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A security firm found itself in an unusual situation recently when it was judged to have discriminated against an employee on grounds of race even though he had made up his claim as a smokescreen during disciplinary proceedings. The case involved a security guard of Indian origin who faced an allegation by his manager that
A university has won its appeal against a decision that it discriminated against a disabled employee when calculating his pension rights. The case involved an employee at Swansea University who had to retire due to ill health at the age of 38. His hours had been reduced gradually over several years to accommodate the effects
A trader has been disqualified from being a company director for six years after he employed illegal workers. An investigation by the Insolvency Service found that he had employed three people at his supermarket even though they were not entitled to work in the UK. The supermarket went into liquidation on 12 November 2014, owing
Intestacy rules govern how a person’s estate is dealt with where a valid will has not been made, or if the will is not sufficient by itself. If you die without a will the people who will receive your assets will be decided from a statutory list of priority, as described below: If you die
Inheritance tax (IHT) is the tax which is payable when a person dies. IHT is not payable in all situations. Below is a brief outline of some of the basic rules in relation to IHT Standard Nil Rate Band Each person has a tax free amount (‘nil rate band’) of £325,000. This means that when
This is a basic outline of the rules relating to inheritance tax and gifts made during a person’s lifetime. The rules may differ in certain situations, such as where gifts are made into a trust. When a person’s estate is valued to calculate whether inheritance tax is due, any gifts that the deceased person made
At present the divorce process in England and Wales is lengthy, costly and unnecessarily bureaucratic. This article focuses in particular on the need for a no fault divorce. There is currently only one ground for divorce – that the marriage has broken down ‘irretrievably’. This can only be demonstrated by proving one of the facts
New legislation is to be introduced to oblige large firms to reveal what measures they take to prevent the use of slavery throughout their supply chain. The Transparency in Supply Chain duty applies to all commercial organisations that carry out business in the UK and which have a total annual turnover above £36 million. It
A company that sacked one employee involved in a fracas but only gave his opponent a written warning was entitled to treat them differently, according to the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The case involved two employees who attended a corporate social event and were told that they would need to maintain a good standard of behaviour.
A director who breached his duty to his company’s shareholders has been told he must compensate them through a share purchase order. The case involved the chairman of a large passenger car service. He also became the director of a new start-up company providing bins for the disposal of cigarette butts. The plan was to