Currently, employers can lawfully require employees to retire at 65 (the so-called default retirement age) as long as they follow the correct procedure. This has come under increasing criticism, and is currently the subject of a legal challenge by the charity Heyday (part of Age Concern). Whatever the outcome of the Heyday challenge, the Government had previously said it would review the default retirement age in 2011 to see if it was still needed ...
With employees potentially returning to the workplace, we take a look at what will need to be done to tackle a number of mental health challenges – both for people and the companies they work for. Part three of our mental health series. With the second lockdown now over and the tier system fully in play, some employers are finding themselves able to open and trade again ...
This article looks at the dynamics and tensions which exist between remote and agile working versus the role of hierarchy and the competing needs of teams. Where does the power lie in deciding what the future of work looks like? Does it sit with management, leadership, employees or HR? Many leaders and managers seem to have embraced working remotely, having previously spent days/weeks and possibly months commuting every year ...
As more companies feel the effects of the recession, suppliers must ensure they are properly protected should customers struggle to pay their bills, fall into financial decline or, worse, insolvency. A common form of security is a Retention of Title (RoT) clause in the supplier's contract. This aims to afford the seller the ability to recover goods that have not been paid for, and/or to give precedence over other creditors should the worst happen ...
In the second part in this series, we take a look at the possible changes that could be made to improve the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) and the Agency Worker Regulations 2010. Working Time Regulations - 48-hour week The WTR derive from the EU Council’s Directive on working time (1993) and the Council Directive on the protection of young people (1994) ...
Much has been written about this Bill and the potential impact that it could have on UK law. Most of this has been directed towards the potential negative consequences, including how numerous protections provided to employees by EU law might be removed. If you are not already aware, the Bill, if passed in its original form, means that all law that is derived from the UKs membership of the EU will cease to have legal effect on 31 December 2023 – the sunset date ...
In this edition: - New Corporate Manslaughter Rules - ’64 Act Stamped Out - Lock Up Your Ladders! - News Round Up - Planning: Out of Town - Out of Mind? - Use Classes Change
Many people have used their time at home to consider their health and well-being. Some have taken up exercise, yoga or getting a dog. Others have decided to find out more about their health in order to make healthier choices and use online portals like 23andMe (saliva test), Thriva (blood test) or Pharmacy2u (blood or urine test) to point them in the right direction ...
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 pushing ahead with the establishment of a Responsible Actors Scheme (RAS) provided for under s.126 and 129 of the Building Safety Act 2022. The Scheme is initially aimed at major housebuilders and other large developers that have developed or refurbished multiple residential buildings that are known to have life-critical fire safety defects ...
The key objective of the Building Safety Act 2022 is to improve building safety across the built environment, with a particular focus on the residential sector. The BSA received Royal Assent in April 2022 and will be implemented in stages ...
The media frequently reports on the ‘UK housing crisis’ and how increased building is required to satisfy current housing demands ...
As non-essential retail stores get set to re-open, we share below some key recommendations for suppliers to help minimise competition law risk over the coming weeks and months. Current market conditions are tempting some people to reach out to their counterparts at competitors – but any competitor contact needs to be managed carefully from a competition law perspective ...
As dealer networks in the automotive sector re-open for business following the COVID-19 lockdown, we share below our main competition law watch outs for suppliers over the coming weeks and months. We know that current market conditions are tempting some people to reach out to their competitors – any competitor contact needs to be managed carefully from a competition law perspective ...
Fundamental changes to the housing law regime in Wales took effect on 1 December 2022 when the Renting Home (Wales) Act 2016 comes into force. New form of rental agreement The Renting Home (Wales) Act 2016 (the “Act”) introduces a new form of rental agreement for residential property in Wales known as an “occupation contract” ...
Determining the correct rate of rent in a 1954 Act renewal can be a sticky subject at the best of times, not least when a rent-free period is thrown into the mix. Section 34 of the Act allows the Court to determine the level of rent due under the new lease, taking into account comparable evidence and applying certain disregards. Whilst s ...
With the announcement of the Law Commission’s planned consultation on Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, can changes be made to clarify and condense the statutory framework for renewals? One area ripe for reform is how the level of rent is determined, and in particular, the treatment of rent-free periods where no binding authority appears to exist - leaving a variety of often conflicting County Court decisions ...
Following the latest government announcements, where do landlords and tenants stand in relation to the recovery of rent unpaid during the Coronavirus pandemic? The simple answer is there is a significant degree of uncertainty, and an awful lot of detail around the government’s proposals and that has yet to be resolved ...
The removal of the Crown’s immunity from English planning law will make buying and developing such land much easier, says Shoosmiths’ planning law team. Crown Immunity dated back to the 1960s and included government departments such as the MOD, Her Majesty’s private estates, the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and the Crown Estate Commissioners. In the past the Crown had only to consult with local planning authorities before carrying out development ...
Let’s be honest, it feels gloomy at the moment. The ramifications of 14 consecutive rate rises are now materialising – creating additional hurdles for those seeking funding and bringing developments forward. Rising borrowing costs will always put pressure on the living sector. However, the UK’s real estate industry is remarkably resilient ...
This article forms part of our ‘New How: Perspectives’ report: ‘Can real estate help solve the productivity puzzle?. To access this free report, please click the link below. We all know a happy engaged employee is a productive and successful employee. Unfortunately, the UK has one of the least engaged employee populations in Europe ...
July was a busy month for the FCA in publishing guidance, policy and rules which have a significant impact on a firm’s relationships with its senior managers and staff. On 30 June, and towards the beginning of the “crypto winter”, Sarah Pritchard, Executive Director of Markets at the FCA gave a speech to the City UK Annual Conference entitled “Finding Opportunity in a World of Uncertainty” ...
Last week was filled with noteworthy developments in the cryptocurrency industry, Rachel Wolcott of Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence has spotlighted two important articles. The first article focuses on Binance's compliance with the UK Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) new financial promotion rules, while the second delves into HTX (formerly known as Huobi) and its status on the Seychelles corporate register of crypto exchanges. Let's take a closer look at these significant events ...
The government has published its response to a further section of the building safety regime consultation, focusing on occupied higher-risk buildings (HRBs). The questions considered in this part of the consultation related to registration requirements for HRBs. More information about what the registration will actually entail is now available, as well as confirmation of the fee for registration, which will be £251 ...
The Health and Safety Executive has confirmed that all higher-risk buildings will be required to be registered with the new Building Safety Regulator from April 2023. This follows the government’s latest response to its consultation on the management of higher-risk buildings and what information must be submitted following the registration of higher-risk buildings. The registration application will need to be accompanied by supporting information ...
