For the past 25 years, Peru has been undergoing comprehensive economic growth, followed by a modernization and development process, which includes the establishment of a reliable legal framework geared towards maintaining the stability required to promote private sector activity and investment. This continuous growth has been the best incentive to attract substantial foreign investment in various industries ...
Financial ServicesTransition from LIBORIn this article, Krystle Lui Shu Lin reports on the transition from LIBOR rates to risk-free rates ...
On 29 June 2021, the Royal Government of Cambodia (“RGC”) implemented ‘Round 9’ of measures aimed at mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses and workers in Cambodia. The RGC noted that COVID-19 situation continues to evolve alarmingly with the recent mutation of the virus, which has added socio-economic pressures to many countries around the world ...
In this article first published by The Federation of European Independent Financial Advisers, Jacqueline Moore, Head of Immigration, explains a time-limited opportunity for certain family members of British citizens to utilise a route known as “Surinder Singh”. Prior to Brexit, European free movement allowed British citizens to live and work in the EU without restrictions ...
In our third quarterly case law update for 2021, we look at some of the key cases published since April 2021 and consider the lessons we can learn from them. Health and Safety Related Dismissals Over the past six months, we have seen the emergence of a series of cases related to health and safety dismissals. Unsurprisingly, several of these relate to Covid-19 ...
In the first article of this three-part series we looked at the future of personal transport. In this second piece, we turn to consider mass public transport and how it could play a significant part in the future of commuting. Birmingham is beginning to make substantial changes to its transport infrastructure, but are the changes big enough? The Metro Opened on 30 May 1999, the West Midlands Metro provided a link between Wolverhampton and Birmingham ...
When Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA) adopted permanent rules related to COVID-19 back in May 2021, it did so with the caveat that it would repeal the rules once it determined that they were no longer necessary to address the pandemic. As of June 30, 2021, Oregon OSHA has formally removed the facial covering and physical distancing requirements for most workplaces under Oregon OSHA’s jurisdiction ...
In our previous article we set out what kind of information needs to be disclosed for it to qualify as a protected disclosure. Here we look at another key requirement, that the person making the disclosure reasonably believes it is in the public interest. What is (or is not) in the ‘public interest’ is not defined in legislation, and subsequently it can be difficult to determine ...
There are plenty of articles which set out the "hard facts" of Freeports - the locations, tax benefits etc. - but are we all missing the real point? One of the key objectives of the UK government was to "create hotbeds for innovation" ...
Litigation between the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) may be nearing an end (The Associated General Contractors of America, Inc. vs. United States Small Business Administration, et al.,United States District Court for the District of Columbia). AGC initially filed a lawsuit against SBA in December 2020, challenging the introductions of Form 3509 and Form 3510 (Loan Necessity Questionnaires) in October 2020 ...
With the third wave of COVID-19 in full swing in South Africa, it has never been more important for South African employers to anticipate and prepare for the various COVID-19 related disputes that may lie ahead. It is vital to learn from the challenges already confronted by employers worldwide concerning issues such as vaccination, occupational health and safety, and flexible working arrangements and their approaches to such matters ...
Starting around October 26, 2020, the Small Business Administrations (the “SBA”) asked Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) lenders to provide certain questionnaires to PPP borrowers with loans of $2 million or greater. There are two questionnaire forms on the Treasury: Form 3509 for for-profit borrowers and Form 3510 for non-profit borrowers ...
In a case concerning the validity and effect of certain deeds relating to pension increases, the High Court has handed down its judgement. The case also considers the application of scheme forfeiture clauses to arrears of underpayments. The case, concerning the Axminster pension scheme (‘Scheme’), was brought by the Scheme’s independent trustee. Many of the original issues were compromised by the parties, meaning that the court was asked to approve the compromise ...
Birmingham - the nation’s second city and one that has changed greatly over the last twenty years. One thing that has not changed, however, is that Birmingham is a big polluter. Continuing growth, both in terms of the population and economy, has left the air quality in such a poor state that Birmingham City Council estimates up to 900 people per year die from diseases associated with air quality ...
Employers who are faced with employee requests for accommodation on the basis of family status may find that the response to such requests depends on the province of employment ...
Deadlines loom, as changes to rules on the rights of EEA and Swiss citizens to live and work in the UK are fast approaching. With many developments to keep apace of, we have highlighted the key dates and points which employers need to mark in the diary. 1 ...
As many of us continue to work from home and/or have opportunities for travel and meeting up restricted, we are continuing to run our essential webinar series for employers to ensure that our clients and contacts remain up to date and equipped to deal with all eventualities! Our latest seminar focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace ...
Shoosmiths latest SAMBA aviation webinar on 20 May attracted around 50 delegates to listen to our panel guests share their views on how recent events, including COVID, Brexit and climate change, have shaped the aviation sector today and how they might influence its future. Hosted by Elliot Bishop (Head of Shoosmiths Luxury Asset Group) and Sarah Fairweather (Joint Head of Marine and Aviation) ...
On June 21, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new rule to restrict the amount of non-tip-producing work a tipped employee can perform when an employer is taking a tip credit. The proposed rule clarifies that if an employee performs work that directly supports tip-producing work for a substantial amount of time — at least 20 percent of the hours worked in a workweek or at least 30 continuous minutes — the worker must be paid the standard minimum wage ...
On 11 June 2021, the Minister of Employment and Labour released the much-anticipated vaccination guidelines. These are included in the amended Consolidated Direction on Occupational Health and Safety Measures in certain Workplaces (the “Directive”). While some have interpreted the Directive as giving employers carte blanche to impose mandatory vaccination policies, this is not the case ...
The pandemic has shined a bright light on the importance of safety and health in the workplace. While most employers are well aware of the rules that they are required to follow when it comes to safety and health, many have not thought about what to do when an OSHA inspector arrives at the workplace. Here in Oregon, with some exceptions, most employers fall under the jurisdiction of Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA) ...
In one of the most highly anticipated decisions in the employment law arena, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has found that Maya Forstater’s ‘gender-critical’ belief is a philosophical belief worthy of protection under s10 of the Equality Act 2010 (“EqA”). Ms Forstater complained to the employment tribunal that she was discriminated against because of her gender-critical belief that sex is biologically immutable and that ‘transwomen are men’ ...
