The Cornerstone Judgment raises important questions for Christian organisations, such as Edward Connor Solicitors, who are seeking to conduct themselves in accordance with their beliefs, whilst obeying the law prohibiting unlawful discrimination. The full judgment can be read here. It is lengthy and we have written this article to clarify the key issues and principles, … Read more …
Getting to grips with the legal status of those who “work” in your organisation can be confusing. For example, are they actually an employee? It’s important to get right because different types of working create different obligations and rights, and one way we should seek to honour God is by properly honouring our obligations to … Read more …
The last few years have been eventful, to say the least, and have had a huge impact on the UK economy. One of the unfortunate consequences of such a climate may be the need to consider redundancies within the workplace. This may be uncharted territory for many organisations. Get it wrong and there could be … Read more …
Are you confident who within your organisation or church is an employee, worker or volunteer? It’s important you know, because things have recently changed in a big way for those classified as “workers”. As a result of “The Good Work Plan” initiative, legal changes impacting employment law came into effect in April 2020. Churches and … Read more …
Naturally upon the tragedy of losing a child, churches and other Christian organisations would want to pastorally care for their employees. There may be many ways that pastoral support is offered and in terms of time away from work, this is likely to have taken the form of compassionate leave. Compassionate leave is discretionary and … Read more …
Please note, this is not intended to be a full summary of the law, and advice should be sought on individual situations. Whilst there is clearly a benefit to a church or other Christian organisation in employing staff with minimum fuss and expense, there are also risks. Employers are subject to various anti-discrimination laws. These … Read more …
People can work for charities and churches in many different ways. Some are employees, some are office holders and some volunteer their time. As you manage and care for your staff, it’s important to recognize the difference between volunteers and voluntary workers. A voluntary worker is not a volunteer in the normal or legal sense … Read more …
A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice has put the issue of copyright back in the headlines. The Court held that a secondary school had infringed a photographer’s copyright after a student used one of the photographer’s pictures in a school presentation which the school subsequently published on its website even though the … Read more …
So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: ‘Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?’ (Daniel 6:12 NIVUK) The case of Lee v … Read more …
The way reference requests are dealt with can cause problems long after employment has ended. Do I have to give a reference? Generally employers do not have to provide a reference, but there are some exceptions (such as financial services and some aspects of social services). However, it is accepted practice to do so. Acting … Read more …
