Flight Cancellation Refund: What Are Your Rights?
Passengers travelling from the UK have certain rights in the event their flight is cancelled or delayed. In this guide, we outline your entitlements and what airlines are legally obliged to offer you if your flight has been cancelled or delayed. What are you entitled to if your flight has been cancelled? If your flight […]
Councils Given New Powers to Issue Motoring Fines
Local authorities in England and Wales now have additional powers to fine motorists for “moving traffic offences” in a substantial change to the laws on fixed Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs). From 1 June 2022, councils can issue on the spot fines of up to £70 for motoring offences such as illegal turns, driving in cycle […]
Shortage of Judges Delaying Criminal Trials
Hundreds of criminal trials have been deferred at the last minute due to a shortage of crown court judges, prosecutors and defence counsel. According to a review of official numbers by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), 280 severe crime cases were delayed at short notice in the last three months of last year because no […]
ICO Fines Facial Recognition Firm Clearview AI & Orders Deletion of Data on UK Residents
Controversial startup Clearview AI has been fined more than £7.5 million by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and ordered to destroy any data it holds on UK residents following several violations of UK data protection law. Breaches include using scraping technology to extract people’s photos from images and videos posted on news sites, social […]
Legal Smoking Age in England May be Raised to 18
The legal smoking age in England could be raised from 18 to 21, following a government assessment of plans to make England smoke-free by 2030. The independent assessment commissioned by Sajid Javid, the health minister, and chaired by Javed Khan, the former chief executive of the children’s charity Barnardo’s, is expected to propose increased taxes […]
UK Student Dependent Visa Requirements
If you’re considering the UK as a destination to study, one of the considerations may be whether student visa holders can bring their dependants with them. In the UK, it is possible for certain family members to join international students under the student dependent visa, provided certain requirements are met by both the student visa […]
Making a settlement agreement with an employee
It is often in the best interest of employees and employers to resolve an issue through mediation, discussions or formal processes. However, where these practices fail, another option is available to end a working relationship — a settlement agreement mutually. When making a settlement agreement, the correct processes must be followed to ensure it is […]
Criminal Solicitors to Refuse Burglary Cases in Action Against Government Plans
Criminal defence solicitors are preparing to join the criminal bar in protest action against the government’s controversial plans to reform the criminal legal aid system. The London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association recently conducted a survey of its members on possible actions due to the continuing issue of low pay, including taking a full hour for […]
Google Sued for ‘Unlawful’ Use of 1.6 Million Britons’ NHS Data
Google is being sued in the United Kingdom for unlawful use of 1.6 million people’s private medical records. The data was obtained in 2015 from the Royal Free NHS Trust in London with the aim of testing a smartphone app known as ‘Streams’ by the company’s artificial intelligence arm, DeepMind. The app was aimed at addressing […]
How to Buy a Business (Brief Guide!)
Buying a private, limited company can bring many challenges. This makes it important to understand the process of how to buy a business to help navigate each of the stages. In this guide, we outline the key points to consider when deciding if buying a business is right for you, and the stages of the […]
Prince Charles Delivers Queens Speech Outlining Government Priorities
Prince Charles has outlined the government’s priorities for the next year, delivering the Queen’s Speech for 2022. The Queen did not attend the ceremony to officially reopen Parliament due to ill health. The main points are summarised below. General changes A proposed Mental Health Bill to restructure the mental health system in England and Wales […]
New UK Work Visa Routes Announced For 2022
The UK Home Office has announced a number of changes to the UK Immigration Rules impacting work visa options and routes for employers to recruit and employ overseas workers. As a headline for businesses, the UK ICT visa and Sole Representative visa are closing and are being replaced by a number of new work visas. […]
Employee working a second job – what can employers do?
People have second jobs for many reasons. They may need to earn additional income, want to monetise on a hobby or perhaps they want to change career and are looking to learn new skills or gain experience in a particular work environment. If you have learned that an employee is working a second job, it’s […]
UK Home Secretary Faces Legal Action Over Ukraine Scheme Visa Delays
Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, is facing legal action over delays that have exposed thousands of Ukrainians to trauma and Russian bombing or left them stranded in eastern Europe. UK sponsors under the Homes for Ukraine visa scheme are threatening to take legal action against the Government on behalf of hundreds of Ukrainians who […]
Which type of sponsor licence do you need?
Under current immigration rules, UK-based businesses will in most cases need a sponsor licence from the Home Office to recruit non-UK resident workers who don’t otherwise have permission to work in the UK. There are different types of sponsor licences available, depending on the type of sponsored workers you want to hire. In this guide, […]
Minimum Age to Get Married Rising to 18
The minimum age to marry in England and Wales is to be raised from 16 to 18. The Bill proposing the change was put forward by Conservative MP Pauline Latham last year and has now been passed by the House of Lords with support from both the government and opposition parties. It is expected to […]
Examples of gross misconduct & sackable offences
Gross misconduct is behaviour or action which is so serious that it justifies an employer dismissing the perpetrator without notice or pay in lieu of notice. This is known as summary dismissal. For employers, it’s important to recognise the type of conduct that meets this threshold. If the misconduct is not sufficiently serious to be […]
Accident reporting at work guide for HR
Accident reporting is a fundamental aspect of monitoring safety in the workplace. A well-maintained record of accidents and incidents can help employers learn from errors, meet their legal obligations and ensure health and safety at work. The reporting of diseases, injuries and dangerous occurrences at work is taken seriously by the HSE. Failure to report […]
Hiring young workers
Employing young people can provide a number of advantages to a company, including the ability to satisfy staffing demands, build an employer brand, and construct a talent pipeline, as home-grown talent can be a cost-effective approach to replace any future skills gaps. In the UK, workers under the age of 18 enjoy special legal protections, […]
How to Deal With Flexible Working Requests
Flexible working practices can be beneficial not only to your workforce but also to your business. For employees, making a flexible working request, flexible working can offer a better work-life balance. Employers may benefit from improved performance and productivity, as well as a reduction in absenteeism and staff turnover. Flexible working may also facilitate the […]