Overlooking is Not a Private Nuisance, Court of Appeal Rules
Loss of privacy as a result of overlooking by neighbours does not qualify as a form of nuisance, the Court of Appeal has ruled in a landmark judgment. The ruling confirms that, while noise, dust, noxious smells and vibrations inflicted by neighbours are among the types of nuisance offering legal protections to aggrieved parties, overlooking […]
Consumer Rights: Faulty Goods under Warranty
If an item you have purchased develops a fault, should you rely on your legal rights or make a claim under the warranty? What is a warranty? A warranty is, in essence, an insurance policy for your purchase. It is in addition to your statutory legal rights. It may be provided by the retailer or […]
ID1 Form Land Registry (How to Complete it!)
The ID1 form is used to provide evidence of identity to the Land Registry for a private individual in respect of certain property-related applications. The ID1 form is required when making one of the following applications: a) a transfer of land or a transfer of a mortgage b) an amendment to a deed or […]
Home Working Risk Assessment (Employer Guide)
Given the current work from home requirements due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the phased return to work post-lockdown, home working is expected to become more widely adopted. For employers, this means giving full consideration as to how home working will work on a longer term basis, and what this means in terms of assessing […]
Should I Furlough My Employees?
Businesses forced to close to reduce the spread of coronavirus and those that are still operating but seeing no or very little work are now looking to lay offs, asking workers to take unpaid leave or to furlough employees to reduce their outlay on salaries. Can you force employees to take unpaid leave? Despite the […]
Bereavement Leave (How Much Time Off Work?)
As an employer it is important that you provide both a compassionate and legally compliant approach to employee absence from work following the death of a loved one so as to minimise the impact on the bereaved individual and your business. Yet the law relating to bereavement leave is by no means clearly defined. What […]
SSP1 Form (Employer Guide)
Understanding how Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) works is an important part of being a responsible employer, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. If you want to find out more about SSP and when to use the SSP1 form, the following guide covers the rules on employee entitlement, notice, self-certifying and fit notes, as well as […]
Protected Characteristics in the Workplace
The Equality Act 2010 was introduced as the primary piece of legislation for the enforcement and prevention of discrimination. Its powers extend to the workplace, supporting anti-discrimination in all areas of employment. The Act covers the specific ways in which certain personal characteristics known as protected characteristics are safeguarded, and looking specifically at employment, sets […]
MOTs Extended Due to Coronavirus
MOT expiry dates are being pushed back for some cars, motorcycles, light vans, lorries, buses and trailers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles MOTs due on or after 30 March 2020 For cars, vans and motorcycles with MOTs due on or after 30 March 2020, the MOT expiry date […]
Coronavirus: Making Workforce Changes
Employers are having to make difficult workforce decisions in response to the coronavirus outbreak. [toc] While the Government introduces emergency schemes to avert widescale layoffs and redundancies, employers need to be aware of the employment law implications of making changes to a worker’s contract terms. We look at some frequently asked questions from employers relating […]
Family Court Issues Coronavirus Child Arrangements Advice
The Family Court has provided guidance for parents concerned about complying with child arrangement orders (CAOs) during the coronavirus crisis. Alongside the Stay at Home Rules issued on 23 March 2020, the Government provided specific guidance relating to child arrangement orders, stating that “where parents do not live in the same household, children under 18 […]
Coronavirus: Caring For Dependants (Employer Guide)
Update to article following Government guidance on 4th April: Furloughing workers to care for dependants On 4 April, the Government issued specific guidance expanding the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to allow employees to be furloughed to carry out caring responsibilities. The guidance states that workers unable to do their jobs because of caring responsibilities resulting from […]
Coronavirus: Working from Home (Employer Advice)
The UK Government has placed the country on official lockdown from 23 March 2020. Under the new rules, members of the public must not leave their house except to: Travel to and from work if impossible to work from home Shop for essentials, as infrequently as possible Exercise outdoors once per day, alone or with […]
Coronavirus: Government Help For Employers
The UK Government has set out a range of schemes to help employers deal with the coronavirus crisis. This includes a package of measures to support businesses including: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme The coronavirus job retention scheme aims to help employers who would otherwise have to lay off workers due to the Covid-19 outbreak. HMRC […]
Contracted Hours Not Being Met? (Help!)
The problem of contracted hours not being met is affecting employees across the economy as employers are forced to respond to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The following guide provides an overview of the law relating to contracted hours, and what you can do if your employer has failed to pay you for all […]
Should You Offer Voluntary Redundancy?
When an employer considers the possibility of making compulsory redundancies in their workforce, they should always investigate any available alternatives to that course of action first. One of these alternatives is voluntary redundancy which may reduce the number of compulsory redundancies that an employer needs to make. It may even be that sufficient voluntary redundancies […]
Compassionate Leave (Your Entitlement!)
Time off work following the death of a loved one is known as compassionate leave or bereavement leave. How much are you entitled to and what are the conditions of that leave? Am I entitled to time off work for compassionate leave? Under section 57(A) of the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees have the right […]
What are the Different Types of Lawyers?
Legal services in England and Wales are offered by various types of lawyers. There are important differences between these roles, from the type of services they can and cannot offer, to the costs you can expect to pay and the level of protection you would get if something goes wrong. Before choosing a lawyer, it […]
Barristers
Barristers have three main roles in the legal system. They represent others in court on contentious matters, and they give specialist legal advice and draft court documents. There are over 16,000 barristers in England and Wales. They are regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB), which sets the standards of behaviour expected from barristers. Barristers […]
Legal Services Buyer’s Guide
If you have a legal issue, it can be difficult to know who to turn to for advice. With so many different types of advisers in the market, legal buyers face a huge amount of choice. Whether you need legal advice for yourself or your business, and whether the issue is for something planned or something unexpected, it […]