Health and safety breaches

New and updated

• Supreme Court: Employer not vicariously liable for sexual assaults by medical contractor

  Date:

  8 April 2020

  Type:

  Law reports

  In Barclays Bank plc v Various claimants, the Supreme Court held that the employer is not vicariously liable for an independent doctor's alleged sexual assaults on 126 job applicants and employees.

• Vicarious liability: Employer not liable for dance floor injury at Christmas party

  Date:

  21 May 2019

  Type:

  Law reports

  In Shelbourne v Cancer Research UK, the High Court held that the employer was not vicariously liable for the employee's injury sustained during the staff Christmas party.

• Vicarious liability: Employer liable for director's assault after work Christmas party

  Date:

  18 October 2018

  Type:

  Law reports

  In Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Ltd, the Court of Appeal held that an employer was vicariously liable for a managing director's assault of an employee during a drinking session after the work Christmas party.

• Civil liability for and commercial consequences of health and safety breaches

  Type:

  Employment law manual

  Updated to include information on Dryden and others v Johnson Matthey plc, in which the Supreme Court considered if a health and safety breach resulting in asymptomatic injuries was actionable in a negligence claim.

• Vicarious liability: Employer liable for sexual assaults during medical examinations

  Date:

  17 August 2017

  Type:

  Law reports

  The High Court has held that an employer is vicariously liable for 126 alleged sexual assaults that took place during medical examinations carried out at the request of the employer.

• Criminal liability for health and safety breaches

  Type:

  Employment law manual

  Updated to include a reference to the Sentencing Council's consultation on draft guidelines for manslaughter sentencing.

• Vicarious liability: Employer was vicariously liable for assault on customer

  Date:

  30 December 2016

  Type:

  Law reports

  In Mohamud v WM Morrison Supermarkets plc [2016] IRLR 362 SC, the Supreme Court held that the employer was vicariously liable for a violent assault by one of its employees, ruling that the "close connection" test was satisfied.

• Vicarious liability: employer not liable for post-Christmas party assault

  Date:

  13 December 2016

  Type:

  Law reports

  The High Court has held that an employer was not vicariously liable for a managing director's "brutal assault" of an employee during a drinking session after the employer's Christmas party.

• Vicarious liability: Relationship between prison service and working prisoners akin to employment

  Date:

  5 May 2016

  Type:

  Law reports

  In Cox v Ministry of Justice [2016] IRLR 370 SC, the Supreme Court held that the Ministry of Justice was vicariously liable for the negligent act of a prisoner while he was working in a prison kitchen.

• Vicarious liability: employer liable for employee's attack on customer

  Date:

  3 March 2016

  Type:

  Law reports

  The Supreme Court has held that an employer was vicariously liable for the actions of an employee who seriously assaulted a customer while at work.