Japanese knotweed is a fast-growing, invasive plant that spreads easily and requires careful management to control. The root of the plant can cause significant property damage if it takes hold and can be difficult to eradicate. If ...
Legal Updates
In 2017 new rules were introduced to allow home owners to a claim an additional allowance to reduce their Inheritance Tax (or IHT) liability. This news came as a welcome relief to many homeowners wishing to pass their most prized ...
Following our update for 2018, we now take a look at the The Pimlico Plumber case which has now been heard by the Supreme Court. In this case Mr Smith was a gas electrician carrying out work solely for Pimlico Plumbers from August ...
You will recall in January we highlighted how employers needed to get ready for changes to data protection law that comes into force on 25th May 2018. We have already, in our previous update, provided you with some helpful links and ...
This update follows our update in July last year regarding Mr Ali’s claim of sex discrimination because he was not paid enhanced pay whilst on Shared Parental Leave like those on maternity leave. Capita, the respondent and employer in ...
It is the time of year which sees the statutory rates for payments such as maternity pay and sick pay increase, as well as the national minimum wage. See here for our pdf setting out these changes. Employers considering using ...
This case below of Lofty –v- Hamis (EAT) deals with the question of when under the Equality Act 2010 does cancer become automatically deemed as a disability. The Equality Act currently has a Schedule 1 which lists those illnesses and ...
On the whole, social media is a useful and effective tool for sharing information between friends, businesses and the world generally. For most, it is a very positive and welcome innovation, which has developed enormously over the past ...
On 25 May 2018 the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect in the UK. This is aimed at strengthening and harmonising data protection laws across the European Union. It is planned that the UK ...
Last year we saw a raft of high profile sexual harassment allegations being made against celebrities and politicians alike. More recently the EHRC has highlighted that they will be getting involved as far as their powers allow to ...
We take a look at what we can expect from an employment law perspective in 2018. Legislation Gender pay gap reporting. The Gender Pay Gap Reporting Regulations came into force on 6 April 2017. It requires certain employers to publish ...
Until now, cases about the financial side of a divorce or civil partnership dissolution have been decided by District Judges with a variety of expertise, not always in matrimonial finances. This has led to frustration being expressed ...
Background Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) holiday may only be taken in the leave year in respect of which it is due (regulation 13(9)). A worker must therefore take their holiday within the leave year or it is lost (with ...
You may have heard people talk about “living wills”. Whereas a standard Will deals with who inherits your money and property on your death, a living will can be used to make decisions in advance about your wishes regarding particular ...
The Working Time Directive (WTD) and therefore the Working Time Regulations (WTR), which implements the WTD for the UK, states that workers must have the right to paid holiday. The aim with respect to this paid holiday is to ensure ...
Many couples going through a divorce have assets to divide between them, such as a family home, investments and pensions. However, often in our work matters are complicated by the fact that the parties own a business together. Very few ...
‘Work related stress’ as a reason for absence can send chills through any HR manager because such sickness absence is not easily cured with a week of rest or a dose of antibiotics. It requires careful handling, patience and time. ...
The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination in respect of the nine “protected characteristics” of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, ...
Judgment has recently been given on a momentous case in the matter of R (on the application of Unison) (Appellent) v Lord Chancellor (Respondent), which was Unison’s challenge against employment tribunal fees. Employment tribunal fees ...
This case considers sex discrimination and pay during shared parental leave. Shared parental leave was introduced in 5 April 2015. It allows a woman who is on maternity leave to give up her maternity leave and instead allow ...
We have previously highlighted that Workplace Mediation can be one way of resolving disagreements in the workplace. However, in some cases, a Settlement Agreement may be one sensible option for both parties to consider and they are ...
We take a look at some of the rights pregnant employees have in the workplace. The starting point is that a pregnant employee has the same rights as any other employee with the same length of service, such as unfair dismissal and a ...