England’s underperforming schools will soon face ‘tough new measures’ under the new Education Bill, which looks to provide greater power for governing bodies to convert struggling schools into academies. Issues to consider: While the new rules may be seen as a promising approach at the outset, there are a number Read more…
A ‘carve-out’ transaction involves an integrated business division of a company being identified, separated and then transferred to a third party. By selling off this business division, a company can focus its attention on its core growth areas, or simply dispose of an asset that is no longer considered to Read more…
You might have noticed a few stories popping up in the news recently about crowdfunding and its ever increasing popularity. How Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn is using crowdfunding to support his leadership campaign for example or why one man is trying to make a million from this source of funding Read more…
New figures from the Pensions Regulator show that the number of penalty notices issued to employers who have not complied with their auto-enrolment duties increased sharply in the first quarter of 2015. Between 1 January and 31 March 2015, 198 fixed penalty notices were issued. Small employers (those with fewer Read more…
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published the monetary penalty notice it has issued to Staysure.co.uk Ltd, a specialist online travel insurer, imposing a fine of £175,000 for failing to keep customers’ personal information secure, in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998). The ICO found that the Read more…
Buy-to-let owners of leasehold properties and other intermediate landlords will be concerned by a Court of Appeal decision on the liability for repairs to the exterior of a building. Under the terms of the headlease, the freeholder was responsible for keeping the communal areas in good condition, subject to being Read more…
Given IT developments, it is now possible for employees working for British businesses to work remotely from other countries. Businesses that use remote workers in other countries should take note of an Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision which examined the territorial scope of UK employment rights. The EAT held that Read more…
A decision in the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber: Information Rights) provides a reminder to businesses that they are legally obliged to check the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) before calling individuals, without their consent, for direct marketing purposes. The tribunal upheld a monetary penalty notice for £50,000 for failure to Read more…
The use of social media is fast expanding in the workplace. While an employer may legitimately restrict an employee’s freedom of expression at work, or in a work-related context, whether that restriction can extend to personal, out-of-work, activities will depend on the circumstances of each case. The Employment Appeal Tribunal Read more…
A recent Court of Appeal case illustrates the difficulties that can arise when a business partnership operates from shared premises but does not give full consideration to the legal structure at the outset. The court held that an application for a new business tenancy made by one of the two Read more…