Insights & News

Ask About...Retail, Fashion and Hospitality

19 June 2018

Many of our clients in the retail, fashion and hospitality sector face similar HR issues. Each month one of the members of our team will identify an issue, ask how you would deal with it and provide our advice. This month we asked Laura...

High Court dismisses Pimlico plumbers challenge to Deliveroo contract

15 June 2018

In the latest development regarding “worker status” and the “gig economy”, and applying this week’s earlier Supreme Court decision in Pimlico Plumbers, the High Court has rejected the Independent Workers of Great Britain trade union application for a judicial review of the Central Arbitration Committee’s decision that Deliveroo riders are not “workers” based on the terms of Deliveroo’s “substitution clause”.

Naomi Hanrahan-Soar comments for LexisNexis: New start-up visa could mark ‘shift towards more positive immigration policy’

Press

15 June 2018

In an article for LexisNexis, Naomi Hanrahan-Soar discusses the implications of the new visa routes announced by The Home Secretary, adding that it will hopefully ‘mark a shift toward more positive immigration news and policy’.

Supreme Court says Pimlico Plumbers are workers

13 June 2018

In the latest major development in a series of cases on employment status, the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Pimlico Plumbers and confirmed that a “self-employed” plumber should have been classed a worker.

CEO pay ratio reporting coming soon

12 June 2018

Good news for fans of gender pay gap reporting who work for UK-listed companies – executive pay gap reporting will soon be added to your to-do list as well.

Have your say how you want us to deliver immigration services to individuals!

Case Study

11 June 2018

As one of the leading firms for business immigration, one of our top priorities is understanding the implications of Brexit for EU workers. We now know that the 3 million EU nationals and their family members are going to have to start, later this year, to apply under a new immigration procedure for ‘settled status’. Many of them will not have come into contact with the UK visa system before and may understandably feel they would benefit from legal assistance with the process.

Richard Moore writes for Law360: UK Employment Law Risks In Cross-Border M&A

Press

11 June 2018

In an article for Law360, Richard Moore discusses the employment law considerations U.S. companies need to think about when acquiring U.K. based companies or assets, due to a number of differing fundamental employment principles.

Kathryn Weaver comments for Playtimes Hong Kong on the length of paternity leave

07 June 2018

Kathryn comments for Playtimes Hong Kong concerning the fact that the government is still debating the length of paternity leave, and why it's so low compared to other countries.

New IR35 rules coming to the private sector soon

05 June 2018

The Government has launched a consultation to tackle non-compliance with the IR35 regime in the private sector.

Joanna Hunt writes for HR review - Is the Tier 2 system in crisis?

Press

04 June 2018

There is another potential crisis brewing for the Home Office. The last few months has seen a number of developments which expose the failings of the Tier 2 system, the work permit category of the immigration rules. Joanna Hunt asks, is the Tier 2 system in crisis?

Natasha Hotson writes for People Management - Will the government listen to business on EEA migration?

Press

04 June 2018

There are clear signs that the government is open to trying to minimise the impact of a restrictive policy, read below as Natasha Hotson asks, will the government listen to business on EEA migration?

Political and religious views of sports stars - balancing contractual restrictions with human rights

01 June 2018

Sports personalities are often subject to sporting rules that restrict their ability to make political statements or promote religious ideology when competing. Furthermore, contractual provisions can also mean that statements made in their personal capacity while off duty, for example on social media, can lead to disciplinary action or worse. Can such restrictions be challenged on the basis of human rights? Does it make a difference if the athlete genuinely holds the views (e.g. because of religious or cultural beliefs)?

Japan’s #metoo movement

30 May 2018

The #metoo movement has been slow to gain traction in Japan. There have been few reported cases about sexual harassment involving public figures...until recently.

Frequently asked questions on termination payments

Inbrief

25 May 2018

Our FAQs Inbrief looks at some of the common tax questions that arise on termination of employment.

Reducing business costs - alternatives to redundancy

Inbrief

25 May 2018

When businesses run into financial difficulties and need to reduce costs, the knee-jerk reaction is often to consider the scope for job cuts.

Dismissals for “some other substantial reason”

Inbrief

25 May 2018

“Some other substantial reason” (“SOSR”) is one of the potentially fair reasons for dismissing an employee. It can cover a wide variety of situations and can be a very useful tool for employers in unusual situations, although there are some limits on when it can be used.

Taxation of payments in lieu of notice

Inbrief

25 May 2018

From 6 April 2018 new rules took effect to ensure that all payments in lieu of notice (PILONs) are subject to income tax and NICs in full. The rules emerged from a Government consultation on the simplification of the tax treatment of termination payments which was first launched in 2012. Far from simplifying the taxation, the rules are complex and, in many cases, will increase the costs of both employers and employees.

Redundancy

PDF

25 May 2018

This inbrief looks at how employers can minimise the risk of legal claims when dismissing employees by reason of redundancy.

Settlement agreements

Inbrief

25 May 2018

First introduced by statute in 1993, settlement agreements (previously known as compromise agreements) have become increasingly common as a means for an employer and employee to settle claims and/or effect a clean break from the employment relationship.

The apprenticeship levy

Inbrief

25 May 2018

The Government has committed to boost productivity by increasing the quantity and quality of apprenticeships.