On 14 December 2022, the People's Bank of China ("PBOC") issued for public comments the Measures for Administration and Supervision of Financial Market Infrastructures (the "FMI Measures"). The public comment period is open until 14 January 2023 ...
Maritime operators should diligently enact and follow policies and procedures on personal leave and drinking ashore. In a recent decision from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, the court refused to dismiss claims against a tugboat operator by estates of two crewmembers killed while operating a skiff, In re Chester J. Marine, LLC, No. 20-214 (M.D. La. Nov. 10, 2022) ...
The Council of the EU has now adopted its common position on the bloc's draft AI Act, as the legislation approaches final form. The updated position signals a number of important refinements to key principles in the previous text. The EU is hoping the legislation, once agreed and ratified with the European Parliament, will provide organisations within or trading into the EU with a uniform, risk-based framework, creating a single market for AI applications ...
Over the past few weeks, the European Union has issued somewhat of a landmark act which is aimed at addressing the topical issue surrounding the lack of women in top-level corporate positions ...
Renewable energy developers and contractors have been anticipating the Treasury Department and IRS’s initial guidance on what is required to satisfy the prevailing wage and apprentice requirements under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ...
On 5 December 2022, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (“MLVT”) issued Notification 045/22 on Extending the Deadline for the 2023 Foreign Employee Quota Application (“Notification”). Through the Notification, the MLVT has delayed the submission deadline for 2023 foreign employee quota applications until 31 January 2023, being two months after the original deadline ...
On the twelfth day of Christmas, HR asked with heavy hearts “should we delay dismissing an employee until the New Year starts?" After much deliberation, they decided … no Dealing with redundancies or other dismissals is challenging at any time of the year, never mind in the run up to Christmas when everyone is already feeling the pinch of their purse strings whilst trying to stay afloat with festive joy ...
In a Pre-Budget Report (PBR) announced to Parliament last week, the Government has set out its priorities for next year's budget. These include proposals to increase revenues via significant changes to the current employment tax regime. Perhaps the most headline-grabbing aspect of these potential reforms is the proposal to increase the employer portion of payroll tax for exempted companies, from 10.25% to 10.75% ...
Just weeks after the “implosion” of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, credit services provider BlockFi filed for Chapter 11 protection with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, indicating that it is burdened with billions of dollars of estimated liabilities and more than 100,000 creditors ...
The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) [1] entered into force on 1 November 2022. A business that considers the platform it uses will likely be designated as a ‘gatekeeper’ and that the platform’s rules/behaviour are unfair can take certain steps now [2]. Q1 2023 to Q2 2023 - Engage with the platform to change its rules/behaviour ...
On the 11th day of Christmas, HR heard management say…“if they all work at Christmas, how much must we pay”? A weary HR team replied - whatever the contract says! Once again employers should initially turn to the contract of employment for the answer, which will vary from employer to employer and could include any of the following: You will receive normal salary for any time worked on a public holiday but will be rewarded with an equivalent day off in lieu to be taken at a
The UK data regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”), has released a statement warning organisations to assess the public risks of using emotion analysis technologies, with those failing to do so risking investigation and enforcement action ...
With an estimated 3.5 million people suffering from fertility issues in the UK, and with fertility treatment involving an emotionally draining not to mention a long, costly and risky process, it is unsurprising that Nickie Aiken MP has begun a campaign for change and better employment rights for individuals and couples undergoing fertility treatment ...
On 23 September 2021, the government published a consultation paper on ‘making flexible working the default’. The response to this consultation has now been published (on 5 December 2022). Overall, the responses to the consultation were broadly in favour of the proposed change ...
Meta continues to make headlines for the wrong reasons in the data protection field as this week the Irish data regulator, the DPC fined the tech company €265 million ($275 million) for infringements of Articles 25(1) and 25(2) GDPR. It is nothing new that Meta pushes data protection boundaries ...
On the tenth day of Christmas, HR were again dismayed… ”Can we make everyone work the Christmas bank holidays? In response to this question most employers will be able to turn to the contract of employment to find the answer. The contract will typically state whether or not the annual leave allowance is in addition to the usual statutory bank holidays ...
After two years of navigating COVID-19, the end of 2022 will be an opportunity for employers to organise larger activities for their employees, such as Christmas parties. The purpose of this newsletter is to make employers aware of their obligations during the holiday season festivities. Below, we will address the following three issues: industrial accidents, disciplinary measures and psychological harassment ...
The Supreme Court will decide if historic holiday pay claims can be brought where there are gaps of three months or more between a series of underpayments. The outcome could have significant implications for employers across the UK ...
On the ninth day of Christmas, HR was asked with fear, “Do we have to say yes to all holiday requests during this festive time of year?” And HR replied….No! A common problem around the festive period is that many employees want to take the same days as annual leave so that they can enjoy time off with their loved ones ...
On the eighth day of Christmas, HR heard someone say, “do we have to let seasonal workers have a holiday?” And HR replied...Yes! It is a common misconception that, because seasonal workers are hired specifically to provide additional cover during the busy festive period, employers do not have to give them any time off over Christmas. However, this is not true and seasonal staff have the same right to annual leave as any other worker ...
As 2022 draws to a close we are provided with an opportunity to reflect on what has been and what is still yet to come. The UK tech sector has grown substantially since Brexit took effect in 2020, the real effects having been masked until now by the ensuing global pandemic. It has only really been in 2022 that the business community has been able to properly see the opportunities, and the challenges, that the sector faces ...
Thailand’s traditional alcoholic beverages have been developed for centuries and their growth potential has been recognized in the global market. Several indigenous alcoholic beverage brands have received international recognition and are sold globally. This has continued even though Thailand’s manufacturing of alcoholic beverages-related laws (the “Laws”) are very restrictive ...
