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The High Court has made it clear that having a business reputation is not enough to justify the protection of a trading name – the business must also be able to show that it has customers in the UK. The issue arose in the case of two online dating agencies. One was a free service
The Government has confirmed that it is making changes to the unfair dismissal rules in an attempt to encourage employers to take on more staff. The qualification period for being able to bring a claim of unfair dismissal is to be extended from one year to two years. The change will come into effect from
The number of data security breaches by private companies has risen by 58% over the last year, according to figures released by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). This is in spite of the fact that three quarters of businesses surveyed understand that the Data Protection Act (DPA) obliges them to keep personal information secure –
The Government has put forward proposals to allow more small firms to avoid the need to submit audited accounts – saving businesses in the UK an estimated £206m a year. EU regulations list three criteria by which firms can be regarded as small for accounting purposes. These are: no more than 50 employees balance sheet
The number of employment tribunal claims from part-time workers has surged over the last two years. In the 12 months to March this year, the number trebled to reach 1,600. It’s thought the rise is due to the fact that a large number of employees were put on to shorter working weeks during the economic
A stonemasonry business which was featured on television has been prosecuted after a viewer raised concerns about staff being exposed to dangerous dust. Atelier 109 Ltd from Etton nearPeterboroughfeatured in a BBC2 series called Mastercrafts, presented by Monty Don. Afterwards, a viewer contacted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and said the firm didn’t seem
A firm of surveyors must pay £18m in compensation after giving negligent advice to clients involved in a major property deal. The surveyors were hired by a consortium of developers to assess the commercial prospects of a factory outlet shopping centre. The centre was in a listed building on two floors. The developers acquired the
The renewed interest in buy to let properties is spreading from London to other areas throughout the UK, according to new research. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) conducted a survey of their members. The results showed that 30% of buy to let landlords in the North East
Debtors may soon have to owe £3,000 or more before creditors can petition for bankruptcy. The current level is £750. The proposal to raise the threshold has been put forward by the Business Minister Edward Davey as part of the Government’s review of debt advice and personal insolvency. It follows a public consultation and call
The changes to the regulations covering agency workers have now come into effect. It means that agency workers who fulfil the same role with a firm for 12 continuous weeks are entitled to the same basic employment conditions as employees. The regulations apply even if the person only works for a few hours each week.