The government is calling on businesses, unions and employees to help it ensure there are no loopholes in the law banning exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts. Ministers fear some unscrupulous employers may try to get round the ban by methods such as offering contracts guaranteeing one or two hours’ work a week. The issue
The number of sex discrimination claims has risen over the last two years. There were 13,700 cases in 2013 compared with 10,700 in 2012. Research from the Times newspaper shows that they now make up 55% of all discrimination claims, whereas they made up just over 33% two years ago. Sex discrimination claims are now
Late payment and cash flow remain two of the key problems faced by businesses in the UK, according to a recent survey carried out by credit card company American Express. The survey revealed that 95% of business owners and managers continue to prioritise efficient cash flow practices, and consider it a key factor towards long-term
A court has ruled that a tenant’s breaches of contract in relation to business premises were serious enough to justify the landlord’s decision not renew the lease. The case involved a landlord who owned a commercial and residential property. It was leased to a tenant with an agreement that it would be used as a
A company has been ordered to pay a consultant his fee for helping to negotiate a business deal, despite there being no written record of any agreement being made. The company was part of a Swedish industrial and transportation conglomerate. It had been working on a contract with the oil company Shell. The consultant was
A distribution company has been ordered to pay commission to an agent on deals that were completed after his retirement. The agent started working for the company, based in Holland, in 1997. It produced and exported various products. The agent’s role was to introduce these products into the UK market, and be a point of
The administrative burden on small businesses involved in takeovers could be eased by the latest changes to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). TUPE regulations are designed to protect the interests of employees if their company is sold to new owners. The regulations come into effect on 31 July to allow
A court has ruled that a director who tried to start an affair with his business partner’s wife was unfairly excluded from the management of a company in which he held shares. The case involved two men who had been close friends and operated their business as a quasi-partnership. Things turned sour when the director
Figures released by the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) have revealed that small businesses are forced to wait longer than large businesses to receive payment. Businesses with turnovers of less than £1m wait an average of 71 days for payment. That is 23 days more than businesses with turnovers of £500m and above, who wait
A dentist who was evicted for being late with his rent has won a legal dispute with his landlord. The court ruled that the late payments did not amount to a repudiatory breach of contract and so the eviction was not justified. The dentist had a contract with the NHS which paid him on a