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23 March 2007 / Ian Smith
Issue: 7265 / Categories: Features , Tribunals , TUPE , Employment
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Employment law brief: 23 March 2007

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Worker v home worker, Lapsed warnings, TUPE transfers

We are seeing a series of important decisions from the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) addressing key points in modern employment law. Much emphasis is on the statutory procedures, as seen in previous briefings, but this month the focus is on three decisions of President Elias on fundamental issues of longer-standing law.

THE WORKER DEFINITION

James v Redcats (Brands) Ltd [2007] UKEAT 475/06, [2007] All ER (D) 270 (Feb) is a rare example of the worker definition having to be considered in the context of a national minimum wage (NMW) claim—as opposed to the more usual context of working time, particularly holiday pay. While the statutory definition is the same, the NMW provenance did have one specific effect towards the end of the judgment, given by Elias P sitting alone.
The question was whether a parcel courier delivering for the respondent was a ‘worker’ or alternatively a ‘home worker’, under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (NMWA 1998),
s 35, for the purpose

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: Mazur and more—inside the litigation frontline

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

NLJ this week: Social media bans for children spark legal dilemmas
Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
NLJ this week: Leasehold reform risks creating ‘forgotten freeholders’
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
NLJ this week: Court of Appeal clarifies when a claim truly begins
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
NLJ this week: Split FDRs could ease pressure—and boost settlements
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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