Insights & News

Prevention of illegal working a: compliance guide for employers

Inbrief

17 November 2016

This Inbrief summarises how employers can reduce their exposure to fines and other penalties under the Home Office’s Prevention of Illegal Working regime.

Bring your own device

Inbrief

16 November 2016

According to a global study in 2011 by the Aberdeen group, 75% of the 415 companies surveyed allow their employees to use their own device e.g. laptops, tablets and smart phones, for business purposes. Similarly, a survey by BT in 2012 of 2,000 IT users and managers in 11 countries found that more than four out of five companies surveyed permit their employees to connect their own device to the corporate network or will do so within the next two years. This trend is commonly referred to as ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD).

Protect against Defamation and Privacy actions

Inbrief

15 November 2016

The law of defamation and also the law of privacy is at a watershed. Since the beginning of 2010 the media have stepped up their campaign for a change in our laws, for more flexibility and a greater ability for freedom of expression to be paramount. This has been much more evident since the Human Rights Act 1998 incorporated the European Convention of Human Rights. This inbrief is intended to show how best to try and avoid a letter before action and a claim, when legal advice is appropriate and what to do when you get a complaint.

Health and safety in the workplace

Inbrief

11 November 2016

With the number of health and safety (“H&S”) prosecutions steadily increasing and significant reforms in sentencing for H&S offences and deaths at work, the need for employers to be aware of their H&S obligations couldn’t be more important.

Short-term lettings

Inbrief

08 November 2016

If you are looking for new short-term premises for your business, did you know that there are actually a whole range of legal forms a short-term letting can take? This Inbrief sets out the different options available for short-term occupation of business premises and considers the advantages and disadvantages associated with each.

Religion or belief discrimination

Inbrief

27 October 2016

The European Equal Treatment Framework Directive (2000/78/EC) prohibits direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the workplace in respect of various characteristics including religion, religious belief and philosophical belief. This is implemented through the Equality Act 2010.

Bullying and harassment

Inbrief

19 October 2016

Dignity at work has become increasingly recognised in recent years as an important issue for employers to address. Taking action to prevent bullying and harassment at work can be crucial in avoiding increased levels of stress and absenteeism, low staff morale, high turnover and decreased productivity.

Working without the default retirement age

Inbrief

09 September 2016

When age discrimination legislation was first introduced in 2006, it allowed employers to retire employees compulsorily at or over the default retirement age (“DRA”) of 65 as long as they followed a statutory retirement notification procedure.

Managing ill health and disability

Inbrief

06 September 2016

The management of ill health and disability raises problems that employers have to grapple with on a daily basis. Minimising the cost and inconvenience of ill health in the workforce, whilst ensuring compliance with legal obligations, requires both a clear understanding of the relevant legal principles and a co-ordinated approach.

Social media and the workplace

Inbrief

26 August 2016

Businesses are embracing the benefits that social media brings but its recent massive growth in popularity is inevitably creating issues in the workplace as the interface between employees’ work and personal lives becomes blurred.

Smoking at work

Inbrief

11 August 2016

Following the introduction of the smoking ban in England in July 2007, it is a criminal offence in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to smoke in virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces, on public transport and in work vehicles used by more than one person.

The Working Time Regulations 1998

Inbrief

20 July 2016

The Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) implement the European Working Time Directive in the UK.

Brazilian Olympic Act: a last minute hurdle for ambushers

Inbrief

08 July 2016

With the Rio Olympic Games just around the corner, there have been concerns about the country’s readiness to play host to the competition, its athletes and scores of fans. Issues around stadium safety and anti-doping policies have been at the forefront of the debate, but there has also been, until very recently, a distinct lack of clarity for brands and sponsors planning marketing activities in Brazil in the lead up to the Games.

The Bribery Act 2010 - an employment law perspective

Inbrief

08 June 2016

The Bribery Act 2010, which came into force on 1 July 2011, is responsible for sweeping away antiquated British bribery laws to create a regime of criminal offences described by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office as “the toughest bribery legislation in the world”.

Defamation & Malicious Falsehood

Inbrief

20 April 2016

Reputation protection which embodies our law of defamation has become increasingly important. Together with the law of privacy, including confidentiality, reputation protection is a vital right for individuals and corporations, especially the advertising industry where image and celebrity rights attract so much attention.

Tape measures - tackling the risk of employee recordings

Inbrief

02 March 2016

Modern technology has made it increasingly easy for employees to make covert recordings in the workplace. This can be done in different contexts and for a variety of reasons, but is rarely something that the employer would want to take place.

Trade Mark Watch Services

Inbrief

21 February 2016

There is a temptation for trade mark owners to breathe a sigh of relief as they eventually file their trade mark applications. It is often the culmination of months of work searching for any prior rights and perhaps investigating, negotiating, cancelling or acquiring such rights. It is an end, but only to the beginning of a brand’s lifecycle. Once the application is filed, this is when the brand protection programme begins in earnest.

Framework Agreements

Inbrief

27 August 2015

Framework agreements offer a potential solution as contracting authorities attempt to minimise the impact of the Public Contract Regulations 2006 on their business.

Social Media and Online Issues - Defamation and Privacy

Inbrief

20 July 2015

Online publishing via social media is now instant, free and easily accessible. Anyone can publish content without much in the way of control or the input of an in-house legal team to veto high risk content. Such freedom and accessibility raises issues for online publishers who face the possibility of claims of defamation and breach of privacy.

The Law of Privacy

Inbrief

08 June 2015

The protection of privacy which embodies our law of confidentiality has become increasingly important. Together with the law of defamation, privacy and confidentiality are vital rights for individuals and corporations, especially when well known figures and celebrities attract so much attention.