When investing in a business it’s important to have a written agreement clearly stating the terms and conditions that apply. Failure to do so can result in costly confusion as occurred in a recent case before the High Court. It involved an investor who put £50,000 into a business on the understanding that he would
An employee has won a disability discrimination case because his employer failed to take into account a change in his circumstances over a three-month period. The case involved an employee who had broken his back in 1995 and had spent 11 months in hospital before he could return to work. Over the coming years he
The ban on exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts could have an unexpected impact on non-compete clauses involving high cost consultancy work. The ban on the exclusivity clauses came into effect on 26 May under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act. It’s designed to stop employers being able to prevent employees on zero-hours contracts from
It is not uncommon for a company’s business to be disrupted because a supplier to fails to deliver materials on the agreed date. In such cases, how do you assess the extent of the damage caused and whether it may be possible to claim compensation? A recent case involving an airline company gives a useful
An estate agency that was cut out of a property deal after finding a prospective buyer has been awarded its £75,600 commission in full. The High Court heard that the agency was hired by a company wanting to sell a commercial property. The agency found a purchaser in Cyprus. The purchaser agreed to pay a
The Queen’s Speech outlined several Bills that could have a significant impact on businesses. The government says the main theme behind most of its proposals is to strengthen the UK’s competitiveness and to create conditions that will enable companies to create more jobs. These are some of the main proposals: Enterprise Bill This aims to
Financial advisers should be given more protection against negligence claims if proposed new regulations come into effect. That is the call from two of the major trade bodies involved in the finance sector. The issue has arisen because the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is consulting on proposed changes to the pension transfer rules. The FCA
The new system of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) allowing mothers and fathers to share 52 weeks’ leave came into effect on 5 April 2015. Under the SPL scheme, mothers are still required to take two weeks’ compulsory leave immediately after the birth, but the other 50 weeks can be shared between both parents. The benefits
Is it okay to be “fattist”; to make workplace decisions; recruitment, dismissal etc. based on weight? What about a bit of innocent banter/ teasing by work colleagues? Far from being okay, recent case law also means that it is potentially unlawful discrimination. Is this new? There is no specific law prohibiting discriminating against an employee
A woman who said she suffered a mental breakdown after being subjected to degrading sexual harassment at work has been awarded £3.2m compensation. Svetlana Lokhova earned £750,000 a year as an equity saleswoman with Sberbank CIB in London. She said that for four years between 2008 and 2012 she was systematically abused by male colleagues