Financial Product Cold Calling to be Banned in UK
Under a proposed new law, the UK is set to ban cold calling of financial products. The change comes as part of a clampdown on fraud by prohibiting telemarketing calls for financial products such as insurance and cryptocurrency schemes. The plan to combat fraud includes measures to prevent “spoofing” of phone numbers. This is when con […]
New Duty on Sponsors to Report Hybrid Working
Under a new Home Office requirement, UK sponsor licence holders must now notify when a sponsored worker is being, or will be, engaged under a hybrid working pattern on a more permanent basis. During COVID, the Home Office placed no obligation on sponsors to inform the Home Office when a sponsored worker was working remotely […]
Minimum Wage Increase from 1st April
The UK’s minimum wage has increased today, 1 April 2023. The minimum wage levels are as follows: NMW rate NMW rate National Living Wage (23+) £10.42 21-22 Year Old Rate £10.18 18-20 Year Old Rate £7.49 16-17 Year Old Rate £5.28 Apprentice Rate £5.28 Accommodation Offset £9.10 […]
Ombudsman Rules ‘No Kids’ Rental Policy Discriminatory
The Property Ombudsman has ruled that a letting agency’s policy of not renting to families with children is in breach of its code of conduct by discriminating against women. Lexi Levens, an NHS nurse, brought the landmark legal challenge with homeless charity Shelter, after her family was forced to register as homeless. Having been served a […]
New UK Minimum Wage for International Seafarers
New legislation is now in force from today imposing a minimum wage for international seafarers working in the UK. Under the Seafarers’ Wages Act, shipping lines operating at UK ports must now pay seafarers at least the UK’s prevailaing minimum wage, regardless of the nationality of the crew or operator. As of 1 July 2022, […]
New Data Protection and Digital Information Bill Set to Replace GDPR
New data protection legislation for the UK that will replace the EU’s GDPR has been put before Parliament by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan. The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill aims to reduce the financial and administrative burdens of the current regulations on British businesses, remove barriers to international trade and cut the number of […]
UN Refugee Agency Brands UK Asylum Bill “Very Concerning”
New legislation aimed at removing all migrants who illegally cross the English Channel is being proposed by the UK Government. Under the new Illegal Migration Bill, anyone found to have entered the country illegally will be removed from the UK within 28 days and blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future. Those who […]
Legal Bid to Protect Tenants from ‘Ghost Landlords’ Fails
A high-profile case seeking to protect tenants from ‘ghost landlords’ has failed. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court held that a landlord is the party a tenant signs their contract with, and not the property’s owner. The legal challenge was brought in response to a surge in rent-to-rent arrangements. These allow companies to rent […]
UK Should Not Allow Remote Driving from Overseas: Law Commission
The remote operation of a car within the United Kingdom from outside the country should be prohibited, according to a report by government advisory group, the Law Commission. The report also states that remote-controlled cars are now a “legal grey area”, and draws attention to there being no specific requirement by law in the UK for the […]
UK & Ireland In Talks Over New Post-Brexit Travel Permit
Officials from the UK and Ireland are discussing potential changes to the UK’s new, post-Brexit Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. Before entering the United Kingdom, non-British and non-Irish citizens must have been granted an ETA permit. According to the Common Travel Area (CTA), a long-standing migratory agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland, Irish people […]
Law Proposed for Mandatory Workplace Mental Health First Aid Training
Parliament has been presented with a new Bill that would make it compulsory for employers to provide training in mental health first aid. The Bill was presented by Tory MP Dean Russell, who said the change would enable more individuals to recognise the early warning signals of mental health problems in the workplace. He said mandating […]
UK Government Blocks Scotland’s Gender Recognition Bill
The UK Government has blocked progress of Scotland’s controversial Gender Recognition Bill. The GRA was designed to make it easier for people in Scotland to change their legal gender. Under the current rules, trans people must meet certain requirements to change their gender legally, including being at least 18 years old, obtaining a medical diagnosis […]
Former UK Twitter Employees Threaten Legal Action for Unfair Dismissal
Dozens of former Twitter employees in the UK are preparing to bring legal action against the tech giant for unfair dismissal. A letter seen by the Financial Times was sent to Twitter on 10 January by law firm Winckworth Sherwood on behalf of 43 former Twitter employees, claiming “unlawful, unfair and completely unacceptable treatment” to […]
New UK Laws For 2023
What new laws are set to be introduced in the UK in 2023? We summarise the key legislative changes for the year ahead. Removal of EU law When the UK left the EU in 2020 all the EU laws were effectively changed into British law to allow for as smooth a transition as possible. The […]
24/7 Support Line For Rape Victims Launched
Rape victims in England and Wales now have access to 24/7 help, with the launch of a new 24/7 Support Line from 7 December 2022. Specialist operators will be accessible 24/7 through telephone or webchat to give victims critical information and emotional support, including referrals for longer-term, local resources such as Independent Sexual Violence Advisors […]
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill Set For 2023
The UK government is expected to publish the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill imminently. The new law is set to overhaul UK competition and consumer protection laws. The Bill implements the government’s digital markets strategy, introducing reforms to consumer protection and competition law, while giving the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) new powers to enforce a […]
UK-Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement Extended to 2025
Switzerland and the UK have extended the Services Mobility Agreement for a further 3 years, until 31 December 2025. The UK-Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement is a post-Brexit arrangement between the UK and Switzerland that has been in place since 2021. It allows UK service industry professionals to travel and operate freely in Switzerland for up […]
CMA Takes Action Against Barclays for Breaching PPI Order
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has written publicly to Barclays outlining details of the company’s breach of the Payment Protection Insurance Market Investigation Order 2011 for failing to remind customers about payment protection insurance (PPI) agreements. The total remediation package, consisting of refunds and goodwill payments, may total up to £1 million. PPI providers are […]
Carers Given One Week Unpaid Leave Under New Law
Unpaid caregivers are to be entitled to one week of unpaid leave per year under new legislation. The Carer’s Leave Bill, which was approved in its second reading on 21 October, is set to give employees with care responsibilities the right to take one week of unpaid time off work each year to provide for, […]
Government takes first legal action on building safety against freeholder
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is bringing legal action against a freeholder for neglecting to address building safety flaws. The freeholder of Stevenage’s fifteen-story Vista Tower, Grey GR Limited Partnership, a company owned by RailPen, has been given 21 days to fix the tower’s fire safety issues, or a court application will […]