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Financial support for SMEs: The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
06 May 2020Government-backed loans of up to £5 million to small and medium businesses
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Ireland - Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme – planning an exit strategy
06 May 2020The government’s Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme is currently due to end on 17 June 2020. It has provided employers with some important breathing space and there is no question it has saved jobs. But as the end of the scheme draws closer, it is important for employers to start considering their exit plans.
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Law Commission proposes increased powers for Employment Tribunals
05 May 2020A major new report on reform of Employment Tribunal hearing structures by the Law Commission includes various significant proposals on how employment and discrimination cases should be heard, time limits for bringing claims and compensation for breach of contract.
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Deferring tax to January 2021 – a word of warning to management teams and partners
05 May 2020In seeking to survive the coronavirus lockdown, partners and management teams at many professional services firms will have welcomed the package of support provided by the UK Government, including the proposal that on account tax payments due by 31 July 2020 may be deferred until 31 January 2021.
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Financial support for SMEs: the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)
04 May 2020100% Government-backed loans of up to £50,000 for small and medium businesses
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Conducting workplace investigations remotely
01 May 2020As we are all in midst of this Covid-19 world, we are clearly some way away from ‘business as usual’. The vast majority of employers are grappling with new ways of working, with many of their employees working from home or in other unusual ways. But it is clear that ‘business as usual’ issues can and do still arise. So, what should an employer do if it becomes aware of an allegation of misconduct or wrongdoing? In this article, we look at whether a remote investigation is the right step to take, and what to bear in mind if you conclude it is.
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Ireland: how to manage a return to business after Covid-19
01 May 2020Ireland’s lockdown is likely to be extended beyond the 5th May 2020. When it is eventually lifted, measures for a gradual and phased return to the workplace are likely to be imposed, with social-distancing measures remaining in place. You need to start thinking now about how to manage this process.
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Sky v SkyKick: Sky wins despite finding of bad faith
01 May 2020Recall a time when government edicts had not yet led to most of the world being forcibly isolated in their homes, a time when the UK had not yet voted to leave the EU, a time when David Cameron was in Number 10 and Barack Obama was in the White House. If you can stretch your mind back that far, you can remember a time before the Sky v SkyKick case hung over the law of trade marks. Well, 4 years later, the battle (subject to any further appeals…) appears to be over. The telecommunications and TV giant perhaps best known for its sports broadcasting, Sky, has emerged from the ring victorious, albeit with a few cuts and bruises to show.
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Ireland: Covid-19: Establishing a return to work plan – health and safety considerations
01 May 2020As the Covid-19 crisis begins to ease, employers need to think carefully about how to manage safely the process of returning employees to the workplace. This inbrief summarises the legal landscape and various considerations that employers will need to take into account. The government has suggested that the relaxation of lockdown measures and any return to normal working life will be gradual and implemented on a phased basis. We have seen similar approaches being taken in those countries which are ahead of Ireland and beginning to take such steps.
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Top tips for returning to the workplace
30 April 2020As the government looks to ease current restrictions, it will be important for businesses to start to think carefully about how to safely manage the process of returning to the workplace. Our top tips cover some of the key aspects to consider.
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Employment status - ECJ clarifies who counts as a worker under EU law in gig economy ruling
30 April 2020The European Court of Justice has ruled that it’s up to national courts to make decisions about employment status, but that a courier working for Yodel in the UK appeared to them to have been correctly classified as self-employed, given the latitude he had over accepting jobs, working for competitors, providing substitutes and deciding his work schedule. The crucial factors were independence and subordination.
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Furlough and insolvency – administrators cannot furlough staff without adopting their employment contracts
30 April 2020The administrators for Debenhams cannot keep staff on furlough and avoid adopting their employment contracts, according to the latest ruling from the High Court and Court of Appeal. The decision avoids a potential conflict between the rules of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the ordinary insolvency rules on the order in which creditors can get paid.
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Employee Restrictive Covenants
29 April 2020For most employers, protecting their businesses against competitive threats is a vital concern. The departure of a key employee to join a competitor, or to set up a rival business of their own, can have extremely damaging consequences. The employer may lose clients, prospects, or other staff, and their valuable confidential information and strategic plans may be put at risk.
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Will the extension of IR35 into the private sector be abandoned?
29 April 2020In its eagerly awaited report into the IR35 reforms published earlier this week, the House of Lords has urged the government to “rethink fundamentally its approach” to the “flawed IR35 framework”. It has called on the government to announce by October 2020 whether the IR35 reforms will take effect from April 2021. So how likely is it that the government will change its approach?
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Irish DPC: New guidance on cookies and similar technologies
29 April 2020On 6 April 2020 the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced a report on the use of cookies and other tracking technologies by 38 organisations, together with related guidance.
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Is the use of contact tracing apps the answer for organisations to get out of lockdown?
29 April 2020Contact tracing apps are gaining momentum as a possible way out of lockdown. However their success will ultimately turn on the extent to which they are installed and used correctly.
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How franchisors and franchisees can work together to combat the impact of Covid-19
29 April 2020The coronavirus pandemic is a truly universal crisis, with no regard for borders or socio-economic systems. In just a few short weeks, it has caused havoc for businesses around the world, making casualties of household names and showing us that size doesn’t matter after all. For businesses large and small, online and on the high street, swift action is required to limit the potential long-term damage. For franchise businesses, meaningful – and perhaps unprecedented – cooperation between franchisor and franchisee is also vital.
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Consultation launches on providing one week of unpaid leave to carers
28 April 2020The Government has launched a consultation on the proposal to provide one week of unpaid leave for carers, as was promised in the Conservative Party's November 2019 election manifesto and included in the most recent Queen's Speech.
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Important new case on disclosure, but has anyone noticed?
28 April 2020Given the dominance of the coronavirus over all aspects of life, including the law, it would be easy to miss the appearance of a new case about one of the basics of litigation.
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Ads & Brands Law Digest: April 2020
28 April 2020Welcome to the April 2020 issue of our monthly Ads & Brands Law Digest.