Law features
What will the Covid rental arrears arbitration scheme mean for commercial property tenants?
Those operating in the commercial letting sector took many knocks when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the UK. Where both retail and hospitality are concerned specifically, the mandated closures and restrictive measures imposed had an enormous impact, with the government itself reckoning that there was somewhere in the region of £9 billion in rental arrears still […]
Changes to right to work checks – take steps to prepare now
In recent weeks, the Government has announced changes to the ways in which employers can perform ‘right to work’ checks. In response to the news, there have been various press reports warning employers that these changes will be ‘costly’ for employers at a time when many businesses are already struggling to cope with increasing costs. […]
Are employees entitled to be paid for the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday?
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Friday 3 June 2022 will be an extra Bank Holiday, with the late May Bank Holiday moved to Thursday 2 June. This additional day will create a four-day weekend for most people, but not everyone, as it depends how their contract of employment is worded and the days they […]
Is coupling-up with a colleague legal?
Long before social distancing and home working became the norm thanks to the pandemic, it was generally accepted that the workplace was a hive for blossoming romances, with some statistics indicating that approximately 24 per cent of people have admitted to having a liaison with a colleague at some point in time. With so much of our […]
The Ukraine invasion drives reform to UK property law
The impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is likely to reverberate through Europe and across the rest of the world for years if not decades to come. While questions remain about the speed and effectiveness of the UK government’s response thus far, there are some changes being made closer to home that will not […]
Cohabitation agreements will help to avoid breakup disputes
The law is notorious for lagging behind modern-day developments, and this is perhaps most obvious in the field of family law, particularly for unmarried couples. The fastest-growing family type in the UK, couples are increasingly choosing not to get married and instead live together, often believing that this gives them the same legal rights. In fact, […]
Managing pregnancy and parenthood in the workplace
Working mothers account for an accelerating share of the workforce in the UK. Just last year research released by the Resolution Foundation and Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics (LSE) revealed that 74 % of mothers with 0-to-3-year-olds were in employment during 2021, showcasing a stable rise of 6% since 2019. With an average […]
Hiring and firing the apprentice is a serious matter
With TV show The Apprentice back on our screens, again dividing the nation as to the merits of each candidate, it is likely to spark debate about the benefits of utilising apprentices to help grow businesses. Apprenticeships benefit the business and the apprentice, but despite the programme’s entertaining approach to hiring and firing, the law […]
When is a fixed price not a fixed price?
Given the challenges facing the construction and commercial property sectors in the wake of the pandemic, the cost of everything in the supply chain, from land and bricks to leases and legal advisers is likely to come under closer scrutiny. For those scrutinising costs, one question that all law firm clients should be considering is, […]
Combatting racism in the workplace
Every once in a while, a difficult and complex area of law is crystallised by the circumstances of a high-profile case. The most recent example of this being the matter of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, whose mismanagement of historical allegations of racism made by cricketer Azeem Rafiq, have since been the subject of a thorough […]
