Employers have recently understandably been focussing on matters relating to the impact of coronavirus and the ongoing Government measures in this regard. However, the Law goes on and therefore we have set out below some other key developments and upcoming dates that employers ought to be aware of.
Nicole Natur, Employment Solicitor at Ramsdens Solicitors has featured on Glamour Magazine online, giving straightforward guidance on workplace rights and to answer common employment law questions.
As it stands the Stamp Duty holiday is to end on 31 March 2021. Many leading experts expect an immediate end to the holiday will lead to a downturn in the property market which has seen somewhat of a boom over the last 6-8 months.
For many victims of domestic abuse, work is a place of respite. However the covid-19 lockdowns have meant victims have had to work from home, or those on furlough have had to stay at home with the abuser.
The government have announced a new, “first-of-its-kind” strategy to protect children from Child Sexual Abuse. This comes ahead of the fourth annual sexual abuse and sexual violence week between 1st and 7th February.
As Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week continues, running from 1st February to 7th February 2021, it is highly important to continue to spread the message #ITSNOTOK.
The Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield opts for a “big, bold, long-term plan for fixing” child poverty and has published a series of short essays from campaigners and politicians.
A further Treasury Direction was released on 26 January 2021 which updates the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). Many will be pleased to note that the latest Treasury Direction makes only a few minor amendments to the existing scheme.
The Supreme Court decision is welcomed as it brings a degree of clarity on the issue of what businesses can claim under their business interruption insurance policies in relation to Covid-19.
Due to the continuing rise of coronavirus cases, Chief medical officers have warned that hospitals in England could be overwhelmed with coronavirus patients in the next few weeks. Groups representing doctors fear that legal repercussions are imminent if they are forced to choose which patients should be prioritised for care.
Family Mediation Week is this year taking place between the 18th-22nd January. The annual initiative creates awareness of the many benefits of reaching mutual post-divorce agreements, rather than heading to court.
Today the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Financial Conduct Authority v Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd and others.
Domestic abuse victims will be able to “Ask for Ani” in pharmacies, as part of a code word scheme backed by the Government and Safeguarding Minister Victoria Atkins.
Where it has been established that your parent lacks capacity to consent to the vaccination, you should firstly consider whether or not you have authority to make decisions regarding your parents welfare either under a Lasting Power of Attorney or the old style Enduring Power of Attorney.
Guidance published on 4 January 2021 confirms that once again the government recognises the importance of children from separated parents being able to spend time with both of their parents. Children are permitted to leave one household to spend time with their other parent in another household, if it is medically safe to do so.
The effects of the pandemic have certainly changed our lives in many ways. We have seen the economy suffer, jobs lost and businesses close. However, despite all of this what we surprisingly continue to see is somewhat of a boom in the property market.
John Stevenson, Conservative MP for Carlisle and Managing Partner of Bendles LLP, has raised his concerns regarding the virtual witnessing of Wills stating that Wills witnessed through such means open the opportunity for undue influence.
David Bradley, Head of Employment at Ramsdens Solicitors, has featured on Lawyer Monthly, providing a checklist for employers to consider when trying to make savings to keep their business running in an article on how companies can survive Covid-19.
Recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics show there were 107,599 opposite-sex divorces in 2019, an increase from 90,871 in 2018. There were also 822 same-sex divorces, compared to 428 in 2018.
A beautiful moment of former ballerina with Alzheimer’s, Mata C. Gonzalez, recognising the sound of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake has been shared by thousands of people across the globe. This has further raised the importance of music to all those who have been affected by this year’s national lockdowns. It has also shown us that all is not lost for those who may have issues regarding mental capacity.
Head of Litigation at Ramsdens, Nick Armitage explains the current position on the recovery of commercial property due to rent arrears and also on the recovery of those rent arrears.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the scheme”) was, at the last minute, extended in October from 5 November 2020 for a month, with little to no guidance available at the time as to how this would work in practice.
Amnesty International (UK) states that the sending of 25,000 elderly patients into care homes in England at the start of lockdown to clear NHS beds was a violation of their human rights, due to many not being tested for COVID-19.
The current national lockdown rules which came into force at midnight on 4th November 2020 have significant implications regarding contact with loved ones, particularly vulnerable family members residing in care homes.
Inevitably, the NHS has had many difficult decisions to make since COVID 19 sent us into national lockdown. These difficult decisions continue as the country remains in such uncertain times. With the winter months just around the corner and the new lockdown tiers implemented the ongoing disruption to our access to healthcare looks to continue.
The UK Housing Market will remain open during the second lockdown, allowing residential property sales and lettings to continue.
As many of you will have noted recently the Land Registry have removed the last stringent requirement to print and sign a paper document in a property transaction by confirming acceptance of electronic signatures.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Thursday announced further changes to the Job Support Scheme, which has been put in place to subsidies businesses unable to have their staff back working full-time as the varied degrees of lockdown continue.
The High Court has handed down its judgement in a test case brought by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on whether a sample of business interruption (BI) policies provide cover in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chancellor has announced an extension to the Job Support Scheme (itself only launched two weeks ago) aimed at supporting business during COVID.
Effectively a local furlough scheme, this one pays employee’s 2/3rds of their wage up to a cap of £2100pm if their employer is forced by law to close due to COVID.
