Employment News

Maureen Cawthorn marks 30 years at Wilkinson Woodward Solicitors

Congratulations to our Managing Director Maureen Cawthorn who marks thirty years’ service at Wilkinson Woodward this month. After studying at Manchester University and the College of Law at Chester, Maureen qualified as a Solicitor in 1989,...

Using settlement agreements to resolve employment issues

Employment relationships can come to an end for many reasons, including redundancy, dismissal and personality clashes. Increasingly, employers are using settlements to end an employment relationship. Settlement agreements offer an alternative to wading...

Is your business ready for this year's extra bank holiday?

On Friday 3rd June 2022 there will be an additional bank holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This will result in a 4-day bank holiday weekend, as the date of the usual Spring bank holiday has moved to Thursday 2nd June. The additional...

Looking for flexible part time work in Halifax? Come and join us!

Update 2 February 2022: Thank you to everyone who applied for this role; applications are now closed.   We're looking for a part-time Archivist to provide critical administrative support to our busy Wills and Probate team. Based at our town...

Come and join us - we are hiring

Update 10 February 2022: Thank you to everyone who applied for this role; applications are now closed. We're looking for a special someone to join the reception team at our town centre office in Huddersfield. In this busy and varied...

Are you ready to take the next step in your legal career?

We welcome expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates who are interested in undertaking potential future training contracts with our busy and expanding legal practice. Our next intake will be in September 2023. During...

Minimum wage for 23 year-olds to rise to £9.50 an hour

Workers on the minimum wage will get a pay increase from April next year when the rate for those aged over 23 will rise to £9.50 an hour (from £8.91). For a full-time worker, this equates to an extra £1,074 per...

Post-holiday quarantine: your rights at work

Are you returning from Portugal and facing the prospect of quarantining? Perhaps you're mulling over the implications of jetting off on a foreign holiday? Make sure you understand the implications of post-holiday quarantining on your employment and...

Budget 2021: A summary for employers

This month's budget incorporates a number of measures designed to provide support for the many small businesses suffering the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Following widespread speculation, here is a brief summary of the key points for...

Uber loses Supreme Court case in gig economy test case

In a landmark ruling that has implication for millions working in the gig economy, Uber has lost its Supreme Court  fight over drivers' rights. After a 4-year legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled against the taxi app company, concluding their...

Guide for employers: the pitfalls to avoid when using settlement agreements

If you're an employer and need to use a settlement agreement to end a long standing dispute, here is my guide to avoiding the most common pitfalls. Understand the fundamental purpose of settlement agreements Under the terms of...

2021 employment law changes: an overview for employers

Give yourself a head start in 2021 by planning ahead for these forthcoming changes to employment law. Coronavirus The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is open until the end of April 2021. As an employer, you only need to contribute National Insurance and...

Ethnicity Pay Gap Day 8 January 2021

Campaigners have announced today as the launch of Ethnicity Pay Gap Day. The day supports the aims of the #EthnicityPayGap campaign and calls on employers to report their ethnicity pay gap in the same way they are required to report their gender...

Christmas and New Year opening times

Our offices will close at 12.30pm on Thursday 24 December 2020. We reopen at 9am on Monday 4 January 2021. Merry Christmas from everyone at Wilkinson Woodward Solicitors! ...

Furlough scheme extended until April 2021

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the furlough scheme is being extended to the end of April 2021 and that the government will continue to pay 80% of wages until the end of the scheme. The extension aims to provide businesses with a...

Government Winter Plan for COVID-19

Earlier this week the Government announced plans for managing the coronavirus pandemic through winter. The 64-page document contains important information on how businesses and individuals will emerge from the current national lock down on 2 December 2020....

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: What Next

The  Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme  (JRS) ends on 31 October 2020, when it will be replaced by the  Job Support Scheme which aims to protect “viable” jobs. What are the main implications for employers and employees? In the...

Changes to the Job Support Scheme - announced on 23 October 2020

Today the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an update to the new Job Support Scheme (to be known as the 'Open' Scheme in order to distinguish it from the Scheme provided for businesses legally required to close). The new support includes a...

Job Retention Bonus - Guidance for Employers

The Government has recently published guidance for employers about the Job Retention Bonus. This is a one-off £1,000 (taxable) payment for each eligible employee furloughed and kept in continuous employment until 31 January 2021. The bonus can be...

James Hodgson marks a decade at Wilkinson Woodward

Employment law specialist James Hodgson is celebrating this week as he marks a decade of service with Wilkinson Woodward. James joined Wilkinson Woodard on 6 September 2010 and qualified as a Solicitor in 2012. He specialises in employment...

10 June 2020: deadline for new entrants to the furlough scheme

Today -10 June 2020 -  is the last day employers can furlough staff who have not already been furloughed through the coronavirus job retention scheme. From 1 July 2020 employers may only claim for employees they have already claimed for;...

COVID-19 Secure Workplace Guidance

To support businesses and employees in re-opening workspaces and returning to work, the Government has now published a series of guides to making workplaces ‘COVID secure’. Eight sector-specific guides have been produced. These are for: ...

Government Covid-19 Recovery Strategy

The Government has now published its plan to bring England out of the current Coronavirus lockdown. The proposals state: “For the foreseeable future, workers should continue to work from home rather than their normal physical...

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Following the launch of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), small and medium-sized businesses can now apply for finance to help deal with operating costs and help to maintain cash flow.  Is my...

Coronavirus and Commercial Rent Payments

Commercial tenants who are unable to pay their rent due to Coronavirus will be protected from eviction. Most leases contain provisions which permit a landlord to terminate the tenancy if the tenant fails to pay rent for a period after it is due (usually 14...