News and analysis HR news briefing mjj

1 Domino’s job candidate wins

£4,000 after being asked age

Franchisee unaware not to ask age at interview

2 Employees using cost of living to leverage better salary Companies paying more to retain staff

3 Employee asked to wear period sticker shows need for workplace boundaries An employer’s lack of sensitivity to menstrual health

4 Woman told not to let hormones get out of control wins age discrimination trial CEO makes ageist comments

5 HR responsibilities during a mourning period Employers grapple with loss of the

Queen

UK set for collision course with UN over strike action The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has reported the UK government to the United Nations (UN) over its attempts to prevent strike action.

According to reports in The Guardian, the submission was made to the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO), the body which sets standards for workers worldwide.

It follows new UK prime minister Liz Truss’ vow to crack down on unions within her first 30 days in office.

Following a summer of strikes, the UK government has repealed a ban on companies using agency workers to cover for employees on strike.

Matt Jenkin, employment specialist at law firm Moorcro s, said UN involvement was very likely, even if it might not directly lead to any law changes.

He said: “With Liz Truss being elected as the new PM and given the comments that she made about strike action during her campaign, changes appear to be inevitable and may put the UK government on a collision course not only with trade union movement but also the ILO.

“However, the extent to which the UK government would be concerned by any intervention by the ILO is debatable. They have the power to censure the UK government but not the ability to force a change in legislation.” The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) became the latest union to seek legal action for the workers it represents, as it announced it will pursue legal action against food delivery company Deliveroo in the UK Supreme Court.

UK workers forced to rethink retirement plans UK workers are having to work for longer before retirement due to the increased state pension age, while receiving less money from their pensions than they need to retire comfortably.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said that the current state of the economy had made it harder for people to approach retirement in the same way.

Research from Aviva found 79% of people aged 65-74 have retired in 2022, compared with 92% in 2016. The increase in age at which people become eligible for the state pension was cited as one cause – from 65 in 2016 to 66, and it is expected to rise further to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.

By working for an extra year, people are relying less on their state pensions.

Of the 1,507 surveyed in April 2022, 71% said their state pension accounted for some of their income, as opposed to 96% in 2016.

She said: “With inflation so high some people are undoubtedly rethinking their retirement plans as they need the money from working. “Postponing retirement or trying to re-enter employment again having stopped are two of the very few strategies available to people, if at retirement age they are struggling financially.”

Abrahams added that not every worker of pension age will have the same luck when it came to staying in employment.

She said: “There are many others who have no prospect of increasing their income through working, because they are unwell or have caring responsibilities or lack the skills.” A

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6 HR September/October 2022

hrmagazine.co.uk