Employment law stories in the news – 15.02.2021 to 21.02.2021

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news we take a look at ten employment law stories that made the headlines between 15 February 2021 and 21 February 2021
- Ministers accused of treating pregnant women as an ‘afterthought’ in Covid crisis – Ministers have been accused of treating pregnant women as an afterthought after failing to directly respond to a series of letters from a charity and two medical royal colleges calling for more support for expectant mothers (The Independent)
- High Court urged to overturn PM’s decision to stand by Priti Patel – The High Court must overturn Boris Johnson’s decision that Home Secretary Priti Patel did not breach government rules on behaviour, a union says (BBC)
- Uber drivers entitled to worker rights, top UK court rules in blow to business model – A group of Uber drivers are entitled to worker rights such as the minimum wage, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday in a blow to the ride-hailing service that has ramifications for millions of others in the gig economy (Reuters)
- ‘Deafening silence’: UK government blasted over delays to employment reforms – The government has been accused of dragging its heels on promised reforms to zero-hours contracts and the gig economy as legislation to protect workers faces serious delays (The Guardian)
- Whistle-blowing Iraqi surgeon suffered racial harassment after raising alarm about safety of 25 patients at Hartlepool hospital trust where white and Indian colleagues were ‘untouchable’, tribunal finds – A whistle-blowing surgeon from Iraq suffered racial discrimination and harassment after raising the alarm about patient safety at a trust where he claimed ‘white and Indian doctors were untouchable’, a tribunal has found (The Daily Mail)
- Worker with fainting fits unfairly sacked from Cyberfort nuclear bunker job – A data specialist who had a fainting condition was unfairly sacked from his job in a former nuclear bunker because he could not be reached if he fell ill (The Times)
- Police watchdog inspector claims he was paid less than black female colleague because he’s a ‘white man’ – A police watchdog inspector claims the Home Office is paying him less than a black female colleague because he is a white man and to have reduced her salary would have caused his bosses “reputational damage” (The Telegraph)
- Senior UK fraud prosecutor unfairly sacked after US sabotage, tribunal finds – A senior prosecutor was unfairly sacked by the Serious Fraud Office after the US Department of Justice filed complaints against him in an attempt to sabotage his position at the agency, a judge has found (The Guardian)
- ‘I was sacked during lockdown, which was devastating’: Cancer centre boss awarded nearly £23,000 in unfair dismissal tribunal – The former manager of Maggie’s Cancer Centre has been awarded nearly £23,000 after an employment tribunal ruled she was dismissed unfairly by her employer (The Manchester Evening News)
- Actor loses tribunal claim over loss of Color Purple role after homophobic comments – An actor who sued a theatre and her former agents after she was sacked when a Facebook post resurfaced has had her claim for religious discrimination, harassment and breach of contract rejected at an employment tribunal (The Guardian)