As digital platforms continue to dominate, the gig economy provides jobs that enable flexible working. This article seeks to explore the recent state of play regarding gig-economy working in the UK, and how employers can comply with their obligations. What is the gig-economy? The gig-economy reflects the labour market in which typically short-term jobs are carried out over digital platforms by individuals who can fit such work around their other commitments ...
With Mother’s Day approaching this Sunday, a day seen by many as one to celebrate and recognise fantastic, supportive, loving motherly figures, it is for others a day full of challenges and sadness ...
At a time when the pandemic is continuing to have repercussions and we are experiencing a severe labour shortage, the educational childcare sector is facing unprecedented challenges. These circumstances have led to a reassessment of the standards relating to the presence of qualified childcare staff with children ...
Quebec is a fertile ground for class actions, with over 550 active cases and between 50 to 100 applications for authorization filed each year. While 2023 marked the fifth anniversary of the ?new? class action division: what is there to watch in 2024? Read on to find out. Opioids and the State: Sanis Health v ...
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 ...
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 ...
In recent years, license-in/out transactions have become the most common way for innovative drugs and medical devices (including medical aesthetics) companies to collaboratively develop and commercialize medical products and related technologies. According to public information, in China, the total amount and number of investment and financing in life sciences sector have witnessed a significant decline from 2021 to 2023, with the investment amount being only a quarter of that in 2021 ...
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 ...
The regulations that are starting to emerge in various different jurisdictions pose major challenges, not just for users, but also for developers of AI systems. In this article we will look at the main differences and the areas of common ground. Artificial intelligence has revolutionized many aspects of our lives, from healthcare to national security. However, its use has also raised concerns in connection with privacy, discrimination and security ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The recent decision to permit 45 million competition law claimants to claim against Meta has thrown fresh focus on the real risks posed to organisations after data breaches. Here, we discuss recent trends and make some predictions. Following the news that up to 45 million claimants under competition law have been given the go-ahead for a £2bn class action against Meta, many are thinking about what the real risk of class action litigation is after a mass data breach ...
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 ...
From Dominic Cummings to Nicola Sturgeon, 2023 was a noisy, headline-grabbing year for the UK’s public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. What’s coming in 2024? And what does it mean for businesses? In terms of media exposure, the first full year in the life of the UK’s official Covid-19 Inquiry was a resounding success ...
