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Will COP hearings still be open to the public?

Transparency is considered to be central to the philosophy of the COP. The guidance provides details on issues concerning transparency of proceedings and involvement/attendance of P. Whilst there will be some difficulties with ensuring that remote hearings are accessible to the public as an ‘open court’, provisions have been made for the continued presence of the press where the facilities can accommodate this.

Related FAQs

What other options are there to reduce employment costs?

If you don’t want to make redundancies, or if you can’t reduce employee resource, either in a particular department or across the workforce as a whole, then you need to think about alternatives to redundancy.

Equally, you may want to flex the resource you have available to you – without making drastic changes.  For example you may want to consider:

  • unpaid leave and sabbaticals
  • retraining and redeploying
  • forcing annual leave
  • flexible working
  • capability issues
  • lay off
  • short time working
  • reductions in salary
  • reductions in working hours
  • changing to shift working
What should I be mindful of in relation to pregnant workers? Is there a right to suspend?

Yes, but as a last resort. In summary, the law requires employers:

  • to assess the workplace risks posed to new or expectant mothers or their babies;
  • to alter the employee’s working conditions or hours of work to avoid any significant risk to them;
  • where it is not reasonable to alter working conditions or hours, or would not avoid the risk, to offer suitable alternative work on terms that are not “substantially less favourable”;
  • where suitable alternative work is not available, or the employee reasonably refuses it, the employer should consider whether it is appropriate to suspend the employee on full pay.
ONLINE EVENT: Global Clinic: Covid-19 and International Trade

Hosted by The North East England Chamber of Commerce, this webinar discussed practical advice on Covid-19 and the specific challenges for International Trade.

Partner Damien Charlton along with Andrew Needham,from Haines Watts and Grant Murray from XE Finance, provided an update on the challenges and potential solutions in their field, as well as a look forward for the “New Normal”.

To watch the full recording, please click here or to view the slides, please click here.

 

 

Can you place employees who TUPE transfer to you on Flexible Furlough?

A new employer may claim under the scheme in respect of the employees of a previous business transferred after 10 June 2020 as long as:

  • the TUPE or PAYE business succession rules apply to the change in ownership
  • the employees being claimed have previously had a claim submitted for them by their prior employer in relation to a furlough period of at least 3 consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June

In these circumstances, the maximum number of employees that the new employer can claim for will be the total of both:

  • the maximum number of employees the new employer claimed for in any one claim ending on or before 30 June
  • the number of employees that are being transferred to the new employer which have had a claim submitted for them in relation to a furlough period of at least 3 consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June. This is subject the maximum cap the previous employer was subject to.

A new employer is also eligible to claim under scheme in respect of the employees associated with a transfer of a business after 10 June 2020 from the liquidator of a company in compulsory liquidation where:

  • TUPE would have applied were it not for the company being in compulsory liquidation
  • the employees being claimed for have been furloughed and a had a claim submitted for them by their prior employer in relation to a period of at least 3 consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June

In these circumstances, the maximum number of employees that the new employer can claim for will be the total of both:

  • the maximum number of employees the new employer claimed for in any one claim ending on or before 30 June and
  • the number of employees that are being transferred to the new employer which have had a claim submitted for them by their prior employer in relation to a furlough period of at least 3 consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June. This is subject to the maximum cap the previous employer was subject to.
What rate of pay applies to an employee returning from statutory leave who is furloughed?

Statutory leave includes family related leave, sick leave or parental bereavement leave. Claims for furloughed individuals returning from statutory leave should be based on their salary, before tax, and not the pay they received while on statutory leave.

Similarly, claims for furloughed employees returning from a period of unpaid leave on sabbatical should be based on their pay they would have had on paid leave.