Our latest analysis of pay reviews finds little evidence that the rising cost of living is reflected in the increases being awarded during the crucial spring months of 2008 when many employees receive their annual salary uplifts.

Based on the largest survey of its kind, our findings show that only one-third of increases are higher than a year ago, despite growing inflation. In fact, the average pay award has remained consistently below retail prices index inflation for two years.

Continuing our reward theme, this issue includes part two of our annual overview of employers' benefits and allowances practices and focuses on health-related benefits.

This newsletter also contains three contrasting case studies, each of which looks at how an employer has tackled a particular issue of wide concern. These are:

• improving absence management at Great Ormond Street
  Hospital;
• financial company Citi's equality initiative; and
• how the Broadway Homelessness and Support charity set up an HR consultancy.

Our casenotes in this issue highlight rulings with implications for the contractual status of the employment relationship and allegations of unfair dismissal by whistleblowers.

The government's far-reaching proposals for its single Equality Bill have just been announced, and we include two items covering the main points of its intentions. Naturally, we will keep you informed of these and other issues of concern.

Neil Rankin,
Section Editor,
Employment Review

Case study: Citi's drive to encourage maternity returners

Financial services company Citi's award-winning strategy to improve the representation of women includes a series of initiatives to encourage women to return to work after maternity leave.

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International: Polish recruiters look eastwards

The significant westward movement of Polish workers to states such as the UK has created severe skills shortages in their native country, prompting Polish recruiters to look eastwards to the Ukraine for new hires.

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RELATED ARTICLES ON XPERTHR

Diversity at the Royal Bank of Scotland

News

Single Equality Bill: the government's proposals

Employment Law Bulletin editor Joanna Stubbs summarises in her blog post the main points of the forthcoming single Equality Bill, based on the government's recently issued proposals.

Information on Equality Bill published

The government has published a document setting out information on the content of the forthcoming single Equality Bill.

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Government consults on right to request time off for training

A consultation has been launched on the introduction of the right to request time off for training.

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Casenotes

Employment status: Consistent Group Ltd v Kalwak and others

The Court of Appeal remits to a fresh tribunal the issue of whether or not Polish nationals engaged by an agency to work as meat packers for a third party were employees of the agency.

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Whistleblowing: Kuzel v Roche Products Ltd

The Court of Appeal holds that, having rejected the potentially fair reason for dismissal put forward by the employer, the tribunal was not obliged to accept the automatically unfair whistleblowing reason put forward by the employee. It was entitled to find that the employer had at least proved that this was not the reason for dismissal.

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Contracts of employment: Enfield Technical Services Ltd v Payne; BF Components Ltd v Grace

The Court of Appeal holds that a genuine error in the categorisation of employment status will not be enough to establish illegality where there has been no express or implied misrepresentation of the facts of the working arrangements.

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Model policies and documents

Contract clause on deputising/acting-up payments

Use this document to set out employees' entitlement to deputising/acting-up payments. [full XpertHR subscription required]

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Attendance allowance contract clause

Use this document when considering implementing an attendance allowance. [full XpertHR subscription required]

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Legal timetable

Forthcoming law

Statutory rates

Quick reference

This week on the XpertHR/IRS blog

Heyday's legal challenge to the UK default retirement age moves a step nearer resolution now that proceedings have begun in the European Court of Justice.

Other recent postings include:

• a summary of maternity rights and recent and forthcoming changes to them;
• crackdown on illegal immigrants fails to net Mr Big; and
• the top 10 employment law FAQs for June.

Taking part in our IRS surveys provides a fast, free and easy way to benchmark your HR policies and practices against competitors and other employers. In return, you'll receive a complimentary copy of the relevant survey's findings. We are currently researching:

• 2008 pay awards;
• employers' Christmas holiday and party arrangements; and
• conducting equal pay reviews in the private sector.

Details of these and other IRS benchmarking projects are available on our redesigned IRS surveys website, together with links to Celre salary surveys. Our site also offers a registration facility that ensures you will be notified of forthcoming surveys in your areas of interest.

Today's tip: using the XpertHR line manager briefing service

The XpertHR line manager briefing service provides clear, simply written guidance on employment law and good practice for line managers. The briefings assume no previous knowledge of the law or principles of human resource management. They can be used as a training tool or as an information resource to ensure that line managers deal with job applicants and manage workers in accordance with the law and good practice.

Print all articles in this newsletter

This newsletter now has a "print all" button. Before pressing it, please be aware that this uses a lot of paper. Recent editions have run to 170 pages, and others may be longer in future. For the sake of the planet and your toner cartridge, consider whether you need to use it. If you press "print all", this will send to your printer all articles linked from the newsletter. It will not print chapters of the employment law reference manual or blog posts. Print all articles.

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