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The government has announced measures to strengthen the Prompt Payment Code and reduce the financial pressure on businesses. The measures are outlined in a letter to signatories of the code from Small Business Minister Margot James, and Philip King, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management. These are some of the key points:
The director of a laundry business has been disqualified for six years for allowing his company to employ illegal workers. Mr Montaz Ali Azad ran Eurolinen UK Ltd, which traded as an industrial laundry in Greater Manchester. He was disqualified following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Investigators found that he failed to ensure that
A business tenant has failed to exercise a break clause correctly because it left some partitioning behind when it vacated its commercial premises. The premises were on a 10-year lease with the option of exercising a break clause after five years on condition that proper notice was served and vacant possession was given on or
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the manufacturer of a device used to avert the risk of fire was not obliged to compensate the owners of a factory that was burnt to the ground. The court heard that the factory made precision components for the aerospace industry. It installed thermolevel devices to act as
Hiring employees on repeated fixed-term contracts to carry work of a permanent nature contravenes EU law. That was the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the case of Spanish nurse Maria Elena Pérez López, who was employed by the University Hospital of Madrid. She began working for the hospital
A firm has been ordered to compensate a potential employee after withdrawing a verbal job offer made over the phone. The Employment Tribunal said the withdrawal amounted to breach of contract even though there was no written agreement. The case involved a company that appointed an agency to find suitable candidates for a vacancy. One
A woman has won her claim of sex discrimination against an airline that refused her request for flexible working after she returned from maternity leave. Emma Seville worked full time for Flybe as a cabin crew member for 13 years. Her rota was flexible, which meant she could work any 22 days of each month.
An employer discriminated against an engineer when it dismissed him because he refused to accept a reduced salary after becoming disabled. That was the decision of the Employment Tribunal in the case of a man employed as an engineer maintaining teller machines. He became disabled as a result of back problems. He was unable to
The government says it will continue with the living wage and the National Minimum Wage despite lobbying from leading trade groups. The announcement follows reports that 16 trade bodies had written to Prime Minister Theresa May asking her to reconsider the policy in the face of a potential economic slowdown following the Brexit vote. A
The announcement that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are to divorce has caused headlines across the world. For many years they seemed the perfect couple but now they’re preparing to do battle over custody of their children and possibly several other matters as they strive to reach a settlement that is fair to both of