At the midway point of 2022, a landmark employment tribunal changed the way employers viewed Long Covid, the government put controversial plans in place to deal with strike action, and the CIPD forecast a recruitment headache for employers for the next 12 months.
Long covid recognised as disability in landmark tribunal
A Scottish worker became the first person to successfully claim Long Covid as a disability, winning an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal in the process.
Terrance Burke had been unable to turn up to work for nine months after suffering substantial and long term side effects from Covid-19, which he first contracted in November 2020.
Plans to scrap agency cover ban for strikes slammed
In an attempt to deal with strike action, the government announced plans to replace Section 7 of the 2003 Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations – which prevented companies from using workers to fill in for striking employees.
In addition, the government planned to raise the maximum damages that courts could award against a union when strike action had been deemed unlawful by the courts.
The move was a response to strikes by rail workers over disputes regarding pay rises, job losses and pensions.
Government has now repealed the ban on using agency workers to cover for striking staff, and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has reported it to the United Nations (UN) as a result.
CIPD forecasts major job exodus into 2023
The CIPD's Good Work Index, released in June 2022, predicted 6.5 million people would consider quitting their jobs in the next 12 months.
This was an increase from the previous year; 20% of those surveyed were looking to quit as opposed to 16% in 2021. Better pay (35%), increased job satisfaction (27%) and a better work/life balance (24%) were the major contributing factors for seeking new employment.
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