Kate Palmer

New York

Executive Editor at HuffPost

Executive Editor @HuffPost. Past lives: @TheOnion & @ForeignPolicy // Mama to two sweet girls. Proud @UF alum.

Articles

Apprentice dismissed after colleague ‘poked finger-sized holes’ in his sandwiches

2 weeks ago | hrzone.com | Kate Palmer

Many of us have experienced the frustration of having put our lunch in the office fridge, spending our morning looking forward to it, only to come back at lunch time to find it is no longer there. That’s bad enough as it is, but what if it hadn’t just been stolen, instead it had been destroyed and left for you to find?
Latest on the Employment Rights Bill Progress Updates

1 month ago | hrzone.com | Kate Palmer

If you work in HR, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the . MPs recently backed the Employment Rights Bill after its third reading in the House of Commons and it is now progressing through the House of Lords for further scrutiny. Dubbed ‘the biggest change to workers’ rights in a generation’ by the government, the Employment Rights Bill was first introduced last October, meeting their election pledge to introduce changes within 100 days of coming into office.
April employment law changes

1 month ago | thehrdirector.com | Kate Palmer

April is a busy time of year for businesses with a raft of employment law changes to contend and comply with. And this year is no different. Kate Palmer, Employment Services Director at Peninsula, looks at everything employers need to know. “As happens most years, from 1 April the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates will increase across the board. The rate that needs to be paid depends on each worker’s age and whether or not they are an apprentice.
What we can and can’t do in the modern workplace

1 month ago | thehrdirector.com | Kate Palmer

Recent Employment Tribunal cases include an NHS nurse being awarded £41,000 in compensation after being left out of the tea round, finding that offering a chair to an older colleague could constitute age discrimination, and claims being brought around greetings cards – both receiving an unwanted birthday card and not being given a leaving card. Kate Palmer, Employment Services Director at Peninsula, says “The modern workplace is a minefield for employers, as these tribunal rulings clearly show.
Labour WhatsApp scandal: Can employers take action over inappropriate private messages?

2 months ago | hrzone.com | Kate Palmer

The Labour WhatsApp scandal caused a media storm last week, as leaked messages sent by health minister Andrew Gwynne to a group chat were revealed. These messages included racist and sexist comments, and expressed hope that a pensioner died before the next election. The closed WhatsApp group chat, named ‘Trigger Me Timbers,’ is believed to have been made up of up to 20 members, including two MPs, more than a dozen Labour councillors and several party officials.
What employment law changes are coming in 2025?

Jan 20, 2025 | hrzone.com | Kate Palmer

2024 was a jam-packed year for employers, seeing more changes to employment law than we have seen for a long time. As we head into 2025, it is showing no signs of slowing down. While new changes may be announced throughout the year, there are many changes we already know are coming, which HR professionals can get ahead of. Here is a breakdown of some of the changes to be aware of and begin preparing for in 2025.
Menopause-related employment tribunals have increased by 87%

Oct 31, 2024 | thehrdirector.com | Kate Palmer

Kate Palmer, employment services director at Peninsula, says, “Whilst at first glance, statistics suggest that menopause related unfair dismissals are drastically on the rise, it is likely that there are other factors to consider. The rise in menopause-related tribunals could also be due to menopause becoming more prevalent in public consciousness. In the past, similar cases may have been considered as sex or age related.
Employment Rights Bill unpacked: What are the major changes?

Oct 23, 2024 | hrzone.com | Kate Palmer

Since Labour’s election victory, the HR world has been waiting with bated breath to find out whether they would make good on their manifesto promise of a ‘New Deal for Working people to make work pay’, and what this would look like. Well, late last week we got our first glimpse of the future of employment under this government.
Still work to be done around sexual harassment in the workplace

Oct 7, 2024 | thehrdirector.com | Kate Palmer

A barrister working for ‘Justice for Harrods Survivors’ told the BBC that they’ve had more than 100 inquiries to their team from all over the world, since going public with the details of allegations against Mr Al Fayed. One of the women who raised a complaint has called for changes to HR laws in relation to sexual harassment and assault, to ensure safe environments at work.
Kate Palmer: Should businesses return to the office five days a week?

Sep 30, 2024 | hrreview.co.uk | Kate Palmer

Earlier this month, Amazon became the latest in a long list of large organisations to end their hybrid working policy, says Kate PalmerIn a memo to staff, Andy Jassey, CEO at Amazon, laid out the new requirement for employees to return to working from the office, five days a week, in the way that they did before the Covid-19 pandemic.