TikTok boss says should not offer maternity pay

Last month, a senior TikTok boss reportedly told his London staff that he doesn’t think companies should offer paid maternity leave.

We don’t know whether Joshua Ma’s comment was made in passing, or whether he really believes that women shouldn’t need to take time off before and after the birth of a child. Either way, his outdated attitude may well put many women off from applying for a position at this global company – something that’s discussed by commentators in this article from HR Magazine.

(Thankfully, TikTok confirmed that it does, in fact, offer 30 weeks’ paid maternity leave for employees in the UK.)

Dress code policy

Traditionally, airlines have always set strict dress and grooming requirements for their staff. But in a bid to ‘champion individuality’, Virgin Atlantic has become the first UK airline to allow cabin crew to display their tattoos.

The move comes as more firms are focusing on striking the right balance between promoting inclusivity and ensuring their employees contribute positively to their company’s image.

Do you have a uniform policy within your business? If the answer is no, and this is something you would like to explore, contact Little Rock Employment Law on 01245 261883 today. We can discuss your options and help you develop clear guidelines that everyone will be happy with.

Should employers give UK women up to three days menstrual leave every month?

It’s an idea that’s being put into action in Spain. Recent reforms here will provide extra support for menstruating employees whilst also making it mandatory for schools to provide sanitary products; ensuring pads and tampons are free for women in marginalised circumstances; and remove VAT charges on menstrual products in supermarkets.

On the one hand, it’s a positive step towards recognising the impact that menstruation can have on female staff and allowing those affected to manage their time – and their health – more effectively and more productively. After all, recent statistics have shown that more than 70% of women have taken time off work due to their periods.

On the other, there is concern that women will not take up their employer’s offer of free leave, as they feel there is too much stigma surrounding the issue.

What do you think? Should we follow Spain’s lead, or is there a better way forward?

British Gas discriminated against an in-house solicitor

An in-house solicitor at British Gas has won a claim for sex discrimination after she was accused of ’losing her focus’ when returning from maternity leave, and subsequently was made redundant two years later.

The case found that the IP specialist – who re-entered the workplace in 2017 after having triplets – was wrongly scored as underperforming. The employee also said she felt under pressure from her managers to work on her non-working days.

The tribunal concluded that the women had been treated less favourably than a full-time employee, and it was unfair for British Gas to give her the performance rating that ultimately led to her dismissal.

Thousands of UK workers are set to take part in a four-day week trial

The experiment – which will last for 6 months – will see more than 70 companies pilot a scheme that provides employees with 100% of their pay for 80% of the hours they would usually work.

Academics managing the initiative in partnership with the think tank Autonomy are hopeful that adjusting working practices in this way will actually lead to higher productivity among staff.

What are your thoughts on a four-day week? Do you think condensing the same amount of work into less time will encourage your teams to work harder overall? And would this be a viable option for your business?

Should the government offer free or low-cost tests to help keep our workers safe?

There’s been a recent spike in Covid cases up and down the country, with staff sickness having a significant effect on production in a variety of industries, not least the hospitality sector.

In fact, according to the FSB, one in seven businesses they represent cannot trade as they should at the moment due to Covid-related absences.

Some believe that providing businesses with tests for their employees will lessen the strain and serve to better protect staff.

However, whether they have access to these tests or not, much of the onus now lies with employers in terms of ensuring the correct policies are place to curb infections and safeguard the most vulnerable.

For advice on how to live with Covid now that government-imposed regulations have been lifted and free tests have been scrapped, we’re already helping many companies navigate their duty of care. 

Employees at Pizza Express win the right to receive 70% tips

 

Employees at Pizza Express have won back their right to take home 70% of their tips, less than a year after the business announced they were slashing waiting staff’s slice of the gratuities down to just 50%.

The U-turn was brought about by the Unite union, which argued that workers were struggling to survive on the basic legal minimum wage without a bigger share of digital tips, especially as the move to contactless payments had all but demolished cash bonuses.

The move will come as a welcome relief to those who had been forced to take extra shifts just to make ends meet.

Need to set out a clear tipping policy for your own hospitality business? We can help!