Insights & News
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The British National (Overseas) visa scheme and migration from Hong Kong to the UK
02 July 2020On 1 July 2020 the UK government announced its commitment to establish a new visa scheme for all British National (Overseas) persons and their dependants. This will provide a readily available opportunity for millions of residents of Hong Kong to move the UK far more easily than those routes currently open to them.
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15 Lewis Silkin employment lawyers listed in Who's Who Legal 2020
02 July 2020Lewis Silkin is pleased to announce that 15 lawyers are listed in this year’s edition of Who’s Who Legal 2020: Labour and Employment - more than double the number of UK lawyers listed from any other law firm.
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Wigan Athletic football club enters administration amid 'significant impact' of coronavirus pandemic: Karish Andrews comments for City A.M.
02 July 2020Wigan Athletic has entered administration following the “significant impact” of the coronavirus pandemic on the football club’s finances. Karish Andrews comments for City A.M. on how the Covid-19 crisis was always going to cause great difficulty for football clubs that rely heavily on match day revenue.
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Data privacy and trust in the workplace – is a profound shift underway?
02 July 2020“It takes a lot to inform massive shifts in our thinking, ways we work, ways we live, ways we imagine our worlds. What it takes for that massive shift isn’t just technology, it is apparatus and systems sitting around that to make it appear trustworthy and safe.” Genevieve Bell Director 3Ai, VP and Senior Fellow at Intel
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Financial support for self-employed extended in line with employee furlough scheme
01 July 2020The government’s Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has been extended to provide a second three-month grant, for self-employed individuals affected by coronavirus after 13 July 2020.
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UK Contact Tracing App Switches Approach
01 July 2020Following our April article ‘Is the use of contact tracing apps the answer for organisations to get out of lockdown?’ regarding contact tracing apps generally, and the NHS' plans to release the NHSX app based on a centralised data-matching approach, it has now been announced that the UK's app will adopt a decentralised model based on technology developed and provided by Apple and Google.
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Conditional payments - are you sure you will be paid?
01 July 2020Consider this scenario: you enter into an agreement to design some plush new downtown apartments. Everyone knows they will sell like hotcakes when they’re completed. Little do you know that an economic downturn is around the corner, and instead of selling out in weeks, your beautifully designed apartments become luxury rentals instead.
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Crucial question mark over furlough and notice
30 June 2020UPDATE: Since this article was published, the HMRC customer helpline has confirmed to us by telephone (on 2 July 2020) that employers can continue to use the scheme during both redundancy consultation and notice periods (while pointing out that the grant cannot be used for redundancy pay). This is, however, not a legally binding view and there is no written confirmation of it.
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Limits introduced on suppliers’ right to terminate for insolvency
29 June 2020Clauses which allow termination when your counterparty enters into insolvency are commonplace, and are often inserted into commercial agreements routinely, without too much thought. It may come as a surprise, therefore, that these will now largely be unenforceable by suppliers of goods and services against their customers.
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Legal basis of flexible furlough scheme published
26 June 2020The government has published an updated Treasury Direction which sets out the legal framework for the changes to the furlough scheme that come into effect on 1 July.
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Managing your business and employees in Hong Kong during COVID-19
25 June 2020A conversation with Catherine Leung, a partner at Lewis Silkin Hong Kong, on the current employment landscape and how COVID-19 has affected employers in the city.
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Interpreting trade union rules
25 June 2020A union did not breach its rules by commencing proceedings against a member after an apparent time limit had expired, the Court of Appeal has ruled, in a judgement illustrating the difficulty of asserting technical infringements of union rulebooks.
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New advisory body for Scottish consumers
25 June 2020If you sell goods or services to consumers in Scotland, take note as the Consumer Scotland Act 2020 has received Royal Assent.
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Intelligent procurement of AI solutions
24 June 2020The use of artificial intelligence in commerce, especially online commerce, is fast gaining traction, and sometimes in a manner that is not so visible to consumers or other purchasers.
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Does your business need a GDPR Health Assessment 2 years on from GDPR?
23 June 202025 May 2020 marked the 2nd anniversary of the GDPR coming into force. As anniversaries are for some a moment for reflection, it is not surprising that organisations are now checking in on their respective compliance profiles to consider what (if any) improvements can be made.
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ICO releases guidance for employers on workplace testing
22 June 2020The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has released new guidance on workplace testing which sets out the data protection considerations for employers carrying out tests for Covid-19 symptoms on workers returning to work.
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Windrush Day 2020 - lessons learned?
22 June 2020Windrush Day is a time to celebrate the substantial and ongoing contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants, who helped to rebuild the UK after the second world war and who have influenced our social, cultural and political landscape ever since. It is also a time to reflect on righting the wrongs of the Windrush scandal and to focus on the fight against racism.
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DaaS – the benefits are clear but beware how you contract for Device as a Service
17 June 2020Devices as a Service (DaaS) is fast becoming the new normal way to purchase IT hardware. This ‘off-balance sheet’ solution is especially fitting in Covid-19 times where cash preservation is key.
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UK immigration and COVID-19 beyond the lockdown
16 June 2020UK visa processing is slowly starting to resume this month, but it is not yet business as usual. There are still many things that employers and applicants need to monitor, and potential pitfalls to avoid.