To what extent, if any, can an employer insist on knowing whether employees have been given their full course of COVID-19 vaccines? Even more importantly, can an employer make vaccination a requirement for continued employment? And is it fair to dismiss the vaccine hesitant? These are all issues that employers will have to grapple with in 2022, explains consultant editor Darren Newman.
HR professionals in public authorities may think that the extension of IR35 reforms to the private sector in April 2021 will not affect them. However, public-sector bodies need to be aware of, and prepare for, some changes to the rules.
The Government has confirmed that it is going ahead with major changes to the duty on large employers to publish an annual modern slavery statement. What changes will employers have to make to the content of, and process for publishing, their statement and which additional employers will be covered?
We look at what police forces are doing to attract recruits from different black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups and consider if positive discrimination is necessary to increase the number of BAME police officers.
We look at how the police service is bringing returners back into its workforce to help support policing needs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
We look at how shift and night working operates in the police sector and some of the initiatives aimed at reducing the potential negative impact of such working patterns.
We look at the challenges that local authorities face in meeting the public sector apprenticeship target, alongside the opportunities that apprenticeships can present for local government employers.
Consultant editor Darren Newman looks at the latest rulings in a long line of holiday pay cases, including one with significant back-pay implications for Northern Ireland employers. He also explains why the issue of lengthy back-pay periods may not yet be completely resolved for employers in the rest of the UK.