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Home working has its benefits - but ministers also see negative impact: Síobhra Rush comments for Irish Independent
Press
19 October 2020Thousands of people working from home have been told to stay put - and were offered a modest financial incentive to do so in this Budget. Síobhra Rush comments on the impact this is having on employers and their staff.
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There's no place like home - data protection implications of the move to remote working: Linda Hynes and Catherine Hayes write for PDP Journal
Press
19 October 2020In this article, Linda Hynes and Catherine Hayes highlight some important data protection implications of remote working for employers and the helpful guidance published by the DPC.
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Dispute Resolution Update - October 2020
16 October 2020Welcome to our October 2020 Dispute Resolution Update which collates some of our recent insights. We will be hosting our next dispute resolution webinar on the 5th November 'Trading through the pandemic: insolvency issues, risk and contractual performance.' You can find registration instructions here. Thank you for reading the October Dispute Resolution Update.
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Ireland’s Budget 2021: Key takeaways for employers
16 October 2020The Covid-19 pandemic and the threat of a no-trade deal Brexit are the overriding themes underpinning the government’s budget for 2021. According to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, the government has set aside €5.5 billion in contingency funds due to the “unbelievable uncertainty” facing the country. In this article we highlight key points from the budget for employers to note.
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Sports Q&A - Should mediation be used more in sports disputes?
16 October 2020With sports disputes becoming more and more prevalent, it is more important than ever for parties to consider using alternative means to resolve disputes like mediation rather than the more traditional methods such as arbitration or court proceedings. However, whilst mediation is commonly used to resolve commercial disputes, it is not used as often in sports disputes despite its many benefits.
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What does the Covid-19 tier system mean for offices?
16 October 2020Regulations underpinning the 3-tier lockdown system are now in force in England, as part of the government’s efforts to step up its response to the pandemic. This article considers if the new regulations demand a stricter approach to office work and meetings.
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IR35: a welcome sigh of relief
15 October 2020New guidance released by HMRC offers some re-assurance to businesses looking to hire contractors through agencies or umbrella companies. Despite broad wording in the Finance Act potentially suggesting otherwise, HMRC guidance indicates that they will not require the new IR35 rules to be operated if the contractor is an employee of a third party such as a UK based agency or umbrella company.
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Pandemic right to work check procedures
15 October 2020Under the Home Office’s current guidance for right to work checks (“RTW”), it is possible to conduct a fully compliant initial or follow-up RTW without seeing the individual face-to-face. Where this is not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Home Office has instituted a temporary adjusted procedure, which must be backed up by retrospective checks in due course. We have summarised the options and procedures below, as well as highlighting some general points to be aware of during the pandemic.
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Privilege Denied – “Dominant Purpose” in Practice
14 October 2020In the long-running case of Financial Reporting Council v Fraser’s Group (formerly Sports Direct International Plc) numerous issues of privilege have arisen.
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Covert recordings – does use in court justify the risk?
13 October 2020With the ubiquity of smartphones, most people have the ability secretly to record a conversation or meeting, but in the context of proceedings before the court in England, key questions are: will the court allow covert recordings to be used as evidence? And will the maker of the recording risk liability to claims from the people recorded?
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Why pubs and restaurants are suing the Government over closures and the 10pm curfew – and if they could win: Alan Hunt comments for The i
Press
13 October 2020As hospitality venues across the country ramp up for a legal case against the government’s restriction measures, experts warn the case is nuanced and courts are unlikely to want to intervene.
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Lewis Silkin advises the founders of Public Digital on becoming part of the Kyu Collective
Deal
13 October 2020Lewis Silkin has advised the founders of its client, Public Digital, on the sale of a material stake in Public Digital to Kyu.
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Government announces extension to Job Support Scheme for closed business premises
12 October 2020The Chancellor has announced an extension to the Job Support Scheme targeted at businesses required to close entirely due to tighter local or national coronavirus restrictions. Under these proposals, the government will pay two-thirds of wages for businesses forced to close in the coming months as it seeks to slow the rise in coronavirus cases. This article looks at what we know so far and considers what affected employers should do now.
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Trading in turbulent times: has the bar got higher again?
12 October 2020UK businesses are facing a tough month. Uncertainty abounds with localised Covid restrictions on the horizon and a perfect storm is brewing: 29 September was a rent quarter day for many businesses and the furlough scheme is set to be withdrawn at the end of October. With 11% of the British workforce on furlough (according to ONS data), many are staring into the abyss.
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Record €35 million fine for excessive employee monitoring
08 October 2020An employer in Germany has been fined over €35 million under the General Data Protection Regulation for unlawfully monitoring its employees. What impact could this have on employers in the UK?
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Increased Immigration Health Surcharge to take effect from 27 October 2020
07 October 2020Regulations authorising the increases to the surcharge were made on 6 October 2020. For many applicants, the new charge will be £624 per year per applicant instead of the current £400.
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MAC publishes report recommending expanded shortage occupation lists
07 October 2020The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has recommended a significant expansion of the occupations deemed to be in shortage for the purposes of sponsorship under the new Skilled Worker category, which will replace Tier 2 (General) from 1 January 2021. The Home Office will now need to consider the recommendations and finalise the Immigration Rules for Skilled Workers.
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Agency workers and how to engage them
07 October 2020This article looks at the increasing popularity of agency workers in light of coronavirus and the main points that businesses should consider when seeking to engage them.
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Supply of labour regulations - will your business be caught
07 October 2020This article considers the implications of a recent High Court judgment taking a broad approach to the concept of “employment” in the legislation regulating businesses which supply labour.
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Ads & Brands Law Digest: August-September2020
07 October 2020Welcome to the August-September 2020 issue of our monthly Ads & Brands Law Digest.