Sector focus

New and updated

• HR challenges presented by the nature of the police service

  Date:

  22 September 2018

  Type:

  Commentary and analysis

  We explore the unusual nature of the police service and the challenges that this creates for HR.

• Police staff, special constables and volunteers

  Date:

  22 September 2018

  Type:

  Commentary and analysis

  We examine the status of police staff who, unlike police officers, are subject to normal employment legislation. We also look at the status of special constables and volunteers.

• Police service governance

  Date:

  22 September 2018

  Type:

  Commentary and analysis

  We explore the tripartite arrangement on which the governance of the police service in England and Wales is based. We also look beyond the bodies that are party to the tripartite arrangement to a number of other important organisations that impact on HR in the police service.

• Notice to department did not constitute resignation from employer

  Date:

  19 September 2018

  Type:

  Law reports

  In East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust v Levy, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that an employee's letter of notice to her department did not amount to a resignation from the respondent's employment because the wording used was ambiguous.

• Local authority pay and grading structures

  Date:

  5 September 2018

  Type:

  Commentary and analysis

  This article looks at the pay structure for local authority employees, set out in the National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service (the Green Book).

• Redundancy payments and procedures in local authorities

  Date:

  4 September 2018

  Type:

  Commentary and analysis

  This article looks at the framework for making compensation payments on redundancy and local authority redundancy policies in general. It also looks at various Government proposals for reforms to public-sector exit payments.

• Victimisation: Focus of test for bad faith is honesty, not motivation

  Date:

  30 August 2018

  Type:

  Law reports

  In Saad v Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that the primary question, when deciding if an employee acted in bad faith, is whether or not the employee acted honestly in making the discrimination allegation, not the employee's ulterior purpose.

• Discipline and dismissal of senior officers in local authorities

  Date:

  20 August 2018

  Type:

  Commentary and analysis

  This article looks at local authority discipline and dismissal procedures for senior officers, and the involvement of councillors in other disciplinary action.

• Vicarious liability: No duty of care to staff when defending civil claims

  Date:

  2 August 2018

  Type:

  Law reports

  In James-Bowen and others v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the Supreme Court held that, when defending a claim of vicarious liability, the Commissioner did not owe a duty to her police officers to take reasonable care to protect them from economic and reputational harm.

• Discrimination arising from disability: Withdrawal of job offer after reference highlighting absences

  Date:

  2 August 2018

  Type:

  Law reports

  In South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust v Lee and others, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that a decision to withdraw a job offer that was at least partially influenced by a reference that focused on the applicant's sickness absence levels was discriminatory.