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Creating tangible value from an intangible business asset – how IP strategy is climbing the boardroom agenda
30 January 2020Intellectual property is climbing the boardroom agenda as C-suite leaders realise it is no longer simply an asset to register and protect against infringement, it's something that adds genuine and tangible value to their business.
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Introduction of paid parental bereavement leave confirmed
29 January 2020The Government has finalised the legislation to implement an entitlement to two weeks' paid bereavement leave for working parents who lose a child under the age of 18. The new right will come into force with effect from 6 April 2020.
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ICO ‘dispenses’ its first GDPR fine
29 January 2020You’d be forgiven for missing it: while the rest of us were busily hanging tinsel and counting down the days to Christmas on our advent calendars, the ICO handed down its first GDPR fine – in the sum of £275,000 – to Doorstep Dispensaree (DD), a provider of pharmacy services to care homes. The decision is of note not just because it’s the first fine issued by Ms Denham, but also because of the other powers she exercised along the way (i.e. Information and Enforcement Notices, in addition to Monetary Penalty). Heralding another first, DD’s appeal against the Information Notice was the first to reach a final determination in the First-Tier Tribunal under the new regime.
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MAC publishes recommendations for future UK immigration system
29 January 2020The UK Government will be disappointed by the MAC’s firm rejection of an Australian points-based system for skilled workers with a job offer.
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Written statement of employment particulars – new rules from April 2020
29 January 2020Employers need to be providing new-form written statements of employment particulars (sometimes called section 1 statements) from April this year. This article summarises what is changing and what employers should do to prepare.
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IR35 reform: Regulations give HMRC broad power to recover unpaid tax from end users
24 January 2020Regulations just published allow HMRC to pursue end users if agencies or other fee payers in the labour chain fail to pay IR35 tax.
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Senior Japanese politician takes paternity leave in first for country
23 January 2020Shinjirō Koizumi, Japan’s environment minister, is taking two weeks’ paternity leave following the birth of his son on 17 January 2020. It is the first time a Japanese cabinet minister has taken paternity leave, or at least publically announced an intention to do so.
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Significant new guidance on harassment from the EHRC
22 January 2020The Equality and Human Rights Commission (“EHRC”) has published substantial new guidance on sexual harassment and harassment at work, containing detailed recommendations on steps employers should consider taking to prevent and deal with such behaviour.
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Apply to extend your accounts filing deadline, and avoid late filing penalty. Companies House - New Service.
22 January 2020You can use this new service to apply for more time to file your company’s annual accounts with Companies House.
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Does your company use email for sending documents or information to shareholders?
22 January 2020If so, do you have the necessary consents in place?
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Housekeeping reminder for Tier 2 and 5 sponsors
20 January 2020If you are a sponsor under Tier 2 of the Points-Based System, you should recently have received your annual email from the Home Office to remind you to submit your annual CoS allocation request. We can help you to submit your request, or if you have not received the email, we can follow this up for you.
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ICO consults on new direct marketing code of practice
17 January 2020On 8 January 2020 the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued a consultation on a draft direct marketing code of practice which is intended to “provide practical guidance” to help organisations comply with data protection and e-privacy rules – particularly those set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) – in respect of direct marketing activities.
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International data transfers - temporary sigh of relief over model clauses?
17 January 2020The ECJ Advocate General has given his opinion in the ongoing Schrems II case about the validity of model clauses – or Standard Contractual Clauses – as a basis for transferring data out of the EU. The opinion is that model clauses are valid, with an important note of caution.
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Dispute Resolution Update - January 2020
16 January 2020Welcome to our January 2020 Dispute Resolution Update. We’ve included articles on a range of disputes, including summaries of recent cases and guides on key aspects of dispute resolution. With an increasingly globalised and fast changing environment, disputes are an inevitable part of business. Not only can we help resolve disputes once they arise, we also work with our clients to reduce the risk of litigation. If you have any feedback, comments or queries let us know by contacting Rachel Rooksby.
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Retaining key employees
09 January 2020Businesses’ Human Resources Departments constantly invest time in developing initiatives for talent acquisition and key staff retention, including reviews of appraisals systems and training opportunities. In this month’s bulletin, we would like to introduce two examples regarding the “election".
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IR35 full steam ahead despite review - we answer the practical questions
09 January 2020The proposed IR35 reforms in April 2020 represent the biggest change to employment tax for decades. The Government has launched a review, but there is no indication of a delay and so businesses must still concentrate on getting ready. In this insight, we set out some of the common questions which end-user businesses are asking, and our views on the answers.
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2020 Tech Predictions
08 January 2020Well, it’s that time of the year where we use our 20/20 vision to see what exciting technology changes lie ahead in the next year and beyond. As it’s 2020, we couldn’t resist the urge to treat you to 20 of our best tech predictions, which build on the themes from our Tech Predictions for 2019.
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Restrictive covenants and team moves: three key employee competition cases in 2019
08 January 2020A significant threat to any business is the risk of employees leaving to set up in competition and misusing confidential information or trade secrets in doing so. We look back at three of the most significant employee competition decisions of 2019 in this constantly evolving area of law.
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The year in employment law
08 January 2020What were the most significant employment law developments in 2019? And what can we expect this year under a newly elected Conservative government with a sizeable majority?
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The year ahead for immigration
07 January 2020With the new Conservative Government now bedding in and the Withdrawal Agreement Bill proceeding through Parliament, Brexit is all but certain to be going ahead at end of this month.