Regulated individuals may not be able to rely on a reasonable expectation of privacy in relation to private messages on social media platforms if the messages suggest a serious breach of professional standards. The Court of Session (Inner House) has upheld a decision that police officers could have had no reasonable expectation of privacy in … Read more

As the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) begins to wind down through to 31 October 2020 with increasing levels of employer contribution, more employers are having to consider the issue of redundancies.  Two recent Government announcements will be key to these considerations: new regulations which came into force on 31 July 2020 have changed the … Read more

A recent EAT decision highlights that employers should consider expressly stating that a confidentiality clause in a COT3 or settlement agreement is a condition and/or requiring the repayment of an appropriate amount in the event of breach, particularly if confidentiality is of key importance to the employer. In Duchy Farm Kennels v Steels, the High … Read more

Unlike company directors and others subject to a fiduciary duty, most employees do not have a duty to disclose their own wrongdoing.  However, if an employee dishonestly and deliberately makes untrue statements in order to cover up their own misconduct, this may amount to a fundamental breach of the duty of trust and confidence justifying … Read more

An employee can resign and claim constructive dismissal where the employer fundamentally breaches the employment contract, for example by breaching the duty of trust and confidence;  this can be a one-off repudiatory breach or a series of breaches over time which cumulatively amount to a breach of trust and confidence. The EAT has ruled that … Read more

The Chancellor has just announced in Parliament that: the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will continue without change until the end of July the Scheme will remain in place and available to all sectors through to the end of October, but from August there will be greater flexibility. Employers currently using the scheme will be able … Read more

In Rihan v Ernst & Young (Global) Ltd, the High Court awarded a former partner of Ernst & Young (EY) damages exceeding $11 million, broadly equating to past and future earnings for the rest of his career. The claimant, Mr Rihan, was a whistleblower who publicly disclosed suspected irregularities arising out of an audit for … Read more

HMRC has this afternoon published updated versions of its guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. An important change is to eligibility for TUPE transferees. The updated guidance for employers on checking eligibility to claim now states that “a new employer is eligible to claim under the CJRS in respect of the employees of a … Read more