The office Christmas party is a great opportunity to reward staff for their hard work throughout the year and boost morale. It also provides an occasion for staff and managers to bond and mix in a relaxed setting away from the office. However, it can also be a source of pitfalls for the ill prepared employer. Here’s my quick-fire advice on making the most of your Christmas party and avoiding a legal hangover once it is over.
Category: Legal
Contracts, Human Resources HR, Employment and legal advice for owners and managers of SME small and medium sized business owners.
December deadline for Self Assessment registration approaching
Freelancers need to ensure they’ve registered for their Self Assessment with HMRC this side of Christmas, to enable them to file their return on time next month.
Avoiding holes in the boat – how to make contracts water tight
As a former barrister working across a number of different sectors, I have often been party to both employee and client contract negotiations.
Why making a Will is essential for the future of your business
Nobody likes to think about, or plan for, their death. But, if you own all or part of a business – then it is essential that you make a will. Without a will your shares could be sold, the business could be broken up or it could fall apart without the correct day-to-day running in place.
What the changes to defamation law mean for your business
Changes to UK defamation law won’t just affect journalists. The new Defamation Act, which I expect will come into force in about November, will also have an impact on how your business can respond to damaging statements.
Painful Lessons from a Dragon’s Divorce Trauma
We are used to seeing entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne firmly in control on Dragons’ Den as he dishes out business advice to embryonic companies. So it is something of shock to learn that a painful divorce pushed the serial entrepreneur and business angel to the brink of suicide.
Religious Clothing and the Rights of Employees
What Should an Employer do if an employee wishes to wear a veil/ other religious clothing?
Top ten tips for right to work checks
Employers’ duty to prevent illegal working is underpinned by a civil penalty regime which is now being reviewed with a raft of Government proposals aimed at strengthening and simplifying the system. The proposals are part of the forthcoming Immigration Bill designed to make it more difficult for illegal migrants to live and work in the UK.
Luis Suarez transfer saga ‘a reminder on power of written agreements’
The ongoing debate and controversy surrounding Liverpool striker Luis Suarez’s future at the club has provided an important reminder to employers on a range of contract issues including verbal agreements, according to an employment law expert.
Don’t dodge disclosures – the dos and don’ts of hiding assets during a divorce
The price of not ‘playing fair’ during divorce proceedings makes great headlines when multi million pound fortunes are at stake but owners of SMEs can also learn lessons from the landmark ruling in the Prest divorce case.
Shareholder agreements are an invaluable tool for protecting your business
When setting up a new business or entering into a joint venture, legal documentation might not be high on your priority list – but it could prove to be a vital safeguard in the long term.
‘No fee no tribunal’ – biggest employment reforms in 25 years get underway
A raft of wide-ranging reforms to employment tribunals introduced this week include the unprecedented development of claimants having to pay fees of either £160 or £230 to bring an employment tribunal claim.
Taking On Your Employer
Jane Crosby at law firm Hart Brown looks at the potential impact of the new system of fees, for claims in the Employment Tribunal
Important changes to the tribunal system coming into effect in days: Are you ready?
There are changes coming into play this summer within the UK employment tribunal system.Chris Bryden, a myBarrister employment specialist explains what they are and how they might affect your business.
Patent Attorneys call for IP Bill modification so only deliberate criminal copying designs are hit
“Unless the wording is changed, the Intellectual Property Bill could result in people being charged with criminal offences and locked up for up to 10 years, just for producing a design that looks ’substantially’ like an existing design,” says Roger Burt, President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA).