Employment Law Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the diefference between contract of service and contract for service?

A
  • Contract of service is a contract between employee and employer.
  • Contract for service is a between 2 independent parties. One party agrees to provide services for the other in exchange for payment.
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2
Q

True/False: An employer is responsible for the actions of its employees.

A

True

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3
Q

An employee driving a company truck injures a cyclist. Who can the cyclist claim against? And why?

A: The employee; or
B: The company; or
C: Both

A

B: The company, because they have vicarious liability.

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4
Q

What are the 4 conditions for a worker to be considered an employee?

A
  1. Mutuallity of obligations - Work in exchange for payment
  2. Pay - Pays the worker or agent direct
  3. Personal service - The person must provide the service personally and is not entiitled to provide a substitute.
  4. Control - The employer has sufficient control over the workers activity
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5
Q

A court will use a 3 tests to determine if someoone is an employee or not. What are these test?

A
  1. Control test
  2. Integration test
  3. Economic reality test
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6
Q

What is the control test when determining if a worker is an employee or contractor and what would indicate someone is an employee?

A

It assesses the amount of control one person has over the other. If there is a high degree of control then there is considered to be a master servant relationship and the worker would be considered an employee.

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7
Q

In what situation may the control test not be appropriate?

A

Where the employee has specialist knowledge and so the employer has to let the employee use discretion and skilled judgement to decide what to do.

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8
Q

What is the integration test when deciding if a worker is an employee and;
1. What would suggest the worker is an employee?
2. What would suggest the worker is not an employee?

A

The integration test looks at the extent to which the individual in question is integrated into the apparent employer.
1. If the work of the individual is integral to the activities of the organisation they are considered an employee.
2. If the work of the individual is not integral to the organisation then they are not considered an employee.

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9
Q

What is the economic reality test and what are some potential factors it may look at when deciding if a person is an employee?

A

It is a broader test that takes into consideration several factors to reach an assessment of the “economic reality”. These may include:

  • The regularity of work hours
  • Method of payment. ie regular/irregular
  • Ownership of tools and equipment. Ie owned by self or company
  • Mutual obligations. Ie. individual has to work and company has to provide work
    • More
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10
Q

What is a 0 hour contract?

A

Contracts of employment where the employee is not given regular work but is on call whenever the employee needs them.

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11
Q

Paul has a zero hour contract with Maccies, he is entitled to:
A: Not accept work offered to him (ie not accept a night shift)
B: Allowed to undertake work for other people

Are the above statements

A: True, False
B: True, True
C: Flase, True
D: False, False

A

B: Both true

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12
Q

An organisation inserts a clause in an agency workers contract, that gives them rights to ask for a substitute to complete booked work, but this is never likely to be used. the organisation then claims the clause is proof that the individual is not an employee and and refuses to give statutory holidays. Will the clause be considered in a case brought by the worker in a claim to regain these rights?

A

No. The clause is unlikely to be used and so it will be considered a sham and ignored.

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13
Q

A contract of employment is made up of 3 diufferent types of terms. What are these?

A
  1. Express terms
  2. Terms implied by the courts
  3. Terms implied by statute
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14
Q

True/False: An employee has a statutory right to recieve a written statement of certain details about their employement and this is considered to be a contract of employement.

A

False. The employee does have a right to the statement but it is not to be considered a contractr unless this is decided to be the case by both parties.

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15
Q

True/False: implied by the courts is:
1. The duty for an employee to obey all orders from an employer and not frustrate their commercial objectives
2. The duty for an employer to not act in a manner that may damage mutual trust and confidence between employee and employer.
3.

A
  1. False - Only has a duty to obey “reasonable” orders
  2. True
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16
Q

Is it a statutory requirement for a employer to provide a reference of employment?

A

No.

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17
Q

An employer gives an untrue and dergoatory reference for a former employee. What is the legal status of this?

A

The employee may be able to sue for the Tort of Defamation.

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18
Q

An employer gives a false reference claiming a previous employee had experiance in filing VAT return. The employee was hired on the basis of this. What is the legal position for the new employer?

A

They may be able to sue for the Tort of negligence if there is deemed to have been damages arising from this.

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19
Q

Under the Working Time Regualtions 1998, what is the most hours an employee (17+) can be made to work per week? (There are some exceptions)

A

48 Hours per week

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20
Q

Under the Working Time Regualtions 1998, what is the most hours an employer aged 16 or 17 can be made to work per week and day?

A

40 hours per week & 8 Hours per day

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21
Q

True/false: Employees have a right to request flexible working hours?

A

True

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22
Q

How long does an employee need to have been employed by their employer to request flexible working?

A: 6 Months
B: 2 Years
C: 26 Weeks
D: 1 year

A

C: 26 weeks

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23
Q

What are some reasonable reasons that an employee may be able to deny a flexible working arrangement based on?

A
  1. They will incur extra costs
  2. The work cannot be reorganised among other employees
  3. Flexible working will effect quality and performance
  4. ECT.
24
Q

An employee may be able to complain to an employment tribunal after a rejected flexible working requested if the employer…

there are 3 reasons

A
  1. Did not handle the request in a reasonable way.
  2. Treated the employee unfavourably as a result of the request for flexible hours. E.g refusing a promoton.
  3. Rejected the application on the basis of incorrect facts
25
Q

What are the 9 protected chractaristics in which it is illegal to discriminate?

A
  1. Age
  2. Gender
  3. Race
  4. Religion
  5. Disability
  6. Being pregnant or having a child
  7. Being married or in a civil parnership
  8. Sexual orientation
  9. being or becoming transgender
26
Q

What are the 4 forms discrimination may take?

A
  1. Direct discrimination
  2. Indirect discrimination
  3. Harassment
  4. Victimisation
27
Q

What is direct discrimination?

A

Treating a person with a protected charactaristic less favorably than others.

28
Q

What is indirect discrimination?

A

Putting in place rules or arrangements that apply to everyone but in practice have the effect of putting a person with a protected characteristic at a disadvantage.

29
Q

What is harrasment?

A

Behaviour linked to a protected charactistic, that violates a persons dignity or creates an offensive environment for them.

30
Q

What is Victimisation?

A

This involves treating someone unfairly because they have complanied about harrasment or another form of discrimination.

31
Q

When an employee has the protected charactistic of disability, the employer must:

A: Provide extra pay to compensate
B: Make reasonable adjustments to remove their disadvantage
C: Provide wheelchair access
D: Employer is not required to make any special arrangements

A

B: Make reasonable adjustments to remove their disadvantage

32
Q

When may an employer defend itself under objective justification?

A
  • When they can show an age based rule was in place for a good reason
  • Against indirect discrimination when the rule or arrangement has a legitimate aim and is not in itself discriminatory. e.g employinmg only woemn in a health centre for vulnerable women
33
Q

True/False: Discrimination can be objectivly justified if there is a huge cost to the alternative rule/arrangement.

A

False. Nothing can be objectivly justified based on costs.

34
Q

What steps should an employee take when they consider themself to have been subject to discrimination?

A
  1. Talk to someone within the organisation to sort the problem informally
  2. If unsucessful, talk to a trade union representative or citizens advice
  3. May then be able to make a claim to an employment tribunal.
35
Q

What are the 4 types of dismissal?

A
  1. Fair dismissal
  2. Unfairdismissal
  3. Wrongful dismissal
  4. Redundancy
36
Q

What of the following is considered a fair reason for dismissal?

1: The ability/ Qualiification of the employee
2: Redundancy
3: Return of the full time employee who the individual was covering for. E.d maternity cover
4: Being pregnant

A. 1& 2
B. All
C: 1
D:1, 2 & 3

A

D: A, B & C

37
Q

How long after dismissal may an employee bring an unfair dismissal claim tio tribunal?

A: 1 years
B: 2 Years
C: 3 Months
D: There is not time limit

A

C: 3 Months

38
Q

What 2 things are considered at an unfair dismissal tribunal?

A
  1. The reason for dismissal
  2. The conduct/procedure of the employer
39
Q

ACAS code of practice on disaplinary and grievance procedures recommends encourages what principals for employers?

4

A
  1. To be fair and transparent
  2. To take disciplinary steps without unreasonable delay
  3. To aim for internal resolution
  4. To avoid the need for an employment tribunal
40
Q

When may an employee be fairly dismissed over industrial action?

A
  1. When the trade union did not hold a properly organised ballot or has not given the employee the required notice. Ie an unofficial strike
  2. The indutrial action is sympathy or secondary action
41
Q

True/False: The employee may have been unfairly dismissed for misconduct if the breach was only minor.

A

True. The employer shoould act reasonably in proportion to the misconduct.

42
Q

What may a final written warning be issued for?

A

Serious misconduct

43
Q

How much notice does an employer need to give of gross misconduct?

A

There is no notice period required and they can be dismissed immediatly.

44
Q

What is summary dismissal?

A

When an employee is dismissed without notice.

45
Q

Is dismissal due to ill health fair?

A

Yes but the the employer should only do this as a last resort and follow reasonable procedures such as a health assessment.

46
Q

An organisation has to prove there was a fair reason for dismissing a fixed term employee at the end of their contract when they have been working at the organisation for:

A: 2 Years
B: 3 years
C: 4 Years
D: 1 Year

A

A: 2 years

47
Q

Is attending Jury service a fair reason for dismissal?

A

No

48
Q

Under the ERA 1996 how long does an employee have to have been employed for to claim for unfiar dismissal for an automatically unfair reason?

A: 2 years
B: 3 years
C: 10 years
D: No minimum employment time

A

D: No minimum employment time

49
Q

What is contructive dismissal?

A

Dismissal in which the empoyee has terminated their own contract due to the conduct of the employer where the employee is justified in doing so.

This can be with or without notice.

50
Q

What reasons may an employee have been contructively dissmised for?

Give 3 examples

A
  1. Their pay was cut without agreement
  2. They was unlawfully demoted
  3. Employer allowed them to be bullied
  4. Increased their workload unfairly
  5. Changed their location with short notice
  6. Made the employee work in dangerous conditions
51
Q

What are the 3 conditions for constructive dismissal?

A
  1. There must be a fundamental breach of the contract of employment by the empoyee
  2. The breach of contract must have caused the employee to leave
  3. The employee must not delay for too long in making the claim after the reason for constructive dismissal has occured. Remaining in the job diminishes the reason.
52
Q

How long does an employee have to claim for unfair dismissal if the reasons are not automatically unfair?

A

2 years

53
Q

What are the three remedies an employment tribunal may give to an unfairly dismissed employee?

A
  1. Reinstatement - given their job back
  2. Re-engagement - Re-employing the employee but in a different job.
  3. Payment of compensation
54
Q

How is wrongful dismissal differenet to unfair dismissal?

A

Wrongful dismissal is when the employer terminates an employment contract in breach of the contract ie constructive dismissal or fail,ing to give proper notice. It is the common law version of unfair dismissal

55
Q

What are the remedies for wrongful dismissal?

A

Damages