Posts from November 2015
Getting it right from the outset
As an employment lawyer I see a lot of issues that arise because fairly simple employment measures haven't been put in place at an early...
30/11/15Car sharing: is this the sign of things to come?
Uber is at the vanguard of mobile technology and sharing of resources, but there is no reason why other areas can't also benefit on a...
30/11/15Silicon Abbey?
This is more about the built environment and power of cities than property law, but the Centre for Cities has released a map using Patent...
30/11/15A viable alternative?
Nicky Gavron AM has commented on potential proposals for developers to publicise their viability assessments. These are used in planning...
30/11/15The annual bonus - the jargon explained
I love the idea that we need expert help to understand the banking sector. The legal universe perhaps, no maybe all businesses have...
30/11/15No tax increases? Tell that to small operators in the retail sector.
Jerry Schurder of Gerald Eve, like many rating practitioners, has been pressing now for some time for reform of business rates. This tax...
27/11/15Getting women back to work (and back to Midland Bank/HSBC)
Great to see HSBC taking positive steps to redress the lack of gender diversity at its higher levels. The proof will be in the tasting...
27/11/15Chichester District Council to introduce CIL on 1 February 2016.
Chichester District Council is due to begin charging CIL on 1 February 2016. The proposed charging rates are as follows: Residential...
26/11/15New Government guide
The Government has published a new guide for employers on Recruitment and Retention of Transgender Staff which is designed to help...
26/11/15Court of Human Rights rules of religious headscarves
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that an employee losing her job because she insisted on wearing a headscarf at work for...
26/11/15Buy to let- changes to SDLT Thresholds
The Autumn Statement has revealed increased Stamp Duty Land Tax rates for second homes and buy to let properties. From 1 April 2016,...
26/11/15Black Friday - Employees expected to go AWOL
Black Friday will be with us at the end of this week. We imported this tradition from the USA for the first time properly last year and...
25/11/15Affordable Housing: The only winner in the spending review?
Hidden amongst all of the doom and gloom of the spending review, which is due to set out billions of pounds of cuts in spending, is a...
25/11/15Auto enrolment continues to be rolled out
Since October 2012, new pensions legislation meant that all employers would eventually be required to automatically enrol employees...
25/11/15Can't see the wood for the trees when choosing an investment?
Perhaps you need to look at forestry as a possibility? A recent survey shows that investment in UK forestry is running at an all time...
24/11/15In Defence of the Megacity: Is urban planning going to save mankind?
For those of us who occasionally lose sight of the importance of what we do, Lord Foster has published a very timely reminder in last...
24/11/15Tackling the rise of bullying in the workplace
A recent ACAS report suggests that bullying in the workplace is more prevalent. Bullying itself is not an employment law claim that an...
24/11/15The New Living Wage is dividing Retailers
The new National Living Wage (NLW) of £7.20 per hour for employees over the age of 25 comes in to force in April 2016. Employers are not...
24/11/15Bankers get a bad press.
Even top bankers believe they are paid too much to play with other people's money. The important point is that those who receive...
24/11/15Chilham Definitive Map Modification Order: Public inquiry to commence 24 November 2015
The inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will tomorrow begin to hear the public local...
23/11/15The impact of higher employment on wages
Most people would agree that a higher employment rate is positive news. But with more people in work, there will be less spare capacity...
23/11/15Alternative investments?
Radio 4's "Today" programme this morning had an interview with a spokesman from the RICS about institutions investing in infrastructure,...
23/11/15Addressing work-life balance
Last week it was announced that the European Commission has launched a public consultation on proposals to address the challenges of...
23/11/15Aiming high- Landmark development announced in Hove
The Hyde Group have announced plans for a landmark 17 storey building on Hove seafront and are seeking feedback on the proposals from the...
20/11/15CIL: Retrospective Permission Trap Highlighted by VOA Appeal
Since June 2013, the Valuation Office Agency has been publishing redacted versions of CIL Appeal letters. On 17 November 2015, an appeal...
20/11/15DLCG Launches Independent Review of Community Infrastructure Levy
DCLG has just released the terms of reference for a strategic review of CIL by an independent panel. The panel will be led by former...
19/11/15When failure to comply with collective redundancy obligations can be a criminal offence
Whilst ultimately the ex-directors at City Link were acquitted, these proceedings serve as a useful reminder of the importance of...
19/11/15"The haters gonna hate, hate, hate..."
Excuse me borrowing from you, Taylor, but you'd have thought that we'd had enough of hate and fear. But no. Recent events in Paris have...
19/11/15Gender Pay Gap Narrowing (but it's bad news!)
One of the reasons for the gender pay gap closing is because of men's declining wages. Can it really be men deciding to pay women less...
18/11/15Race Discrimination Still Prevalent
The Race Relations Act was passed 40 years ago. It outlawed discrimination based on race and nationality. Two generations or more of...
18/11/15