News & Legal Updates

Any party seeking legal representation in the pursuit of a relatively modest monetary claim will, in most instances, be advised by their solicitor that, notwithstanding the perceived merit of the claim, from a financial point of view, instructing a solicitor to represent their interest in the matter would be uneconomical (the rationale being that the cost of pursuing the claim...

As much as I prefer football to rugby, I have to confess having a passing interest in rugby at this time of year when the Six Nations is in full flow, particularly when Scotland are playing.  Much has been written in the aftermath of the English victory at Murrayfield, including groans about supporters booing players … Continue reading "Lessons from Finn Russell and Gregor Townsend. When an employee is Finn-ished and at the Towns-end of the road."

Storm Ciara’s rain and wind is said to give way for snow and ice this week. Don’t put away your winter clothes just yet! With further travel disruption and unpredictable weather on the cards, think of now as the perfect time to remind your employees (and check with your employer) about your company’s procedure on … Continue reading "Snow days: create a policy that can weather any storm…"

I read recently that in the world of work, recruitment is like dating and retention is like a marriage. The employer courts the candidate of their dreams, promises the world, pops the question, gets married and then spends the entire marriage ignoring him or her.  If I were to think about all the employment disputes … Continue reading "Employed in sickness and in health?"

We are frequently contacted by clients regarding the pursuit of debts under £5000. The first question that is inevitably asked is how much it will cost the client to pursue the debt and how much of that cost can be recovered from the debtor. Exactly how much a case will cost to pursue is a … Continue reading "The Economics of Litigating low value claims"

Earlier this month, the Employment Appeal Tribunal found that an employee caught snoring on the job was unfairly dismissed. Homer Simpson always managed to dodge the bullet when snoring on the job while looking after Springfield’s nuclear reactor. Unfortunately, it materialised in Goddard v Sunshine Hotel Limited, t/a Palm Court Hotel that the rules are … Continue reading "Employee caught snoring fairly dismissed?"

Almost 30 years ago, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) held that pension benefits were classified as “pay”. This meant that equal pay provisions applied to pensions. Thus fixing a NPA (Normal Pension Age) which differed by gender was discrimination. Following on, from this decision, pension providers required to make the retirement age the same for men and women...

Traditionally, when asked what ‘Dispute Resolution’ means, most people, quite understandably, think of court proceedings. While the courts provide a forum in which the vast majority of disputes can be resolved, that does not, necessarily, mean that all disputes have to be resolved in court. Indeed, the popularity of Alternative Dispute Resolution (‘ADR’) continues to grow. ADR is a general term used to describe a wide range of dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as a means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement without recourse to court proceedings.

February 3rd may not seem like a significant date to you but the first Monday in February is the so-called ‘National Sickie Day’, said to be the day of the year with the highest number of employees calling in sick. With February just around the corner, now seems like a relevant time to ask the … Continue reading "To call in sick? Or not to call in…that is the question!"

The Food and Drink industry is fast-moving and constantly evolving with a significant focus on scientific innovation and development in order to build sustainable food systems. Sharing of data and sophisticated technology through joint ventures or acquisitions is becoming increasingly more common in order to meet the changing preferences of the consumer. The ingredients sector … Continue reading "Scotland aims to be the home to the world’s most exciting food & drink industry"