Blogs
Essex County Council admits liability in attack of care worker
Employers are legally obliged to meet health and safety standards, including the provision of proper training and equipment used in the course of work. In every industry, there is the risk of work-related injury or illness, and employers must take the necessary steps to minimise the risk of workplac....
Directors disqualified for breaching invoice agreement
Two company directors have been disqualified after their firm breached the terms of an invoice discounting agreement (IDA). The company had entered into the IDA with the bank after falling into financial difficulty. The directors, one whom was the managing director, breached the IDA by r....
Landlord was justified in refusing new business tenancy
A court has ruled that a tenant's breaches of contract in relation to business premises were serious enough to justify the landlord's decision not renew the lease. The case involved a landlord who owned a commercial and residential property. It was leased to a tenant with an agreement that it wou....
Businesses still worried about cash flow and late payments
Late payment and cash flow remain two of the key problems faced by businesses in the UK, according to a recent survey carried out by credit card company American Express. The survey revealed that 95% of business owners and managers continue to prioritise efficient cash flow practices, and conside....
Call for help to close loopholes in zero hours exclusivity ban
The government is calling on businesses, unions and employees to help it ensure there are no loopholes in the law banning exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts. Ministers fear some unscrupulous employers may try to get round the ban by methods such as offering contracts guaranteeing one or ....
Government shelves plans for online lasting powers of attorney
The government has shelved its controversial plans for an online system for creating lasting powers of attorney (LPA). The decision follows concerns raised by the Law Society and others that a fully digital system could be open to fraud and abuse. LPAs enable you to nominate someone in advance....
Right to Buy discounts to increase for tenants
Council house tenants can now receive higher Right to Buy discounts following a government move to improve the scheme. Tenants in London can qualify for discounts of up to £102,700 off the value of their home. In other parts of the country the discount can be as high as £77,000. The discount....
Licensee awarded £8m following breach of contract
A drinks company has been ordered to pay damages of £8m to a licensee following a breach of contract. The case involved a dispute over cordial and carbonated drinks. The parties had an agreement that the licensee could produce and distribute the products in Pakistan for a period of five years. ....
Hertfordshire Care home operator fined following resident death
Borehamwood-based Life Style Care PLC has been fined a total of £85,000 and ordered to pay a further £48,000 in costs after a resident with clinical dementia was suffocated by an unsecure wardrobe. The resident at The Chase Care Home in Printers Avenue, Watford, suffered from a form of dementia....
Time on call held to be ‘working time’ by tribunal
Two paramedics have won their claim that time spent on call away from the workplace should be classed as working time. The Working Time Regulations stipulate that employees are generally entitled to daily rest of 11 uninterrupted hours. The paramedics in this case were told they would have to ....
NHS Trust guilty of Asbestos exposure
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has been fined £55,000 and ordered to pay £ 34,078 in costs after it was found likely to have exposed workers to potentially fatal asbestos material for more than a decade at Watford General Hospital, Hemel Hempstead Hospital and St Albans Hospital. ....
Government approach to mediation ‘not good enough’
Leading family lawyers have expressed disappointment and concern at the government's approach to funding mediation sessions for divorcing couples. The Family Justice Minister, Simon Hughes, recently announced that separating couples will be entitled to one free mediation session as long as at lea....
