News & Legal Updates

(The Guardian online, 29 July 2020) – Victoria Beckham cuts staff at fashion label to go ‘back to basics’ Have you ever read the employment law stories that have made the headlines and wondered how the employer got away with it or even, could you get away with it too? We take a look at the … Continue reading "The Law behind the Headlines: Victoria Beckham cuts staff at fashion label"

The Law behind the Headlines – (Mirror online 30 July 2020) Have you ever read the employment law stories that have made the headlines and wondered how the employer got away with it or even, could you get away with it too? We take a look at the stories making the news and explain how … Continue reading "Bakery worker sacked for taking cash payments & using her card to help elderly"

Every day is a school day when it comes to the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS has evolved significantly since its inception in March. Unfortunately, redundancy has been brought into focus for many organisations as they prepare for the future. It is now settled that employees who are furloughed can be consulted … Continue reading "Government passes new laws to clarify calculation of statutory notice and redundancy payments for furloughed employees"

Employers should be cautious about suspending employees as a knee jerk reaction to avoid risks of employees lodging claims of constructive unfair dismissal. An employer was recently found to have jumped the gun in Harrison v Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust [2019] EWHC 3507(QB). Ms Harrison brought a claim in the High … Continue reading "Suspending Employees: Employers should avoid knee-jerk reactions"

As we move out of lockdown, it is becoming increasingly apparent that many will struggle to obtain mortgages to get their foot on the housing ladder or upscale as job security becomes more tenuous than it has been over the last few years. The situation will be assisted by the announcement of the LBTT Holiday … Continue reading "Help from the Scottish Government to get your foot on the Property Ladder"

The Covid-19 crisis has had far reaching effects across the whole of society.  The recent lockdown, and the requirement for social distancing, has meant that companies have had to consider whether they can still hold valid meetings of their shareholders and what form these might take. The UK Government recognised that this was potentially problematic … Continue reading "Shareholder Meetings and the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020"

Since the start of the furlough scheme over 750,000 Scots have had 80% of their wages paid by the UK Government, with some non-furloughed individuals also having to take a pay cut. With the scheme now tapering down, redundancies commencing and ongoing uncertainty, it is anticipated that individuals will start seeing a strain on their … Continue reading "Changing landscape of personal insolvency"

Most claims for compensation for personal injuries are from people who the law describes as “primary victims”, meaning the person who was actually hit by the speeding car, or the actual patient who received careless medical treatment from a doctor, etc. But the consequences of accidents are not necessarily confined to the most immediate victims. … Continue reading "Traumatised by witnessing an accident – can you claim?"

Imagine the following scenario: A lorry driver parks up beside his employer’s yard, urinates on some trays belonging to his employer. This footage is caught on CCTV camera. The employer notes that the gents’ toilets were only two minutes away from the site. The employee is dismissed on the basis of gross misconduct. Sounds like … Continue reading "Investigating Misconduct: A “Wee” Bit More Investigation Required"

The Scottish Land Commission (SLC), set up under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, has issued two new protocols for private trusts and charities owning land, including buildings and land covered by water and will apply to rural and urban settings. The protocols set out practical expectations on trustees and land managers to manage land … Continue reading "Scottish Land Commission announces new protocols for trusts and charities owning land in Scotland"