Information and consultation
In Todd v Strain and others [2011] IRLR 11 EAT, the EAT held that the duty to give employee representatives information about a forthcoming transfer applies even where there are no measures being proposed that give rise to a duty to consult the representatives. Informing individual employees rather than representatives did not amount to compliance with the information requirements, but should have led the tribunal to award less than the maximum compensation of 13 weeks' pay.
In Brown v G4 Security (Cheltenham) EAT/0526/09, the EAT imposed a penalty of £20,000 on an employer that failed to comply with its obligations under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004. The number of affected employees has limited relevance in determining the gravity of the breach.
In Darnton v Bournemouth University [2010] IRLR 294 EAT, the EAT held that the employer's error regarding the deadline for negotiation of an information and consultation agreement did not amount to a reasonable excuse for its failure to comply with the information and consultation Regulations. It awarded a penalty of £10,000.
In Shanahan Engineering v Unite the Union EAT/0411/09, the EAT held that an employment tribunal was right to find that, in relation to collective redundancy consultation, although a customer's instruction amounted to "special circumstances", absolving the employer of the need to start consultation 30 days in advance of the first redundancy, it did not absolve it of all obligations to consult. However, the tribunal should have taken into account the special circumstances of the case in setting the level of the protective award.
HR and legal information and guidance relating to information and consultation.