An NHS nurse has won a claim for unfair constructive dismissal after a colleague demonstrated a pattern of bullying behaviour towards her. The nurse, Ms Hamilton, cited incidents about a colleague’s conduct that included ignoring her at meetings, excluding her from tea rounds and saying “I don’t like you” whilst a patient was being treated.The case highlights the need for employers to be vigilant to the signs of bullying and be proactive in taking action to prevent it from occurring in their workplaces.Behaviours that might initially seem innocuous can quickly escalate and managers must be ready to react.If one colleague is excluding another from meetings, withholding information from them or constantly making unnecessary criticism about them then the manager needs to intervene.The manager needs to meet informally with the perpetrator as soon as the behaviours are noticed. They also need to flag concerns and clearly state what needs to change / improve before the matter escalates to a grievance or a claim from the victim.<h3 id="a2bda4e3-f7f4-4dd2-af01-8853202b372e" data-toc-id="a2bda4e3-f7f4-4dd2-af01-8853202b372e">What can employers do to prevent bullying?</h3><ul><li>Ensure bullying and harassment policies define what bullying is</li><li>Provide training to employees on what bullying might look like in their workplace</li><li>Providing employees with examples of what could be perceived as bullying</li><li>Talk to employees about reflecting on their own behaviour and ask them if there is anything they do that could be perceived by others as bullying</li><li>Train employees on what to do if they think they are being bullied or have a concern that a colleague is being bullied</li><li>Remind employees how to raise and report concerns</li><li>Ensure return to work interviews are conducted after every occasion of sickness as these can be a platform to encourage an employee to speak up about the real reasons for their absence</li></ul><h3 id="b0bc92a8-2d17-4ff9-b81f-67fbef3ca422" data-toc-id="b0bc92a8-2d17-4ff9-b81f-67fbef3ca422">How else can employers protect themselves from claims?</h3><ul><li>Ensure training is undertaken at induction and annually on bullying awareness</li><li>During training be clear about the consequences of bullying behaviours</li><li>Ensure all concerns raised are fully investigated</li><li>When bullying occurs - ensure appropriate disciplinary action is taken</li><li>Review the process for raising concerns to ensure that employees can easily “call out” inappropriate behaviours when they witness it or personally experience it</li></ul>

An NHS nurse has won a claim for unfair constructive dismissal after a colleague demonstrated a pattern of bullying behaviour towards her.

Employee wins tribunal after omission from tea round part of a pattern of bullying

<h1 id="f5cfd0af-ab94-4984-9e9e-80a09695f990" data-toc-id="f5cfd0af-ab94-4984-9e9e-80a09695f990">Sustainability skills shortage: is there a ’green jobs’ crisis?</h1>“(…) More than a quarter of UK employers face skills shortages when hiring for sustainability roles,” according to hiring platform Indeed.Last week, energy secretary Ed Miliband said the government would help build a “clean power army” to hit targets for green energy generation by 2030, yet 49% of respondents to Indeed’s poll said they lacked the necessary qualifications or experience.Two in five workers (41%) feel employers are not open enough to transferable skills, according to Indeed, even though 27% said they would take a pay cut to secure a sustainability role.<h3 id="99d1d9bd-11b6-481d-ad2c-e0009eecd63d" data-toc-id="99d1d9bd-11b6-481d-ad2c-e0009eecd63d">Sustainability roles</h3>More than a quarter of respondents (27%) said that a lack of available positions was the main barrier to entering the green jobs market. Location is also a concern, with almost a quarter saying there are not enough roles near them. This is an improvement on last year, when 42% felt limited by location.Workers aged between 25 and 34 are the generation most invested in the green sector, with a third willing to take a pay cut and 42% open to retraining. Almost half (49%) of this group said they would consider a sustainability role if they started their career today.By contrast, less than a third (29%) of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would take a pay cut in 2025, down from 42% in 2024.Despite the perception that employers are not open to reskilling, 42% said they believed better training could bridge the skills gap in the green sector, up from 31% in 2024.More than half (53%) of employers believe more should be done to encourage young people into green careers, although this is down from last year (63%).In 2025, a higher proportion of jobseekers were unsuccessful in trying to enter a sustainability role (28%) than were successful (22%). Last year this was the other way around (32% successful compared to 27% unsuccessful).Overall, both employers and workers believe that sustainability is good for business and for attracting talent. Nearly half of workers (44%) say they now place more importance on working in roles that positively impact the environment, although this figure has declined since last year (55%).That said, almost a quarter (23%) are attracted to the sustainability sector due to its “positive image”, suggesting their motivations might not be entirely about impact.“Bridging the gap between motivated jobseekers and employers’ perceived barriers to hiring will require investment in skills and greater awareness of transferable experience,” said Matt Burney, senior strategic advisor at Indeed.“With the right support, the green workforce can be a powerful force in driving the UK’s net-zero ambitions forward.” (…)”Source: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/skills-shortages-blight-sustainability-revolution/">Skills shortages blight sustainability revolution</a>

According to Indeed, more than a quarter of UK employers face skills shortages when hiring for sustainability. 

Sustainability skills shortage: is there a 'green jobs' crisis?

<h1 id="f5cfd0af-ab94-4984-9e9e-80a09695f990" data-toc-id="f5cfd0af-ab94-4984-9e9e-80a09695f990">New ruling regarding transgender rights</h1>In the case of For Women Scotland vs The Scottish Ministers, the unanimous ruling was returned: the definition of women under the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.Full details here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2024-0042">For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent) - UK Supreme Court</a>The appeal was raised following the interpretation of the Scottish Gender Representation on Public Boards Act (2018), that transgender women shall be regarded as women in the context of the legislation (the Act advises on the inclusion of women in leading roles and on public boards, recommending a 50% representation rate).But the ruling may be more far-reaching than this Scottish law.Gender critical groups have for some time now voiced concern as to the rules applying to women, men and persons undergoing gender reassignment, particularly when it comes to inclusion and discrimination issues.As this appeal decision was made by the Supreme Court, the view of the law is now clear: women are only classed as women if they are so by sex, and biologically.Trans rights groups have voiced their concerns, but in order to address these, the UK Government would have to initiate a review of the Equality Act 2010.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/opposition-supreme-court-ruling-ehrc-akua-reindorf/">Opposition to Supreme Court sex ruling is ‘wishful thinking’</a><h3 id="01fceb3a-b29a-42bd-a2b3-c97ef46e028f" data-toc-id="01fceb3a-b29a-42bd-a2b3-c97ef46e028f">What does this mean for employers?</h3>Ultimately, discrimination, exclusion and harassment is unacceptable for any reason. So, employers should continue to enforce their rules and educate team members on issues of trans- and homophobia, as well as sexism etc.We envisage that pronoun use may once again come under fire following these latest announcements. However, employers are advised that protection under gender re-assignment still remains under the Act and that an individual’s gender choice is still a legal right.If you record data such as gender pay gap reports, any individuals currently transitioning should be included with the representation group of their biological sex.Employers may also wish to review their policies to ensure that the correct wording is being used, reflecting this clarification.

In the case of For Women Scotland vs The Scottish Ministers, the unanimous ruling was returned: the definition of women under the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex. But how might this ruling be more far-reaching than this Scottish law?

New ruling regarding transgender rights - what does this mean for employers?

The Employment Rights Bill is set to bring major changes to employment law — but one of its most striking developments has gone largely unnoticed.Last week’s Amendment Paper revealed that the new Fair Work Agency will now have unprecedented powers, including:<ul><li>The ability to bring Employment Tribunal claims on behalf of workers — even if they don’t want to claim themselves.</li><li>The power to offer legal assistance for employment cases, with the Fair Work Agency's costs recoverable from employers if the claim succeeds.</li><li>The authority to pursue employers for unpaid holiday pay and sick pay and impose financial penalties on top which go straight to the government</li></ul>These amendments to the Bill could fundamentally reshape employment litigation. Employers who previously relied on employee reluctance to claim may now find the Fair Work Agency stepping in instead.This is just the beginning. These amendments are likely to pass into law—but how they will work in practice remains uncertain.

The Employment Rights Bill is set to bring major changes to employment law — but one of its most striking developments has gone largely unnoticed.