Weekly Issue 476

Pay gap regs

According to research by employment consultancy firm Mercer, over a half of UK companies believe that proposed gender pay gap reporting regulations will make little or no difference to the gender pay gap.

Totally without merit?

Although tribunals do not have the right to issue an order restraining a litigious claimant from bringing further claims, the High Court has held in Nursing and Midwifery Council v Harrold that it would be helpful if they could make a finding in weak claims as to whether they were totally without merit or not.

Contractual check-off

In May 2015, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ended their system of check-off for Public and Commercial Services union members' subscriptions. However, in Cavanagh and ors v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the High Court held that the department was in breach of two PCS members' contracts when it withdrew the system and that the union had the right to enforce the arrangements.