Recent Posts
Free speech law back on the cards for HE ... minus some of its teeth
Last year, the new Education Secretary halted the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 six days before it was due to come into...
04/02/25What is the ETA Scheme?
On 23 October 2023, the UK first opened the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) application process for a select few countries and,...
03/02/25A Whirlwind of a Week: Mead in the Court of Appeal, Infrastructure pledges, a Land Use Framework for England, and some other stuff
Well, this has certainly been a week. January is often a busy old month, but the last seven days have felt a bit like being caught in a...
01/02/25From classroom to spa: headteacher given green light to stay in the profession despite school-time retreat
A headteacher's professional future was called into question after she was spotted relaxing at a private spa when she was supposed to be...
30/01/25Neonatal care leave and pay: all you need to know
From 6 April 2025 eligible employees will have a new statutory right to take neonatal care leave and pay. These changes, brought about by...
30/01/25Personal liability for discrimination: two teachers' misguided attempts to deal with colleague's absence land them in legal hot water
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers are liable for anything done by a member of their staff in the course of their employment unless...
30/01/25Rachel Reeves’ Speech: A Positive Outlook for Foreign Direct Investment
Rachel Reeves speech that outlined key initiatives and proposals for the UK economy could mark an important milestone in bolstering...
29/01/25Data Protection Day 2025: Looking Ahead and Things to Keep an Eye On
Over the course of 2024 there has been a lot that has happened in the data protection sphere. With the emergence of AI into the...
28/01/25Can you sack an employee if they've lied on their CV (even if it's only a little bit)?
In November the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was accused of “exaggerating” and “lying” about her economic experience. Reeves studied...
28/01/25Go for Growth: The Chancellor, Planning Reform and a weekend of activity
People often ask how I find the time to write these posts. Well, due to a series of unfortunate events, this one was started huddled...
26/01/25Should the government give carers the right to paid leave?
The Carer’s Leave Act 2023 came into force in April 2024 and allows employees in England, Scotland, and Wales to take up to one week of...
24/01/25Is this sexual harassment? Five real-life case scenarios
Over the years, our employment law team have delivered training to employers and their staff about sexual harassment. Our experience...
22/01/25Managing Mental Health for in-house counsel and their teams
Towards the end of last year we hosted an event on managing mental health for in-house counsel. For this panel discussion chaired by...
21/01/25Will the government introduce paid leave to allow women (and their partners) to recover from miscarriage?
The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) certainly hope so. It and has released a report advocating for statutory bereavement leave for...
21/01/25A Matter of Life Assurance and Death Benefits – Assisted Dying and what it means for the world of Pensions and Life Assurance
A new watershed in British social policy was reached on 29 November 2024 when the House of Commons voted to approve the Terminally Ill...
20/01/25Rainbow Bright: How are Green Belt, Grey Belt and the Golden Rules being interpreted so far....
The New NPPF has been in effect for decision-making for a few weeks now, which means that the appeal decisions made under the new rules...
19/01/25The top employment law cases to look out for in 2025
We’ve identified the cases which are likely to have a big impact on employment law and HR policies and practices over the next 12 months....
16/01/25New Draft Fees Order Published - Planning Fees to rise on 1 April 2025
On Monday, the Government laid a draft statutory instrument before parliament that, once made, will increase a wide range of planning...
14/01/25Will employers have to provide paid leave to staff who are victims of domestic abuse?
Earlier this week Labour MP Alex McIntyre introduced a Private Members Bill in the House of Commons to support the victims of domestic...
10/01/25The State of the Planning Nation: A new year and some not so new challenges
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2025. I hope you all had a relaxing and restorative break over the Christmas period, as this year looks set...
10/01/25Novation of customer contracts and the proprietary rights of cryptocurrency exchange users
Kunal Gadhvi, Serena Eddy and Alice Court of Irwin Mitchell’s London Restructuring and Insolvency Team assisted Jeremy Karr and Simon...
09/01/25Employment law changes 2025: guide for HR and line managers
Happy new year to all of our readers. Significant changes are on the horizon over the next 12-18 months which will impact your budgets...
09/01/25How long do you have to wait until you can dismiss an employee on long-term sick leave?
There's a lot for schools and colleges to consider when a member of staff goes off sick. You'll want to minimise disruption to your...
08/01/25Disability discrimination or fair dismissal? Autistic teacher dismissed for sending abusive emails to colleagues
You start a disciplinary process because an employee has behaved in a way you find unacceptable. Do you need to ask if they have an...
07/01/25The perfect storm or the perfect opportunity?
The UK manufacturing sector has faced ongoing pressures for several years now, some of which we have previously discussed in a number of...
06/01/25High Court rules that breach of distance selling regulations does not make a CFA unenforceable.
Solicitors must always make sure that their retainers with their clients are enforceable. Recently, the High Court had occasion to...
06/01/25Banter or sexual harassment? What lessons can employers learn from the Greg Wallace saga?
Greg Wallace's career appears to be in free-fall following allegations that he sexually harassed contestants, journalists and other women...
02/01/25Employment law changes 2025: guide for schools and colleges
Happy new year to all of our readers. Significant changes are on the horizon over the next 12-18 months which will impact your budgets...
30/12/24New inquiry set up to look at reforming statutory shared parental leave and paternity leave
Statutory shared parental leave was first introduced in 2015, but hasn't been a great success and take up is still low. Consequently, an...
29/12/24Tribunals given power to increase compensation where employers have not followed statutory codes of practice
From 20 January 2025, tribunals will have the power to increase protective awards by up to 25% when employers have failed to follow their...
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