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Compliance implications for employers when sponsored workers change role
17 February 2023Agile employers are currently taking strategic action to trade effectively in adverse market conditions. This includes corporate restructures and the movement of people within organisations. Against this backdrop, employers should take care to appropriately consider and monitor changes in employment to avoid illegal working, and in turn, risk to their sponsor licence.
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Ads & Brands Law Digest: January-February 2023
17 February 2023Welcome to the January-February 2023 edition of our Digest, covering legal and regulatory developments from the last few weeks relevant to advertising, marketing and brand-owning businesses. As usual, for each item we provide a succinct summary accompanied by a link to the full text of the relevant official source or our own report.
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The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill: do we predict a riot of requests?
17 February 2023The government is finally following up on its 2018 promise to address “one-sided flexibility” in work contracts by backing this Private Member’s Bill. This article looks at the planned new rights.
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Gender pay gap reporting and startups: what are the issues?
15 February 2023The gender pay gap in UK startups is around 25% - much higher than the UK average. Why is it so high and what can startups do about it?
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LGBT+ rights at work: no room for complacency
15 February 2023As we mark LGBT+ history month in February 2023, this article looks at the current position of LGBT+ people in the workplace and the challenges that still remain.
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The Online Safety Bill
Inbrief
14 February 2023The Online Safety Bill will introduce a new regulatory regime to address illegal and harmful content online. We are seeing more and more scrutiny in this area, with Australia, Ireland and the EU already passing new legislation, including the EU’s Digital Services Act, and Singapore proposing similar legislation.
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How to undertake a collective redundancy process
14 February 2023If an employer is proposing to make 20 or more people redundant within 90 days, the obligation to collectively consult will be triggered. There are many different strands to this process and a number of legal obligations to comply with. We have created these infographics to help understand the process at a glance.
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Draft Code of Practice published on restricting “fire and rehire”
09 February 2023The government has published a new draft Code of Practice which warns that “fire and rehire” should only be used to change employees’ terms and conditions as “a last resort” and urges employers to first engage in thorough and open information and consultation processes. The draft is open for consultation until April 2023.
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CBDC - the future of payments and money in the UK?
09 February 2023Back in April 2022 I wrote an article about the future of cryptoassets, payments and money in the UK. At that time, the UK government announced that it intended to bring in a regulatory regime for stablecoins used as a means of payment.
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Litigation commenced against the developers of AI image generation software
Press
07 February 2023Katfriends Adrian Aronsson-Storrier and Oliver Fairhurst from Lewis Silkin report on recent litigation in the UK against the developers of AI generation software. This litigation has arisen amongst a flurry of recent interest in AI generated works.
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Some UK Ancestry dependants can settle sooner than you may think
07 February 2023If you are the partner or child of a person with UK Ancestry, you may be eligible to apply for settlement in the UK earlier than you may think, and in some cases immediately.
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AI 101: What are the infringement risks of using AI-generated works?
07 February 2023This is the third article in our “AI 101” series, where the team at Lewis Silkin will unravel the legal issues involved in the development and use of AI text and image generation tools. In the previous article of the series, we considered questions of ownership and authorship when it comes to generating AI works. In this article we consider how those tools might be infringing IP rights and how the users of those tools might find themselves in hot water.
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The ripple effect: how strikes are affecting the wider world of work
07 February 2023With schools closing, trains cancelled and a health service under strain, public sector strikes are impacting on all our lives. But how are they affecting the world of work more generally, and what can employers do to mitigate the disruption?
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Commercial dispute resolution: navigating the economic downturn
06 February 2023After-shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, sky-high inflation, “mini-budget” fiascos and the revolving door of number 10: as we settle into 2023, many of the political, humanitarian and economic events of 2022 and beyond continue to have a huge impact on businesses grappling with uncertainty and financial instability.
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Contractual ways to improve cash flow
03 February 2023It’s been a challenging couple of years for the UK economy. Businesses have had to grapple with Brexit uncertainty, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine all affecting trade. These have in turn resulted in higher costs, compounded by inflationary pressures.
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How to mitigate the impact of inflation and supply chain disruptions on commercial contracts
03 February 2023These are undoubtedly difficult times for businesses. Supply chain disruptions that emerged following the pandemic have contributed to a burst of global inflation which has led to record increases in costs such as energy, wages and transportation as well as higher interest rates.
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Dealing with a counterparty who is facing insolvency
03 February 2023There’s been widespread coverage of the impending economic downturn. The pressures of the war in Ukraine, the consequential energy crisis, high inflation and labour shortages have combined to create forceful economic headwinds.
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The importance of pro-active contract management in an economic downturn
03 February 2023Efficient contract management is an essential part of running any business. This is never more important than during times of economic uncertainty when businesses need to keep a close eye on contract performance, regularly review and monitor whether contracts still meet the business’ changing requirements and remain vigilant to the key indicators of potential failings or breaches.
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Are contract amendments made in an economic downturn legally binding?
03 February 2023Performing obligations in commercial contracts in the current downturn is a serious challenge for some businesses. Sometimes that challenge will be so great that it is the catalyst for a breakdown of a business relationship. But where there is a common desire to get through these tough times, the focus may be on how contractual terms might be varied to ensure that both parties are able to survive.
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How can I recover unpaid debts?
03 February 2023Even without a difficult economic landscape, establishing a strategy to recover a debt can make the difference between sitting comfortably and struggling through. It’s important to be aware of the different routes to recovery – and their limitations. Use this overview to understand your options and which option is best for your circumstances.