In our second article in the series focusing on discrimination in the workplace, we consider race, one of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, including what the term covers and what issues commonly arise in the workplace. What is race? Race is defined in the Equality Act 2010 as including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins ...
Practise What You Preach Governance + Compliance Magazine Joanne Sear, Principal Associate Barrister, Shoosmiths February 2024 Companies in the legal services industry may be advising clients on the risks and opportunities around corporate responsibility, but are they living up to those recommendations? For more than a decade, corporate responsibility (CR) has been a key risk and opportunity for businesses ...
You may already be aware of a new federal law called the Corporate Transparency Act (the CTA), which became effective on January 1, 2024. The CTA was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act and mandates that certain business entities (“Reporting Companies”) report identifying information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) ...
On 22 February 2024, The Equality and Human Rights Commission published their first guidance on menopause in the workplace (the Guidance). This is a welcomed move in the right direction, but it remains to be seen how far this will change things in practice ...
Employers are likely to have experienced some of their employees losing a baby before the 24 week mark. Employees may have been open about it with their employers; others may not have been especially if their pregnancy was in the early stages. The Government has just launched a new scheme for parents who experience a loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks. The scheme went live at 9am on 22 February 2024 and allows parents in this situation to request a baby loss certificate ...
As it has been widely reported, 2023 saw a fall in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions compared to 2022. Many are predicting greater dealmaking in 2024, although we suspect that will be weighted towards the second half of the year. As it has been widely reported, 2023 saw a fall in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions compared to 2022. A vast array of headwinds all led to a reduction in deal activity, including high inflation, rising interest rates and lower economic growth ...
BVI annual returns - frequently asked questions 1. What information needs to be included in the annual return? The annual return needs to provide a basic balance sheet and income (profit and loss) statement. The form of annual return is prescribed by statute, a copy of which can be found here. 2. When does the first annual return need to be filed? A Company must file its first annual return within 9 months of its fiscal year end ...
Following the conflict in Ukraine, the UK Government opened various visa routes and concessions for those affected to come to the UK. These routes granted Ukrainians three years’ leave to remain in the UK and granted a right to work ...
Minimum Requirements for Employment Contracts All individuals set to be employed are required to have a written employment contract, as mandated by the Working Environment Act, Section 14-5. This requirement applies regardless of whether the employment is for a permanent or temporary position. As of July 1, 2024, new content requirements for employment contracts will be introduced for new employment relationships. These requirements are in addition to the existing minimum requirements ...
Carey Olsen and Alter Domus advise Gyrus Capital on €310 million fund Fund II consists of the Principal Fund and an open-ended co-investment vehicle, allowing Gyrus to make larger investments. With its close, the total number of funds raised since the firm was established in November 2018 exceeds €750 million. Fund II will be a continuation of Fund I, generating returns from investments into businesses operating in the healthcare and sustainability sectors ...
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released guidance on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 H-1B lottery process. The registration system will be open from noon Eastern, March 6, 2024 until noon Eastern, March 22, 2024. The application fee will remain $10 for each case entered into the system ...
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Special economic measures introduced in 2022 due to “unfriendly” actions of certain foreign states against the Russian Federation have been subject to development and clarification during 2023. We have already highlighted some key aspects of 2023 countersanctions regulation in another newsletter, and here we would like to pay more attention to the corporate and some other regulatory issues. 1 ...
Flexible working has continued in many workforces since the pandemic. The most common pattern is a hybrid one where employees split their time between the office and home. However some employees are now looking to work remotely on a permanent basis. This is what happened in Wilson v Financial Conduct Authority 2302739/2023 ...
On 24 January 2024, to deepen the opening-up of the bond market and further facilitate the liquidity management of overseas institutional investors, the People's Bank of China ("PBOC") and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange published theAnnouncement on Further Supporting Overseas Institutional Investors Engaging in Bond Repurchase Business in the China Interbank Bond Market(draft for comments) (the "Announcement") (《关于进一步支持境外机构投资者开展银行间债券市场债券回购业务的公告(征求意见稿)》) to solicit public opinion ...
Obtaining a medical report on an employee can be a sensitive and complex process. We set out our top tips for employers, including the key matters to include in the letter of instruction and the legal considerations they need to navigate. When to seek a medical report There are several situations where an employer might seek a medical report on an employee or prospective employee ...
Amazon France Logistics has been fined €32m in France for being “grossly negligent” about European data protection law when it comes to monitoring its workers. How can companies do the right thing by workers and by regulators? Employers have increasingly sophisticated tools to help them monitor their workers. Amazon’s substantial recent fine from French data protection regulators shows that they don’t always get it right ...
One of the main features of the cryptocurrency market is how unpredictable it is - the value of cryptocurrencies can rise and fall sharply, depending on how investors feel about them or the social media hype around them at the time ...
Unexpectedly, Home Office guidance Employer’s guide to right to work checks has been updated to expand on the required steps for employers who are taking on an individual to carry out ‘supplementary employment’. It now helpfully gives clarification on what steps should be undertaken to ensure that right to work checks for this category of employees are done correctly ...
Recent surveys have revealed the shocking statistic that 90% of breastfeeding mothers are forced to use a toilet or are not provided with a suitable space to express their breastmilk at work. We look at what employers can do to rectify this issue in order to offer the appropriate level of support to new mums. Returning to work following maternity leave can be a daunting prospect, particularly if this is the first time that an employee has been apart from their baby for long periods of time ...
