Insights & News
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Government considers imposing ‘Duty of Impartiality’ on social media platforms
19 November 2020It is a lofty ideal to impose a duty of due impartiality on social media platforms. Decisions of where and whether to allow or to block various content on major social media platforms are extremely important. The flow of information, misinformation and disinformation clearly has the power to influence societies and the outcome of elections.
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Is it time for a specific right to disconnect in Ireland? (IRE)
19 November 2020With no definitive end in sight to the Covid-19 crisis, working from home (where that is possible) for large parts of the workforce is set to continue for the foreseeable future. The mass move to homeworking triggered by the pandemic has shone a spotlight on the increasingly blurred boundaries between work and home and reignited the debate on the “right to disconnect”.
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High Court rules that ‘workers’ should be protected from health and safety detriment (UK)
19 November 2020The UK has failed to properly implement EU health and safety law by restricting protection from detriment on health and safety grounds to “employees”, the High Court has ruled in a recent case. The extension of such protection to the broader category of “workers” potentially increases employers’ exposure to Covid-related health and safety claims.
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RE:Occupy - Managing the reoccupation of your premises
18 November 2020With a fresh lockdown in place until early December – at least – corporate occupiers are once again faced with considering how best to manage their return to offices. Occupiers have already briefly experienced life back in premises under Covid-measures, including ensuring they, and their landlords, comply with health and safety guidelines, protect against possible contractual or negligence claims from their employees So, who is liable for what?
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Greg Clarke’s outdated comments contrast with positive steps in FA’s New Diversity Code
17 November 2020You won’t have missed the news last week that Greg Clarke has resigned from his dual-roles as FA Chairman and FIFA Vice-President, following his use of “unacceptable language” when speaking in front of Parliament.
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New Immigration Act becomes law
12 November 2020The Act provides the legislative basis for ending EU free movement arrangements in the UK after the end of the transition period, and for recognising the immigration status of Irish citizens in the UK.
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Counting the cost – Court of Appeal rules that budget considerations can justify indirect discrimination
12 November 2020If an employer has a policy which is indirectly discriminatory and the employer’s aim is no more than saving money, the Court of Appeal has ruled that this cannot justify the discrimination. However, needing to balance the books can potentially be a valid justification for indirect discrimination.
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Trading through the pandemic: insolvency issues, risk and contractual performance
12 November 2020As England endures its second lockdown, it remains unclear how long we will continue to live under coronavirus restrictions. The economic fallout is staggering and the pressure many businesses are facing is unprecedented.
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Self-employed financial support extended until April 2021
12 November 2020The government’s Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has been extended for a further six months, providing two further three-month grants after the expiry of the second grant period.
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What impact would a no-deal Brexit have on social security contributions?
12 November 2020With the promised “oven-ready” Brexit failing to materialise and the prospect of no deal apparently growing each day, this article considers the likely effect of a no-deal Brexit on employers’ and employees’ liability for social security contributions where a UK employee is working in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.
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What’s going on with gender pay gap reporting?
11 November 2020The obligation on employers with 250 or more employees to report their last set of gender pay gap statistics was suspended on account of Covid-19, but they now face difficult challenges in preparing the next round of reporting.
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Ads & Brands Law Digest: October 2020
09 November 2020Welcome to the October 2020 issue of our monthly Ads & Brands Law Digest.
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ロックダウンと在宅勤務 – 雇用主は従業員を監視できるか?
09 November 2020この記事では、雇用主が従業員の監視を望む場合の法的に留意すべき事項と、雇用主が従業員のワークライフバランスをどのように確保したら良いか?について説明する。 This article discusses the legal considerations when an employer wants to monitor its employees, and how employers can ensure that employees have a work-life balance.
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Furlough scheme extended until end of March
05 November 2020The government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (aka the furlough scheme) has been extended until the end of March 2021. Although this is welcome and will allow for more effective business planning, the new five-month extension may mean some employees will spend an entire year on furlough.
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Emergency lockdown legislation published
04 November 2020The government has now made the emergency legislation necessary to impose a four week lockdown on England starting on Thursday 5 November. We look at the stricter regime for offices.
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Coronavirus Job Support Scheme – FAQs for employers
04 November 2020These FAQs explain how the government’s proposed Job Support Scheme would have worked if it had been introduced in November 2020 as originally planned.
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Furlough scheme extended as England gets set to enter new lockdown
03 November 2020The prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended rather than closed as originally planned. The extension will cover a new lockdown in England which is expected to come in on 5 November 2020 and last until 2 December 2020.
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These Are Your Rights If You Were Made Redundant Before Furlough Was Extended: Lucy Lewis comments for HuffPost
03 November 2020Hours before the UK furlough scheme was due to end at the end of October, the government announced it will now be extended until December – as part of new month-long lockdown restrictions in England, that will see the closure of pubs, restaurants, gyms, and non-essential shops.
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The ICO takes action in the offline data broking sector
02 November 2020The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (‘ICO’) has issued an enforcement notice to Experian giving it nine months to remedy non-compliant personal data processing that it considers to be in breach of data protection legislation.
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New national lockdown – what next for employers?
02 November 2020Following the government’s decision to impose a new lockdown in England and its sudden and unexpected reprieve for the furlough scheme, where does this leave employers and what issues should they now be considering?