On 15 June 2023, three groups namely the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP), Pregnant Then Screwed (PTS) and Women in Data, published their collaborative report on the social and economic impact associated with extended paternity leave and pay. Currently in the UK, the statutory entitlement to paternity leave is capped at two weeks, with the weekly rate for paternity pay amounting to the lower of £172.48 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings ...
Following the announcement that visa fees are to be increased, the government has announced a hike in civil penalty fines for employers and landlords who employ or let properties to foreign nationals who do not have the right to work or reside in the UK. The planned increases come as part of government announcements on policy to reduce the number of people living and working in the UK without a legal immigration status ...
The UK government has announced plans to extend recognition of the CE marking ‘indefinitely’ beyond the upcoming deadline of 31 December 2024 for certain products placed on the Great Britain (GB) market, leading to uncertainty over the future of the UKCA marking ...
New Charity Commission guidance may have dropped the phrase “ethical investment” but the need for charities to understand whether they must, should or can invest in line with their ESG aspirations has never been more pressing, as the UK Government presses ahead with its new oil rush following the recent announcement that more than 100 oil and gas drilling licences will be granted for the North Sea in the autumn ...
Property owners in the UK are already feeling the pinch, with a slowdown in activity coupled with economic factors, including high inflation and interest rates - causing a further tightening in the lending market. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulatory regime is another cause for searching behind the sofa cushions for coppers in order to upgrade, update and 'green' existing assets ...
The Responsible Actors Scheme (RAS) was launched on 21 July 2023. Eligible developers that fail to join or comply with the conditions of the RAS will be subject to building control and planning prohibitions. The Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) Regulations 2023 contain the detail of the RAS and are unchanged from the draft Regulations ...
The Government is undertaking a consultation on the secondary legislation required to implement the new public procurement regime established by the Procurement Bill ...
Experis, a global leader in IT professional resourcing, project services and managed services, recently conducted a survey of over 2000 British employers in relation to the employment outlook for 2023. In response, 54% of employers anticipate that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a positive impact in headcount over the next 2 years ...
As the financial services sector has developed and adopted technology, there has been a significant growth in Deferred Payment Credit, more commonly referred to as ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (“BNPL”) by consumers. Demonstrating the scale of growth, news outlets have recently reported that over £10 billion has been lent to consumers by BNPL companies in the last three years ...
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is at the top of the agenda for many organisations. It is a collective term for a business’s impact on the environment and wider society ...
Employees have a right under data protection law to access their personal data processed by their employer. But what is essential and best practice for an employer to consider when responding to such request? There has been a noticeable trend of an upward increase in employee DSARs over the last few years, mainly stemming from employee disputes in the workplace such as grievances and tribunal proceedings ...
The Court of Appeal has partially clarified a significant loophole in the Telecoms Code, which was threatening to prevent the redevelopment of some telecommunications sites. The previous iteration of the Telecoms Code was infamously labelled ‘not one of parliament’s better drafting efforts’ by the High Court ...
25 July marks World In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) day (or World Embryologist Day) recognising the day in 1978 the first baby was born following successful IVF treatment. To mark the day, we ask what employers can do to support employees undertaking IVF. Background Louise Joy Brown was the first ever baby in the world to be born following IVF treatment ...
A recent survey conducted by the charity Pregnant Then Screwed, reported that almost a quarter (24%) of women who told their boss about their fertility treatment did not receive any support at work.In vitro fertilization (IVF) can place an emotional, physical and financial stress on women ...
Suzanne Burrell is joined by Adam Davis, Managing Director of K3 Advisory, and Becky Wood, Trustee Director at Vidett, to discuss recent risk transfer market experience, preparing for buy in or buy out, and some common issues in those projects. Last year, 2022, saw the completion of around 200 risk transfer transactions, representing around £30bn in liabilities moving from pension schemes to insurers ...
On 10 July 2023 in his Mansion House speech, Chancellor Jeremey Hunt announced the government’s plans to transform the UK’s financial services sector. The announcement was followed the next day by a raft of consultation documents from the DWP addressing a range of pension reforms aimed at boosting outcomes for pension savers and supporting growth across the wider economy ...
As the Procurement Bill reaches its final stages before royal assent, we take a look at some of the changes made since its introduction in May 2022. Whilst the Bill has not undergone radical changes, between the Commons and the Lords, there have still been some interesting additions. We will revisit these changes following consideration of Commons amendments scheduled for September 2023 ...
A summary of the key takeaways from a recent webinar Charities legal and regulatory preview. "Prevention rather than cure: understand and embrace the quiet revolution in charity regulation" Not our words, but those of the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission back in April when she spoke of the potential of My Charity Commission Account being rolled out for all charity trustees ...
The Regulations implement most of the recommendations made to the government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report which require a change in the Law and impact those responsible for buildings with at least two residential units and common parts ...
On 17 July 2023, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published its High-level Recommendations for the Regulation, Supervision and Oversight of Crypto-asset Activities and Markets: Final report (Report A) and its revised High-level Recommendations for the Regulation, Supervision and Oversight of Global Stablecoin Arrangements: Final Report (Report B) ...
Yesterday, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a consultation paper on social media guidance for firms promoting financial services and products. The draft guidance does not contain anything new so far as "dos and don'ts" for promotional material - including the new rules set to come into force on 8 October this year regarding promotion of crypto-related investments (see relevant article here) ...
On 13 July 2023, the UK government planned increases to fees across a range of immigration and nationality routes including the immigration health surcharge. The immigration health surcharge (IHS) is set to see a huge increase of around 66%. The current standard IHS rate is £624 per person per year of leave to remain granted and this will increase to £1,035. Similarly, the discounted rate for students and under-18s will increase from £470 per year to £776 ...
In this article we highlight the most significant employment law cases since April 2023 and the lessons that employers should take from them. Pregnancy discrimination In dismissal situations, the motivation of the decision-maker to dismiss is key rather than the motivation of other employees who may be indirectly involved, as the case of Alcedo Orange Ltd v Ferridge-Gunn demonstrates ...
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a letter to Cryptoasset firms on the 4 July confirming that qualifying cryptoassets will now fall within the scope of the financial promotions regime. From the 8 October 2023, all firms marketing cryptoassets to UK consumers, including firms based overseas, must comply with the financial promotions regime. What is a Financial Promotion? A financial promotion is a broadly defined term, with no technological boundaries ...
Shoosmiths’ mobility head, Jonathan Smart, was a speaker at the SMMT International Automotive Summit 2023, hosted in London. Jonathan moderated a panel discussion focused on the competitive challenges facing the UK’s automotive manufacturing sector. The summit was aimed at addressing the challenges facing the automotive sector, including building resiliency, international collaboration, unlocking potential, competitiveness and innovation ...
