Side Letters
What is a Side Letter? A side letter is a document that is ancillary to another contract. The key question whenever the content or effect of a side letter is disputed is whether or not the side letter is binding…
Village Greens – Latest Decisions
A recent ruling in which ‘village green’ status was withdrawn from an area of land in Dorset highlights the fact that the granting of village green status does not necessarily mean that the land will be free from the risk…
Time Runs Out for Claim
A recent case shows how important it is to make sure that when a time limit for taking action is specified, it is not inadvertently breached. When a company was sold, the purchase agreement specified that some of the consideration…
DFA Law Recruits More Team Members
DFA law has boosted staff numbers by the recruitment of Aimee Shaw from local firm Shoosmiths. Aimee, who started in June, will add to the three lawyers in the firm's Road Traffic Accident unit based at Waterside. Her role will…
Revised Guidance for Self Employed
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have published new guidance intended to help personal service companies determine their correct employment status. HMRC will take a risk-based approach to consider how likely it is that they need to check whether IR35 applies…
Denying Workers Their Rest Breaks
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the EC Working Time Directive into UK law, in certain circumstances an employer can deny workers their right to daily and weekly rest breaks and rest periods where their activities involve…
New Minimum Wage Rates in 2012
The Government has announced that it has accepted the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission on the rates for the National Minimum Wage (NMW) that will apply from 1 October 2012. The rates are as follows: The adult hourly rate…
Disability Discrimination & Reasonable Adjustments
When deciding a reasonable adjustments claim under Section 4A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (now replaced by the Equality Act 2010), the Employment Tribunal (ET) must identify the relevant provision, criterion or practice (PCP) and then identify whether or…
Shared Parental Responsibility and Divorce
Having rejected the findings of a report it commissioned into the parenting of children after divorce, the Government has thrown into doubt the whole area of how this issue will be dealt with in future. The Government recently issued its…
Property Manager Fined
A property manager from Cardiff has been fined for failing to comply with the duty to manage the risks from asbestos at premises on the Penygraig Industrial Estate, Rhondda. Richard Hayward, trading as Richard Hayward Properties, managed the property on…