Tag Archives: Miller Samuel

Scotland is leading the way in terms of female unemployment with the country having one of the lowest unemployment rates for females in Europe. In the final three months of 2014, Scotland’s female unemployment rate was almost 1.5% lower than the EU average.

Between October and December 2014, Scottish unemployment for females stood at 4% according to figures from Eurostat. This was significantly lower than the 5.3% average for the UK and many other European countries. Scotland also had the second highest female employment rate at 71.3%, with Sweden being the only country with a higher rate of 72.6%.

When boiled down, zero hours contracts represent arguably the most flexible form of employment contract available. Neither employer nor employee (often) has any obligation in terms of minimum hours towards the other: on the employee to work any shifts offered and on the employer to offer any shifts. From a purely contractual law point of view, this situation reflects the principle of “freedom of contract”, yet the traditional approach to “freedom of contract” has gradually eroded over the decades.

As of 26 May, the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 has come into force and with it the last government’s main attempt to redress one of the most problematic elements of most zero hours contracts – exclusivity of employment. This piece of amending legislation represents an attempt by the government to follow the judicial precedent described above by redressing the balance within zero hours employment contracts by nullifying the effects of exclusivity of employment clauses.

The Government has announced that, despite rumours to the contrary, it is not intending to reconsider the recommendation of the Beechcroft report on employment law, as was published in 2012, that employers should be able to dismiss employees without cause, on a “no fault” basis.

The report suggested that small firms be able to dismiss people without any reason, in return for some settlement or compensation agreement. This proposal was not advanced when the report was initially published, but following the Conservative party being elected as a majority government in this month’s general election, stories began to circulate that the idea was under fresh consideration.

However, this has now been dismissed by new Business Secretary Sajid Javid.

The Government are set to deliver a manifesto promise of making significant changes to the strike laws that are in place in the UK.

In a move that has been welcomed by many businesses, the government are set to place a turnout quota on any ballot action in order to prevent unpopular, and in the eyes of many, unlawful strikes. It is proposed that under government plans, a strike affecting essential public services will need the backing of 40% of eligible union members, with a turnout of at least 50%.

Major sectors such as health, education and transport will need an even higher turnout in order to take legal industrial action.

Thousands of workers who became unemployed following the closure of High Street store Woolworths have lose their case for compensation.

The news comes following a decision by the European court of justice (ECJ) means that 3,200 ex-employees of Woolworth.

24,000 former staff of Woolworths were awarded compensation worth 60 days’ pay because the stores had been closed without consultation as a result of the financial crisis that affected numerous companies across the UK.