Two directors have been ordered to repay £758,020 after they acted unlawfully in removing funds from their business to avoid paying creditors. The company installed solar panels, and in its early years it benefited from a government incentive scheme. However, it got into difficulties and went into liquidation. The High Court heard that the directors
The government has ordered a review of how well employers are helping ethnic minorities to progress in the workplace. The new study will assess what steps businesses have taken to remove barriers highlighted in the recent McGregor-Smith Review into black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) participation and progression in the workplace. It found that the
A firm that bought a clothing business from a group of family members has won a court injunction to prevent them setting up in competition. The court heard that the family had sold their business for a substantial sum. The new owners employed the family members under contracts containing restrictive covenants preventing them setting up
The number of companies entering insolvency in England and Wales rose to more than 17,000 last year, according to research by the trade body R3. That was an increase of 2.5% compared with 2016. Duncan Swift, deputy vice-president of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3, said: “The slight rise in corporate insolvencies across 2017 as
The government is set to launch its ‘Good Work Plan’ to keep employment laws up-to-date with the changing world of work in the modern economy. It follows recommendations made in the Taylor Review of working practices and it is hoped that millions of workers will benefit from the reforms. The government will seek to protect
A betting shop manager has won her unfair dismissal claim after she was sacked for refusing to accept a new contract on a lower pay grade. Nicola Dinham had worked as a manager for William Hill for 18 years. The company restructured its employment model, merging the roles of shop manager and deputy manager into
A school dinner lady has been awarded £45,000 in compensation after she was subjected to bullying because she reported a breach of policy by her colleague. Neydi Vasconcelos worked part-time at Medlock Primary School in Ardwick. She became aware that some of the kitchen equipment was being taken off site for private use by a
An employment tribunal has ruled that a Poundland employee was unfairly dismissed after giving away over £300 worth of products to customers. The employee, Mr Zia, joined the company in June 2013 and worked his way up to assistant manager of the Southall store. As a senior member of the shop team, Mr Zia had
The government has announced a series of new measures to crack down on bad practices, stamp out overcrowding and improve standards for those renting in the private sector. One of the main changes is that landlords renting properties in England occupied by “5 or more people from 2 or more separate households” will need to
A director has been disqualified from running a business for six years because he paid large sums of money to his associates instead of creditors after his clothing company got into difficulties. Ronald Trevor Barnes ran Cleanliness Ltd, a manufacturer of personal care products in Nottingham. The company went into liquidation on 1 August 2014