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BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Jersey Opera House's interim chair steps down
Jersey Opera House's interim chairperson has stepped down two months after taking on the venue said "growing pressure" from Cyril Whelan's other commitments meant he had decided to dedicate more time to those Whelan - who is a coroner, Employment and Discrimination Tribunal judge and the Gambling Commission chair - became interim chair of the St Helier venue in April after Dave Chalk stepped down from the Grade II listed building reopened after five years in May following a major £13m refurbishment scheme. A spokesperson for the venue said Mr Whelan was "born in the shadow" of the building and had been associated with the Opera House for 13 added Mr Whelan's efforts had helped secure £12.5m of public money for the renovation work."We thank him for his dedicated service to the Opera House - his efforts have contributed to the building celebrating its 125th birthday in grand style and have secured its future," the spokesperson Opera House said a "diverse artistic programme" was in place for the autumn season.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Edinburgh woman sues charity and earns £8k compensation payout over 'holiday row'
A French woman who sued an Edinburgh charity is entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation from her former employers, a judge has ruled. Lydia Magloire took legal action against Edinburgh non-profit Earth in Common. Edinburgh Live covered the proceedings at the Employment Tribunal in February where Ms Magloire alleged she suffered detriment due to being French, among other claims. Employment Judge Macleod ruled that Ms Magloire should be paid "£7,642.48 by way of compensation for financial loss and injury to feelings". READ MORE: Hollywood actor spotted on Edinburgh city centre street leaving fans starstruck READ MORE: Edinburgh emergency services descend on residential block as street locked down The judge released his decision on June 5, dismissing the claims of racial discrimination but carrying other claims. A report states: "The claimant's claim of indirect discrimination on the grounds of race fails, and is dismissed". However, Judge Macleod found the respondent refused to grant Ms Magloire annual leave and warned her "if she took her holidays she would be dismissed". The report also states Ms Magloire "was dismissed because she raised a protected disclosure" and "was therefore automatically unfairly dismissed". At the Edinburgh Employment Tribunal, Ms Magloire claimed she was 'humiliated' by the company on the basis of her English proficiency. She also claimed one of her managers had a 'strong Aberdeen accent' that was 'hard to understand'. Representing herself at the tribunal, Ms Magloire alternated between answering questions in English and speaking through an interpreter. She became involved with the organisation as a volunteer in 2019, eventually beginning employment at the charity in 2021 as a coordinator. Her employment was terminated on August 21, 2023. The court heard that Earth in Common dismissed Ms Magloire for 'unsatisfactory performance,' which she contested. The court heard Earth in Common dismissed Ms Magloire due to 'unsatisfactory conduct'. The charity claimed Ms Magloire refused to engage with email correspondence, lead workshops, and she booked an extended holiday without approval during one of the charity's busiest months in 2023. Ms Magloire contested that her performance was unsatisfactory, claiming Ms Murray was aware of her intention to take holiday and that she booked the trip prior to her leave being approved to secure cheaper tickets. She told the court she was 'surprised' by her dismissal as she thought that she was doing a 'great job' in her role. She acknowledged her English speaking and writing was not the best but she was improving her proficiency. Ms Magloire added: 'I was very sad. I invested myself a lot in the company. I was totally destroyed emotionally.' Ms Magloire secured new employment at the Edinburgh Zoo in December 2023 where she works 37.5 hours per week as a groundskeeper. She now earns more income than when she was employed at Earth in Common, where she worked 26 hours per week. Earth in Common was founded in 2013 by Evie Murray in an effort to give locals access to outdoor spaces in an urban environment. It repurposed unused land at the northern extremity of Leith Links into community crofts. The charity also runs a cafe and farm shop, which sells local produce. It regularly holds community events focusing on skill-building, exercise, and mental wellbeing. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh woman sues charity and earns £8k compensation payout over 'holiday row'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A French woman who sued an Edinburgh charity is entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation from her former employers, a judge has ruled. Lydia Magloire took legal action against Edinburgh non-profit Earth in Common. Edinburgh Live covered the proceedings at the Employment Tribunal in February where Ms Magloire alleged she suffered detriment due to being French, among other claims. Employment Judge Macleod ruled that Ms Magloire should be paid "£7,642.48 by way of compensation for financial loss and injury to feelings". The judge released his decision on June 5, dismissing the claims of racial discrimination but carrying other claims. A report states: "The claimant's claim of indirect discrimination on the grounds of race fails, and is dismissed". However, Judge Macleod found the respondent refused to grant Ms Magloire annual leave and warned her "if she took her holidays she would be dismissed". The report also states Ms Magloire "was dismissed because she raised a protected disclosure" and "was therefore automatically unfairly dismissed". At the Edinburgh Employment Tribunal, Ms Magloire claimed she was 'humiliated' by the company on the basis of her English proficiency. She also claimed one of her managers had a 'strong Aberdeen accent' that was 'hard to understand'. Representing herself at the tribunal, Ms Magloire alternated between answering questions in English and speaking through an interpreter. She became involved with the organisation as a volunteer in 2019, eventually beginning employment at the charity in 2021 as a coordinator. Her employment was terminated on August 21, 2023. The court heard that Earth in Common dismissed Ms Magloire for 'unsatisfactory performance,' which she contested. The court heard Earth in Common dismissed Ms Magloire due to 'unsatisfactory conduct'. The charity claimed Ms Magloire refused to engage with email correspondence, lead workshops, and she booked an extended holiday without approval during one of the charity's busiest months in 2023. Ms Magloire contested that her performance was unsatisfactory, claiming Ms Murray was aware of her intention to take holiday and that she booked the trip prior to her leave being approved to secure cheaper tickets. She told the court she was 'surprised' by her dismissal as she thought that she was doing a 'great job' in her role. She acknowledged her English speaking and writing was not the best but she was improving her proficiency. Ms Magloire added: 'I was very sad. I invested myself a lot in the company. I was totally destroyed emotionally.' Ms Magloire secured new employment at the Edinburgh Zoo in December 2023 where she works 37.5 hours per week as a groundskeeper. She now earns more income than when she was employed at Earth in Common, where she worked 26 hours per week. Earth in Common was founded in 2013 by Evie Murray in an effort to give locals access to outdoor spaces in an urban environment. It repurposed unused land at the northern extremity of Leith Links into community crofts. The charity also runs a cafe and farm shop, which sells local produce. It regularly holds community events focusing on skill-building, exercise, and mental wellbeing. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community her e and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major UK chain goes bust with thousands of workers set for £200 payment
Thousands of ex-Wilko workers are being handed £2million in cash after the chain collapsed into administration. The GMB union said a judgement handed down by the Employment Tribunal ruled that Wilko had failed to properly consult with workers prior to going bust in 2023. Around 9,000 former staff who worked in a store with 20 or more people will get four days' pay while roughly 1,100 who worked in a distribution centre or support centre role will get 13 days' pay, the union said. David Bartlett, former Wilko worker and GMB rep, said: 'It has been a long, hard slog getting this money – the very least Wilko workers deserve after the way they were treated. READ MORE: Warning for more than three million drivers who hold Blue Badge in UK READ MORE: Kate Middleton's heartbreaking four-word admission as she speaks of wish for Princess Lilibet READ MORE Households warned over supermarket item which has left 95 ill and 58 in hospital 'In no way will this make up for the stress and anxiety they faced during those dark days in 2023. But GMB hopes it will give them a much-needed boost as they move on with their new lives and careers.' Workers can expect a payout of around £200 each. In 2023, HMV owner Doug Putman said his planned rescue of the retailer Wilko collapsed because 'everyone just got a little bit greedy' and was not thinking about the jobs that could have been saved. Before former Wilko bosses will be grilled by MPs on the collapse of the chain, Putman said: 'I thought we did have a deal, we thought we would get that over the line.' 'They were super inflexible,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, referring to the retailer's landlords and suppliers. 'For those four months, the amount of money that the companies wanted to charge made the Wilko deal literally impossible to do. And that was something that was found out really late in the game.' He said one of the landlords, who hosted Wilko's servers in a tiny room, wanted to charge rent on the whole 1m sq ft facility for Putman to keep the computers. 'Everyone just got a little bit greedy and unfortunately weren't thinking about the 10,000-plus jobs that would have been saved and were only thinking about their little piece of it,' Putman said. 'PwC really wanted the deal, we wanted the deal, we had a deal. We had an agreement and these things kind of came out of the woodwork for both of us where we were both a bit stunned. So that was kind of the most unfortunate piece of the whole thing. Sometimes big companies just don't think an awful lot about the impacts to individuals.'
Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
New employment rights will have big impact on seasonal jobs
Bill's 'one-size-fits-all' approach does not take the needs of specific sectors into consideration, writes Fiona Cameron Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... What is the Employment Rights Bill? The Employment Rights Bill was introduced into Parliament on 10 October 2024. Hailed as 'the biggest upgrade in employment rights for a generation', the Bill's stated intention is to create a level playing field and modernise employment rights. Seasonal staff, the current situation: Currently, seasonal staff play a vital role in Scotland's economy. The agricultural, tourism, retail, entertainment and hospitality sectors all utilise seasonal staff to meet their labour needs. Staff are usually hired on fixed-term contracts of employment, or as a 'casual' or 'zero-hours' worker (for example, engaged on an ad hoc basis with no guarantee of work). Under the Bill, this is all set to change. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Changes to zero-hours contracts: The Bill does not seek to ban 'exploitative' zero-hours contracts, but goes very far to address perceived 'one-sided flexibility'. The new chapters inserted into the Employment Rights Act 1996 dealing with zero-hours contracts are lengthy and complex. Essentially, the provisions demand that employers notify eligible workers of their guaranteed hours' rights during an initial two-week period. Workers must then be offered guaranteed hours reflecting the hours they regularly work over a reference period, likely 12 weeks. This will be a recurring obligation on employers –who will be required to make an offer of guaranteed hours to workers not only at the start of employment, but also at the end of each reference period. Additionally, workers must receive reasonable notice of any shifts, or working time changes, with proportionate compensation for cancelled or shortened shifts. Failure to comply with these duties will entitle a worker to bring Employment Tribunal claims. Fiona Cameron is a Partner, Gillespie Macandrew (Picture: Simon Williams) Changes to fixed-term contracts: Limited-term contracts, currently known as fixed-term contracts, will still be allowed, but must be offered only where 'reasonable'. Critically, the question of how limited-term contracts interrelate with other relevant provisions in the Bill is still under discussion. For example, it's still unclear if, when and how limited-term contracts will qualify for an offer of guaranteed hours. Elsewhere in the Bill, the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims has been repealed, making it a 'day-one' right subject to a statutory probation period which will permit lighter-touch dismissals for certain (to be determined) reasons. It remains to be seen how limited-term contracts will dovetail with that fundamental change. The future of seasonal working in Scotland: There is a great deal of detail still to be set out in regulations, but based on what we know, all provisions discussed above are likely to have a profound impact. Paying staff for guaranteed hours based on peak season workloads, which do not align with off-peak periods, will undoubtedly lead to increased costs for employers. And whilst it is anticipated that workers can opt to reject an offer of guaranteed hours and remain on a zero or low-hours contract if they wish, that will not relieve an employer of the administrative burden and legal risk of having to inform a particular worker of their rights and make a guaranteed hours offer, if eligible. Therefore, the impenetrable legal minefield may put employers off using limited-term and/or zero-hours contracts at all, leading to fewer job opportunities across a range of sectors. It's hard to disagree with the notion that every job should offer a basic level of stability and predictability, but the adoption of a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to worker protections, without considering the specific needs of different industries, could threaten the future viability of seasonal jobs in Scotland.
