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Employment law brief: 5 November 2021

05 November 2021 / Ian Smith
Issue: 7955 / Categories: Features
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Ian Smith leaves no stone unturned as he tackles rudeness, gross insubordination, stigmatisation, honour, reputation, & protected disclosure
  • Court of Appeal consideration of ‘substitution’ clauses in gig economy cases.
  • Adjudicating on a whistleblowing case—Employment Appeal Tribunal advice.
  • Disclosure—legal professional privilege and the ‘iniquity’ exception.
  • Anonymity orders—embarrassment/stigma not enough.

The four cases considered this month all contain useful guidance for tribunals and all the rest of us struggling blindly in the Stygian gloom of employment law. In the first, the Court of Appeal gave welcome consideration to the perennial problem of substitution clauses in cases on employment/worker status, and did so specifically in the context of gig economy working. In the second case the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) strongly recommended a structured approach to adjudication in whistle blowing cases.

The third and fourth cases concerned matters of procedure, rather than substantive liability. In the third the EAT considered the ‘iniquity’ exception to professional privilege (coming to a conclusion that claimants’ representatives might find worrying), and in the fourth it gave

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Quinn Emanuel—James McSweeney

Quinn Emanuel—James McSweeney

London promotion underscores firm’s investment in white collar and investigations

Ward Hadaway—Louise Miller

Ward Hadaway—Louise Miller

Private client team strengthened by partner appointment

NLJ Career Profile: Kate Gaskell, Flex Legal

NLJ Career Profile: Kate Gaskell, Flex Legal

Kate Gaskell, CEO of Flex Legal, reflects on chasing her childhood dreams underscores the importance of welcoming those from all backgrounds into the profession

NEWS
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School highlights a turbulent end to 2025 in the civil courts, from the looming appeal in Mazur to judicial frustration with ever-expanding bundles, in his final NLJ 'The insider' column of the year
Antonia Glover of Quinn Emanuel outlines sweeping transparency reforms following the work of the Transparency and Open Justice Board in this week's NLJ
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