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29th April 2024
 
THE HOT STORY
Judge accused of bullying and sexist behaviour in employment tribunal hearings
Five women have accused a judge – whom they encountered in separate cases - of bullying and sexist behaviour during employment tribunal hearings. One woman told BBC News that Judge Philip Lancaster had shouted at her at least 16 times, while another said she feared for any woman appearing before him. The women said they wanted to highlight his "degrading behaviour." All the women who the BBC has spoken to lost cases heard in Leeds in front of Judge Lancaster, although some of them have been fully or partially successful on appeal. One case heard by Judge Lancaster received publicity in the press. In 2021, Alison McDermott, an HR consultant, brought a high-profile case against Sellafield, the nuclear waste disposal and reprocessing company in Cumbria. News reports at the time referred to criticisms Ms McDermott made of Judge Lancaster. She said he yelled at her and made "sneering" comments about her earnings. "I think it mattered hugely that I was a woman," she says. "For some reason, he had a real problem with the fact that I was a well-paid professional woman." Ms McDermott lost her case, although an appeal judge found there had been errors in her tribunal and she won some minor concessions. A new tribunal is now looking at her claim. Judge Lancaster, who has been an employment tribunal judge since 2007, declined to comment when approached by the BBC.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Two million people in England and Scotland still suffer from long Covid symptoms, ONS says
An official study from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) says two million people in England and Scotland are still suffering from long COVID symptoms, of whom 381,000 have had their day-to-day activities limited a lot. The data agency said 3.3% of people surveyed between February 6 and March 7 reported having COVID symptoms that had lasted more than four weeks since an initial infection and were not explained by another medical condition. This was up from the 2.9% who reported long COVID in a similar ONS survey in March 2023 which covered the whole of the UK. The ONS noted that the two surveys' methods were not exactly comparable. The study showed that 9.1% of people who were not working or seeking work reported long COVID symptoms, almost three times the rate among the population as a whole. The most likely to report long COVID symptoms were people aged 45-54 years, and women were 20% more likely to report symptoms than men.
TECHNOLOGY
Regulator quizzes Big Four on AI exam cheating
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has asked the Big Four to explain the measures they are taking to prevent professionals from using AI tools to cheat on exams. The watchdog said it continues to “work closely” with the leading auditing firms and professional accountancy bodies to ensure robust systems are in place to detect, monitor and combat activity which could undermine the quality of audits. An ICAEW spokesman said it proactively works with regulators to monitor potential exam malpractice, adding that it is “constantly monitoring the use of AI and the risk that it poses.” While KPMG reportedly tells employees that cheating using AI could see them lose their jobs, Deloitte tells staff that using AI tools during exams will be considered gross misconduct. In 2022, the FRC ordered audit firms to crack down on cheating after discovering that a number of employees shared answers via email or messaging platforms such as WhatsApp when completing online tests introduced during the pandemic.
LEGAL
Labour's Metro Mayors demand workers' rights must stay at the top of the agenda
In a joint article for the Daily Mirror, Labour's Metro Mayors say moves to bolster workers' rights must stay at the top of the party's agenda. Their call comes amid speculation that the plans could be watered down. Labour leader Keir Starmer has vowed that the New Deal for Working People will be brought forward within the first 100 days of a Labour government. Andy Burnham, Sadiq Khan, Tracy Brabin, Dan Norris, Oliver Coppard, Nik Johnson and Steve Rotheram write: "Keir Starmer couldn't be clearer that this is going to happen. As he has said: 'We are going to level-up workers' rights in a way that has not been attempted for decades'. This is the approach we've taken as Labour mayors. We've worked with businesses to set up Fair Work Charters and good work standards to drive up pay and working conditions, and we've sought to do business with good employers who recognise unions and treat their workers well. So many good employers are fed up with bad ones undercutting them by cutting corners on pay and conditions. The New Deal will help to level that playing field." 
Former Premier League employee in racial discrimination claim
A former employee of the Premier League, Kay Badu, is taking the organisation to an employment tribunal, accusing it of racial discrimination, victimisation, and harassment. The case is set to be heard from May 7. Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, and Catherine Paterson, its director of people, will be involved as witnesses. The tribunal comes after the Premier League recently settled a similar case out of court. Badu disagrees with the findings of the Premier League's investigation into internal racism allegations and has launched his own legal case.
Amazon faces legal challenge from GMB over anti-union drive
The GMB has filed legal proceedings against Amazon, claiming that the retail giant has engaged in widespread attempts to coerce its staff members to cancel their trade union memberships. GMB senior organiser Amanda Gearing said Amazon is "doing everything in its power to stop minimum wage workers from forming a union," arguing that their "anti-union campaign proves they will stop at nothing to beat the rules that every other employer in the UK is expected to follow.”
PSNI staff launch data breach legal action
Almost 5,000 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers and civilian staff are involved in legal action following a major data breach which exposed the personal details of around 9,500 workers, including their names, ranks, and locations. The PSNI estimates that the breach could cost £240m in security and compensation payouts. Law firm Edwards & Co is representing the officers and staff, with three test cases scheduled for a liability hearing in June 2024.
WORKFORCE
Royal Mail may cut deliveries after union relents
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents 110,000 postal workers, has conceded that it will accept an end to six-day-a-week letter deliveries. Royal Mail may now look to reduce postal services after the union agreed that the current service is “no longer financially viable.” Royal Mail is calling for reform of the legally binding universal service obligation which says letters must be delivered to every UK household six days a week, saying it wants to move to delivering second-class post only every other day. Royal Mail now has to convince ministers and the industry regulator, Ofcom, to accept the reduced service.
WORKPLACE
Abuse against shop workers soars amid Gaza conflict
Shop workers in the UK have been subjected to a surge in abuse from individuals protesting the war in Gaza, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The BRC has reported a significant increase in verbal attacks on staff who sell items from the conflict-ravaged region. The trend of abuse has reached "exceptional levels," the BRC said, with over 1,300 incidents recorded daily.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Charities urged to improve class diversity
Charities are facing criticism for hiring staff based on privilege rather than potential, with a report by the EY Foundation highlighting a class divide in the sector. The report suggests that working-class individuals are more likely to be hired in the public and private sectors than in the charitable sector. The research also shows that working-class people find it harder to progress within charitable organisations, with chief executives in the sector being twice as likely as the wider population to have gone to private school - rising to three times as likely for the biggest charities. The report also reveals that most charities do not track the social class of their employees. Duncan Exley, the author of the report, urges charities to take action and improve class diversity to access a wider pool of talent and avoid losing talented individuals to other sectors. 
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Apprentices can out-earn graduates and avoid student debt, says analysis
Apprentices can earn higher salaries than university graduates and avoid accumulating £45,000 of student debt, according to new analysis. Engineering apprentices in the electricity generation, water provision, or construction sectors earn an average of £39,200 after five years, surpassing the £36,500 earned by engineering degree graduates. Apprentices in building and construction also out-earn their university counterparts. The Department for Education (DfE) reported that apprentices made a median annual salary of £27,700 five years after qualifying, while graduates from degree programmes earned £29,900. Apprenticeships offer immediate job opportunities, with 77% of apprentices in sustained employment one year after completion, compared to 62.5% of graduates. 
REMUNERATION
Two-thirds of UK wages worth less than in 2008
Analysis by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) suggests that wages in almost two-thirds of UK local authority areas are lower than they were in 2008, with stagnating paypackets representing the longest squeeze since the Napoleonic era. London has the highest share of what it called "wage blackspots." The TUC estimates that the average UK worker would be £10,400 a year better off if wages had grown at their pre-banking crisis trend.
INTERNATIONAL
Australian supermarket giant fined for underpaying workers' long service leave
Australia's largest supermarket chain, Woolworths, has been fined A$1.2m for failing to pay its Victorian employees their correct long service leave entitlements. The company pleaded guilty to 1227 charges of breaching the Long Service Leave Act. Woolworths attributed the issue to a "human error" during an 18-month period of updating its payroll systems. The underpayments, which affected thousands of current and former staff, were self-reported by Woolworths after an internal review. The court heard that 1227 former employees were underpaid between A$250 and A$12,000, and totaling over A$1m. Magistrate Nahrain Warda fined Woolworths A$1.207m and its subsidiary Woolstar A$36,000, emphasizing the importance of protecting employee entitlements. No conviction was recorded. Woolworths has apologised, implemented a repayment process with interest, and cooperated throughout the investigation.
Chipotle says staff can again add chicken to their meals
Chipotle Mexican Grill has rescinded a policy introduced last week stopping its own employees from including chicken in their own meals. The directive aimed to preserve the company's chicken supplies to meet customer clamor for its chicken al pastor dish. “Due to the high demand for chicken in our restaurants and sustained success of our chicken al pastor, last week we asked all our corporate and in-restaurant employees to temporarily select another protein option for their meals to preserve our supply,” chief corporate affairs and food safety officer Laurie Schalow said. “We’ve since informed employees they can return to ordering chicken in their meals as normal.”
 


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