Asia and Australia

Asia and Australia

Lexology Panoramic country guides

The guides provide information to assist with executive compensation and employee

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Latest Employment News

Home Office confirms continued crackdown on illegal working

The Home Office has reported an increase in enforcement activity against illegal working in January 2025, with visits to 828 premises and 609 arrests, marking rises of 48% and 73% respectively compared to the previous year. Between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, illegal working visits and arrests have increased by around 38% compared to the same 12 months in the preceding year. During the same period, the Home Office issued a total of 1,090 civil penalty notices. The press release notes that a significant proportion of enforcement activity in January 2025 took place at restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry. It also confirms that, in undertaking this enforcement work, Immigrant Enforcement works with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and other organisations to allow employees to report labour exploitation.

Employment weekly highlights—6 February 2025

This edition of Employment weekly highlights includes: (1) an analysis of the amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, (2) an ET ruling that foster carers are not classed as workers but may be able to bring whistleblowing and discrimination claims, (3) an EAT judgment setting our guidance for parties on providing, and for tribunals on assessing, evidence of injury to feelings, (4) an article by Christine Young and Joshua Peters of Herbert Smith Freehills LLP discussing the current position of DEI initiatives and the possible direction of travel in 2025 in the UK and US, (5) our new Practice Note on vulnerable parties and witnesses in the employment tribunal, (6) dates for your diary, and (7) other news items of interest to employment practitioners.

EAT provides steer on providing and assessing evidence of injury to feelings (Eddie Stobart v Graham)

Employment analysis: An employment tribunal erred in law by awarding a claimant a ‘manifestly excessive’ £10,000 award for injury to feelings following a successful claim of maternity discrimination, and by failing adequately to explain why it awarded the amount it did, according to the EAT in Eddie Stobart v Graham. The EAT substituted an award of £2,000 (plus interest). The EAT set out a number of factors for parties to consider when providing evidence in support of claims for injury to feelings to assist tribunals to appropriately draw inferences on impact, and useful guidance on the relationship between the manner of discrimination and the severity of the injury.

EHRC submits report on economic, social and cultural rights in Great Britain to UN

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has submitted a report to the United Nations (UN) titled ‘economic, social and cultural rights in Great Britain: 2025 submission to United Nations’. The report assesses the state of economic, social and cultural rights in Great Britain and forms part of EHRC’s work on monitoring the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The measures suggested in the report are mainly aimed at the UK and Welsh governments. Key recommendations focus on enhancing ICESCR rights in domestic law, tackling socio-economic disadvantage, and improving various public services including employment support, social security, housing, and healthcare.