Seminars in Lancaster highlight hot topics in employment law

Pressing legal issues facing employers are tackled head-on in a new series of employment law seminars from Baines Wilson.
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The north west commercial law firm is running sessions in Penrith, Newby Bridge and Lancaster at the end of March.

Subjects covered include Covid health data, managing retirement, new case law affecting holiday pay, and dementia at work.

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Tom Scaife, employment partner at Baines Wilson, highlighted a recent Supreme Court ruling in the Pimlico Plumbers case that allowed a self-employed contractor – who successfully argued he was in fact a worker – to claim holiday pay arrears covering a six-year period.

Tom Scaife, employment partner at Baines Wilson.Tom Scaife, employment partner at Baines Wilson.
Tom Scaife, employment partner at Baines Wilson.

Tom said: “This is a significant ruling in relation to holiday pay. It has repercussions for any business that uses self-employed contractors who might argue they should be workers or employees.

“Potentially, they could claim holiday pay going back to the start of the relationship, however long ago that was.

“We will update delegates on changes to holiday pay and the criteria that determines employment status.”

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Those attending will get a clear understanding of their responsibilities under the Data Protection Act when recording and processing healthcare data. Employers could be in breach of the Act if they retain data – for example employee Covid-19 test results – that serves no legitimate purpose.

The team will also cover how to engage with staff who might be approaching retirement.

Tom said: “The statutory default retirement age of 65 disappeared many moons ago and there are many traps in terms of both age discrimination and unfair dismissal if an employer makes assumptions about an employee’s retirement plans or pushes them towards retirement.

“We will be covering how to manage that, including phased retirement, how to manage performance if it might be linked to age and how to encourage employees to be up front about their retirement plans.”

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Similarly, dementia is becoming more common in the workplace as people retire later and diagnosis of the condition has improved.

Tom added: “We will talk about how employers can manage this progressive condition, how they deal with it sensitively and within the confines of the Equality Act 2010 and the responsibilities that places on employers.”

The seminars conclude with an update on case law and legislative changes, and an opportunity to raise questions on any employment law or HR issue. They are aimed at HR professionals and anyone else – perhaps a finance director, business owner or managing director – who has responsibility for HR matters.

They take place at Rheged, Penrith, on Tuesday March 22; The Swan Hotel, Newby Bridge, on Tuesday March 29; and Lancaster House Hotel, Lancaster, on Thursday March 31.

Registration opens at 9am with tea, coffee and Danish pastries and the sessions run from 9.30am to 12.30pm, followed by lunch.

Places are available at £75 plus VAT. Reserve yours online here.