Employment Law Update
Welcome
At the time our last Employment Law Update landed in your inbox, FIFA was still the hugely respected and much loved governing body that ran the beautiful game. It’s come as a shock to everyone that there are now accusations that it is somehow tainted with corruption.
How could the organisation that awarded the World’s most prestigious sporting event to Russia (exemplary human rights record) and Qatar (ditto, with the added advantage of being in a desert with no discernible football credentials) be caught up in alleged financial shenanigans? After all, the man who runs the organisation once said of match fixing scandals in Italy; “I could understand it if it had happened in Africa, but not in Italy”.
Luckily that man (incredulous as he was concerning any sort of corruption in football in Europe) has now taken control of the situation. Aside from resigning himself, he’s taken into account recent light-hearted remarks by the Director of Communications. In a flagrant display of wit and corporate self-awareness, the DoC said “The FIFA president, Secretary General and Communications Director are all travelling in a car. Who’s driving? The police”. His employment has been terminated.
Zero Hours Contracts and the National Minimum Wage
Exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts have been outlawed as at 26 May 2015. This means that any provision of a zero-hours contract which prohibits the worker from doing work or performing services under another contract or under any other arrangement, or requires the employer’s consent to do so, is unenforceable against the worker. Aside from that, the new regulation is currently without teeth but anti-avoidance measures are expected in the near future which will probably introduce fines against employers.
Talking of fines, a maximum penalty of £20,000 (calculated on a per worker basis) can now be imposed where an employer underpays workers in breach of the National Minimum Wage. It’s worth bearing in mind that most employers who fall foul of the NMW aren’t those running sweat-shops or deliberately trying to cheat workers; they tend to be employers who have miscalculated pay or misunderstood the strict provisions which are quite complex in situations where there are employees working unusual hours and/ or are required to sleep on-site occasionally.
And Finally…
More quotes from football’s glorious leader (Sepp Blatter):
“Listen, this is a special approach in the Anglo-Saxon countries. If this had happened in let’s say Latin countries, then I think he would have been applauded” (he was referring to England captain John Terry’s alleged affair with ex-teammate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend.)
“I think in football there’s too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere” (referring to footballers being required to abide by their contracts of employment and in particular the treatment of multi-millionaire Cristiano Ronaldo during the transfer saga between Manchester United and Real Madrid).
“Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball. They could, for example, have tighter shorts” (referring to women’s football)…
