Read our latest articles, news briefs and legal updates across all our different services.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against the employees and the union involved in the Woolworths redundancy case. It’s good news for employers because it could reduce the time they have to spend negotiating collective redundancies in the future. The case brought into focus the issue of when do employers need to negotiate
It has always been a delicate issue trying to check whether potential employees have criminal records and now it has become even trickier, leaving employers in danger of acquiring a criminal record of their own if they don’t follow the correct procedures. The official way to check is to use the Disclosure and Barring Service,
A whistleblower who was sacked after revealing what he regarded as unfair practices by his employers has won his claim of unfair dismissal. The Employment Tribunal held that the disclosure was in the public interest. The case involved a manager who worked at a branch of a large estate agency chain. He told his area
When preparing restrictive covenants to protect a business from competition from former employees, the question of balance is always vitally important. The restrictions need to be tight enough to ensure protection but not so tight that the courts might rule them to be unenforceable. A recent case before the High Court highlighted the balancing act
The Supreme Court has rejected the idea that directors can avoid responsibility for offences like fraud by trying to make their company responsible for their wrongdoing. The case, involving Bilta UK Ltd and Swiss company Jetivia SA, helps to clear up some uncertainty over the extent to which directors, as opposed to the company itself,
An agency that received a multi-million pound secret commission when helping in the purchase of a hotel has been told it must hand over the money to the parent company for which it was working during the transaction. The issue arose after the agency was engaged by a company wishing to buy a hotel. During
Large companies will have to publish their payment practices from next April, under plans laid down by the Coalition Government. Companies will also have to publicly state whether they require financial incentives to continue working with suppliers. It’s uncertain whether the plans will be scrapped by the incoming government, but none of the main parties
During the recession, many firms shelved plans to move to better and larger premises. Indeed, some businesses looked to downsize rather than expand. However, as the economy gradually recovers and confidence slowly returns, some firms may be considering whether the time has now come to make a long-delayed move. The demand for property has recovered
The new system of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) allowing mothers and fathers to share 52 weeks’ leave came into effect on 5 April 2015. Under the SPL scheme, mothers are still required to take two weeks’ compulsory leave immediately after the birth, but the other 50 weeks can be shared between both parents. The benefits
One of the UK’s leading judges has called for the introduction of no-fault divorces to remove the sense of blame and bitterness that accompany so many break-ups. Baroness Hale says the current system is outdated. She wants it to be modernised so that couples don’t end up making unnecessary accusations about infidelity or unreasonable behaviour.