her foot. This contravened the “no visible inking” policy which many employers have in place.
Good news! In recognition of the rise in the number of complaints against NHS dentists for poor dental treatment, the NHS has unveiled a new complaints procedure.
An external investigation commissioned by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the city’s Clinical Commissioning Group has found there to be no ‘systemic safety problem’ despite 11 patients having swabs or dressings left inside them after surgery.
The Countess of Chester Hospital is one of a number of hospitals who failed to reach their NHS cancer treatment target for 85% of patients to receive treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral.
Okhiria v Royal Mail
Gross misconduct at work can be criminal behaviour. But that crossover doesn’t necessarily have a bearing on an employer’s internal procedures. It’s perfectly possible that an employer can fairly dismiss even where the police decide not to prosecute or where there has been an acquittal.
Mr Okhiria was a postman, dismissed for gross misconduct after being suspected of various criminal activities. He was due to be prosecuted but
Since 10 September 2014, all professional drivers (essentially lorry, bus and coach drivers) have needed to carry a Driver’s Qualification Card (DQC). To get this, they must pass the Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) – and it will be a criminal offence to drive without it.