As you may have seen, the Prime Minister addressed the nation and informed people of the next necessary steps in the fight against the Coronavirus. If you have not already seen this, the direction from the government is that people must now stay at home and can only leave for specific reasons: · Shopping for basic necessities, such as food … Read More
Going Viral…
Given the ubiquity of news about the coronavirus, I have thought at least twice about whether to blog on the subject, but in the end I think it brings together so many current issues of law, social policy, media (social and mainstream) that it is impossible to resist. As an employment lawyer, I cannot help but be impressed by the … Read More
International Peace Delegation to Imrali – 1 year on
A year on, and not much has changed. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since I returned from the International Peace Delegation to Imrali, in support of the Kurdish leader Ocalan. Ocalan was finally granted (limited) access to family and lawyers – not long after our delegation departed. But he remains incarcerated and alone and the prospects … Read More
Do the self-employed have any protection from discrimination?
This month our Employment Solicitor, Claire Pegg, looks at employment rights for self-employed individuals. Self-employed individuals do not benefit from the same employment rights that are afforded to employees and workers. In particular, they are not entitled to: • protection from being unfairly dismissed; • Statutory sick pay • Maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave and pay • receive … Read More
An Employment case review with a festive touch
As we have now officially entered the holiday period, I thought it apt to base the case review this month on two holiday claims! Just to add to the overall festive feeling of this month, the first two cases we are looking at originate from the home of Christmas, Finland! TSN v Hyvinvointialan liitto ry (C 609/17) and another case … Read More
Recent Employment cases that can be used in day-to-day practice
November was a plentiful month for interesting cases and principles that can be used in day-to-day practice. So we thought we’d share snippets of as many as we think you can stand, rather than go into the detail. Redundancy and statutory trial periods East London NHS Foundation Trust v O’Connor examined the point at which a statutory trial period began … Read More
10 reasons to make a Will
Writing your Will can be one of those things you put off, or say you need to do but never get round to doing. Having a Will in place is the best way to make sure your wishes are taken care of when you’re no longer around. Here are 10 reasons to make a Will sooner rather than later. 1. … Read More
Employees at Morrish Solicitors have raised over £9,260 for local children’s cancer charity, Candlelighters.
Leeds based, Morrish Solicitors have partnered with Candlelighters for the last 2 years to raise funds to support children with cancer across Yorkshire. The team across 3 offices have walked the 3 peaks, abseiled 115ft and held various raffles, bake sales and even a balloon pop in the office to help with practical, emotional and financial support for children and … Read More
Kostal UK Ltd v Dunkley and ors – Court of Appeal overturned decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal
In our recent blog we look at the Kostal appeal case on Trade Union inducements. Kostal UK Ltd v Dunkley and ors Sadly the Court of Appeal has overturned the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in this case on unlawful inducements. S.145B of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (“TULRA”) says that an employer must … Read More
Women & Equalities Committee is ‘disappointed but not surprised’ to hear examples of large employers putting pressure on employees who pursue allegations of discrimination or harassment in new report.
The Women & Equalities Committee (WEC) of the House of Commons has produced its report on The Use of Non-Disclosure Agreements in Discrimination Cases. Some strong words from the WEC: “We have been disappointed, but not surprised, to hear examples of large employers using the significant resources at their disposal to put considerable pressure on employees who pursue allegations of … Read More
Hospital admitted there were ‘missed opportunities’ to save the life of a 12 month old child
With an increase in the incidence of meningitis in children in the UK; a recently reported article in the Manchester Evenings News is concerning and should be taken as a warning. The full article can be found here. “Dad of baby who died of meningitis pleaded with a doctor to give son a blood test – they replied ‘why?” The … Read More
Morrish Solicitors appoint a new Solicitor in the Employment team.
We’re delighted to have appointed Nicola Williams as an Assistant Solicitor in the Employment department in February this year. Based in our ever expanding Leeds office, Nicola joins us from a reputable York law firm. Nicola attended Lancaster University and obtained a law degree in 2006. She began her legal career in 2010 as a Paralegal in civil litigation and … Read More
Inheritance Tax – it’s here to stay
Like it or not Inheritance Tax (IHT) is here to stay. It’s been around for decades and is colloquially known as “Death Duties”. It is a tax on the value of your estate when you die. The rules relating to IHT have changed considerably since 2007. Effectively now the threshold at which IHT is chargeable on the estate of a … Read More
Morrish Solicitors partner with Napo to offer members a dedicated service
Morrish Solicitors is the new legal partner for Napo offering circa 8,000 members a bespoke legal service, including a dedicated helpdesk, offering support and advice on a variety of legal services. With offices across West Yorkshire, Morrish Solicitors is renowned for its partnerships with trade unions, working closely with the Transport Salaried Staffs’ association (TSSA) and Equity to name a … Read More
The Price of Justice
It seems such a long time ago now that Claimants had to pay fees to bring their claims. It was 26 July 2017 that the fees regime was abolished as being unlawful. We remember it well, here at Morrish Solicitors – the moment the email arrived confirming the Unison decision, our employment team erupted with a spontaneous cheer! The decision … Read More
Major changes to Divorce Law on the way
In November of last year I wrote asking whether it was time to change the outdated divorce laws (in place since 1973) in England and Wales, by introducing “No Fault” Divorces. Many think the current fault-based divorce system exacerbates stress and tension at an already highly stressful time. There were concerns that it exposed children to the damaging impact of … Read More
We are family! Or are we?
The definition of “family” is changing. It used to be the nuclear unit of husband, wife and 2.4 children. Although the divorce rate has been going down recently, numbers of cohabitants are rising. And the belief you can be a “common law” husband or wife still exists, despite it being a myth. So what constitutes a family and is this … Read More
Sleep in shifts – the pay debate
After a satisfying hard day’s graft at work and having successfully completed another torturously packed train journey home, it is always a lovely feeling to be able to share the company of loved ones during an evening. We get to have a hot shower, put on some comfy pyjamas and enjoy some delicious dinner whilst binge-watching as many thrilling tv … Read More
‘Workers are risking GDPR penalties by forwarding work emails to personal accounts’
Sixty-four per cent of UK workers admitted to breaching rules by forwarding work emails to their personal email accounts in the months following the introduction of GDPR.
Michael Parker v the Chief Constable of Essex Police 2018 EWCA 2788 Civ
Whilst this case concerns the TV personality Michael Barrymore’s claim for damages against the police for his false imprisonment following his (unlawful, as the police admitted) arrest in 2007, it has relevance to employment law and specifically ‘Polkey’, an often misunderstood principle (and an often negative one for Claimants). Michael Parker, stage name Barrymore, claimed £2.4 million in damages (allegedly … Read More
How far to take an Uber?
Uber’s latest attempt to avoid their drivers having ‘worker’ status and thus minimum protections for national minimum wage and paid holiday has failed yet again – but only just. On appeal to the Court of Appeal, after losing at ET and EAT levels, Uber has been defeated but only by a majority basis of two to one. So, has the … Read More
Divorce Law update – is it time to introduce “No fault” Divorces?
Major reform to our Divorce laws could follow in the wake of a recent high-profile Divorce case. The government has said it is already “looking closely” at reforms to the Divorce system after the Supreme Court in the case of Owens v Owens ruled that a 68-year-old woman must remain married to her Husband. Mr and Mrs Owens married in … Read More
Employment Tribunal awards compensation to former Maplin workers
An employment tribunal has awarded compensation to former Maplin workers who have established that the company failed in its statutory duty to consult with them about impending redundancies. The former Head Office workers pursued claims against the electronics retailer when they were made redundant without sufficient information being given to them in advance and without any adequate consultation process. 80 … Read More
We are recruiting – Work with us
Think you might have what it takes to work with a leading trade union law firm and the country’s most motivated team of legal minds? We’re always on the lookout for new talent and currently have vacancies for the following positions in our Leeds and Yeadon offices: Employment Solicitor – Leeds Clinical Negligence Solicitor/Legal Assistant – Leeds Legal Secretary – Leeds … Read More
Morrish secures top accolade from The Law Society
Morrish Solicitors have once again achieved the prestigious Lexcel standard from The Law Society. The Lexcel practice management standard is only awarded to law firms who provide the highest level of client care and business management standards. Accredited practices undergo rigorous independent assessment every year to ensure they meet required standards of excellence in client care, structure and strategy, financial … Read More
Banter or harassment?
Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 states that a person (A), harasses another (B), if A engages in unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic (e.g. sex or race), and the conduct has the purpose or effect of violating B’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for B. In deciding whether the conduct … Read More
Morrish Solicitors featured in The Times Best Law Firms 2019
Morrish Solicitors is pleased to announce that it has received a ranking in The Times Best Law Firms 2019. Statista, an international market research firm, carried out the research earlier this year. It contacted more than 20,000 solicitors in England and Wales, and hundreds of clients, and asked them to recommend the best law firms in any of 31 categories. … Read More
Lawyers join forces for inaugural justice week
This week is Justice Week. It comprises a week-long programme of new research, public events, and digital content, revealing how the public really view justice at a time when successive governments have restricted access to it more than at any time since Legal Aid was established in 1949. How we can do more to encourage support for justice funding? New … Read More
Unite member awarded compensation after leg crushed at work
Peter was involved in an accident during the course of his employment at Barratt Steel. On the day of the accident, Peter was loading cut steel onto a roller transporter. A colleague operating the machine activated it before Peter had finished repositioning the steel and his leg was crushed. Peter was diagnosed with a fractured femur and sustained muscle and … Read More
Bellman – more on vicarious liability
Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 2214 Following a recruitment agency’s Christmas party, to which all employees and their partners were invited, a number of the guests including Mr Major, the Managing Director (“MD”) of the agency, and Mr Bellman, an employee of the agency and the Claimant, continued their celebrations at a hotel bar where some of … Read More
