The Home Office has announced plans to launch an independent review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It comes as new Home Office research reveals the devastating impact of modern slavery. The economic and social costs of modern slavery report estimates that it costs the UK up to £4.3bn a year. Each instance of the crime is estimated to cost around £330,000, including the cost of support, lost earnings and law enforcement but most significantly the physical and emotional harms suffered by individuals, who are often exploited over months and s... Continue reading

Employers, industry groups and community groups in the UK will be able to give EU citizens practical advice on how to apply for settled status with the help of a new toolkit published by the Home Office. The toolkit was developed with employers and industry groups and includes videos, how-to-guides, leaflets and posters. The Home Secretary launched the toolkit at the Home Office at a gathering of some of the UK’s biggest employers of EU citizens, as well as industry bodies, local government agencies and community groups, many of whom played... Continue reading

The Government, regulators and employers are failing in their responsibilities to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, says the Women and Equalities Committee in a report resulting from a wide-ranging six-month inquiry. The Committee finds that sexual harassment at work is widespread and commonplace but there has been a failure to tackle unlawful behaviours, despite the government's obligations under international law. 40% of women and 18% of men have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in the workplace.  Employers and regulators h... Continue reading

Businesses are being urged to save lives by accessing free practical resources to reduce the toll of work-related lung cancer. A staggering 260,000 people die annually from lung, trachea and bronchus cancers caused by carcinogenic exposures at work. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) have joined forces to encourage employers to take action. In Britain alone, asbestos-related cancer kills 5,000 people every year, with silica dust claiming 800 lives and diesel engine exhaus... Continue reading

For the first time ever, 100% of UK employers identified as being in the scope of gender pay gap regulations have published their data. The UK is one of the few countries in the world to require employers to publish such comprehensive gender pay gap data. Under new regulations that came into force in April 2017, all employers with over 250 employees are required to report their gender pay gap data. All 10,000 UK employers that the government has identified as having over 250 workers have now published their data. The data has shown that more... Continue reading