Was it automatically unfair to dismiss an employee when he did not return to work due to concerns about the risk of Covid-19 to vulnerable family members? The case of Rodgers v Leeds Laser Cutting Ltd concerned an appeal brought by the employee, Mr Rodgers …
The requirement for health and social care workers to be vaccinated has been removed. This means that those workers who are engaged by CQC regulated care homes are no longer required to have the vaccine to enable them to continue in their role.
As you will be aware the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive covid test has been removed from the 24th February 2021 however the guidance and messaging from the government is that you should still stay at home if you have a positive result! Where does this leave employers????
The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that some of the changes previously discussed have not yet been implemented, however, as we start to move out of the pandemic (which will hopefully be soon), these proposed changes may be revisited and come into force.
We have recently had a number of enquiries about whether job applicants can be asked to confirm their vaccination status when applying for a role. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits employers from asking job applicants questions about their health before they are offered a job..
Just when we were starting to believe that Covid was a thing of the past another new variant emerges hitting the headlines and causing concern for all just as we enter the festive period. The Scottish government has indicated that employers should consider long term hybrid working models ..
Those working in care homes will need to be double vaccinated otherwise employees face being dismissed unless they are exempt for medical reasons. The justification behind the proposals were that it protected care home residents from serious illness or death related to Covid-19 infections.
In this case the Employment Tribunal found that Mr Ham had been automatically unfairly dismissed for raising health and safety concerns. Mr Ham questioned the request, as he considered attending the home of an individual who was self-isolating to be risky.
Furlough ends soon. The end of the scheme means that if you have any staff who are currently on furlough or flexibly furloughed you will need to make a decision about what will happen to them from the 1st October 2021 as the top up of pay for periods of furlough will no longer be available.
The government has recently announced that covid vaccinations will become compulsory for those working in and those attending care homes from 11 November 2021. Changes to the law will mean that those working in care homes that are regulated by the Quality Care Commission must be double-vaccinated.
