In February 2012, the Education and Business Secretaries commissioned jeweller and social entrepreneur Jason Holt to report on measures that would make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take on apprentices. The report has now been published…
When a museum came up short in its ability to fund a pension scheme deficit, the question of the status of the museum’s exhibits became of interest: if they belonged to the museum trust, they could be sold to fund…
Failing to settle a dispute out of court has cost a group of tenants in Sussex dear in a case decided recently. The dispute arose when a block of flats suffered water penetration. The tenants were obliged to pay for…
Insurers do not always pay claims promptly and without question. Indeed, the courts deal on a regular basis with disputes between claimants who have made a claim under their insurance policies and insurers that have refused to pay out under…
In the light of a recent Court of Appeal decision, businesses should ensure they allow workers to carry over their accrued holiday if they have been on long-term sick leave and have not had the opportunity to take the holiday…
Property owners will welcome a High Court ruling on an empty rates relief avoidance scheme. The court held that the temporary storage of documents occupying only a very small percentage of a warehouse's floor space was actual occupation for the…
The High Court has held that the temporary storage of documents occupying only 0.2% of a warehouse's floor space was actual occupation for the purposes of business rates liability. This meant that a new period of empty rates relief applied…
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is consulting on ways of reducing the regulatory burden of the current Listed Building Consent system (LBC). The consultation sets out four options for changing the current system, to reduce the burdens on…
Following a consultation exercise, the Ministry of Justice has announced the amended fee structure that will apply to those wishing to make use of the employment tribunal system. The cost of running the service is currently £84 million per annum…
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, together with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has published new guidance to help employers understand the rights of women who are pregnant or on maternity leave when workplace redundancies are necessary. The guidance,…
