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Enforced homeworking during the coronavirus crisis – employers’ health and safety obligations
02 April 2020On 23 March 2020, the government announced that everyone was required to stay at home for at least three weeks, unless they have work which “absolutely” cannot be done at home. This article explains an employer’s health and safety responsibilities towards this significant group of temporary homeworkers during the enforced period of homeworking.
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Will sellers lose more than their liberty as a result of Covid-19?
02 April 2020Coronavirus has already wreaked havoc on the UK’s economy in the space of just a few weeks. The FTSE 100 has plunged by more than 26% since February and businesses in a range of sectors are likely to see a significant downturn this year.
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Sports Q&A – What are your top tips to sports organisations for surviving the Coronavirus crisis?
02 April 2020We truly hope you are all staying healthy and safe during this time. Here are our top tips for survival for sports organisations:
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Electrical Safety in the Residential Private Rented Sector
01 April 2020The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (the “Regulations”) are coming into force on 1 June 2020 and will apply to all new specified tenancies commencing on or after 1 July 2020 and all existing specified tenancies from 1 April 2021 in England.
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Covid-19 relief for financially troubled suppliers with public contracts
01 April 2020On 20 March 2020 the Cabinet Office published guidance designed to ensure that all public bodies provide support under existing contracts to suppliers of “goods, services and works” who are financially “at risk” as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Morrisons not liable for misuse of personal data by rogue employee
01 April 2020The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal by the supermarket chain Morrisons Supermarkets plc, overturning a finding that it was vicariously liable for a rogue employee's deliberate disclosure of payroll data related to some 100,000 co-workers, of whom 10,000 brought a group claim for damages. The ruling will come as a big relief for employers up and down the country.
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Implying terms into commercial contracts impacted by COVID-19
31 March 2020We live and work in unprecedented times. The health of the population is rightly the priority, but it is abundantly clear that steps taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are having a very significant impact on the ability of businesses to fulfil obligations in commercial contracts.
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Two’s company, three’s a crowd... and therefore banned with immediate effect
31 March 2020With the ongoing rapid spread of COVID-19, we’ve seen an ever-greater sense of urgency in the responses of governments from around the world.
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COVID-19: force majeure and frustration flowcharts
29 March 2020The Coronavirus situation may interfere with contractual performance for a variety of reasons. Download here our flowcharts of the issues for those considering whether it is possible to bring contracts to an end (or suspend performance of contractual obligations) without breaching the contract by relying on contractual force majeure clauses or the common law doctrine of frustration.
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Government announces financial support for self-employed during coronavirus outbreak
27 March 2020The government has announced measures to help the self-employed cope with the financial impact of coronavirus. Self-employed individuals with annual trading profits of less than £50,000 will be able to apply for a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly profits (up to £2,500 a month) for at least three months.
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Blurred lines: The difference between a service communication and marketing communication
27 March 2020For years marketeers have grappled with the question of whether the customer communication they are sending is a service comm or a marketing comm. However, now more than ever, the lines are being blurred because businesses are trying to keep their customers up to date with the steps that they are taking to tackle Covid-19 whilst also encouraging customers to continue to purchase (albeit on line). This article is intended to help marketeers clarify where that line should be drawn….
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Expansion of HMRC’s “Time to Pay” Arrangements during the Covid-19 Outbreak
27 March 2020Due to the immediate and stark effect that the Covid-19 outbreak is having on a lot of businesses, the Government has reminded everyone that it often reaches arrangements with businesses in financial distress for deferred payment of their tax liabilities. While this facility is not new, the Government expects the demands on the service to increase dramatically and is therefore scaling up its capacity to deal with new enquiries.
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Coronavirus Act 2020 – employment law measures
26 March 2020The Coronavirus Act 2020, which has now been enacted, introduces a new form of unpaid statutory leave for volunteers along with powers to establish a compensation scheme. It also makes changes to statutory sick pay (SSP) rules and indicates that the new job retention scheme for employers will be implemented by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
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EPO and EUIPO extend deadlines in response to COVID-19 pandemic
26 March 2020As you will have seen, governments across Europe have issued a range of recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The various IP offices have recognised this will have an impact on the ability of rightsholders/ applicants/ opponents to meet their deadlines, and so each of the UKIPO, the IP Office of Ireland, the EUIPO and the EPO have announced that deadlines will be extended:
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Financial support for larger firms: The COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility
26 March 2020The COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) is a quick and cost-effective way to raise working capital for those large businesses which need it.
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Retail, hospitality and leisure Covid 19 survey, from The Collective by Lewis Silkin
26 March 2020Between 19 - 24 March 2020, we conducted a survey for thought leaders in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector, in order to share the data and help others facing these unprecedented times.
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Lewis Silkin has advised new client Artelia Group on its acquisition of quantity surveying practice Austin Newport Group
26 March 2020Lewis Silkin has advised new client Artelia Group, an international, multidisciplinary consultancy, engineering and project management group, on its acquisition of Austin Newport Group, specialised in chartered quantity surveying, project management contracting and recovery of damaged historic buildings.
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Reviewing your existing financing arrangements in light of COVID-19: FAQs
26 March 2020Many of our clients are concerned about the effect of the current economic climate on the financial health of their businesses. We recommend that companies should consider reviewing their existing financing documents to identify any risks of potential defaults occurring and to decide how best to proceed. We have put together the following guide to help answer the most frequently asked questions we receive on this topic.
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Réforme de l’IR35 à compter d’avril 2021
26 March 2020La réforme proposée de l’IR35 représente le plus grand changement apporté à la taxe à l’emploi depuis des décennies.
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Covid-19 – Legislation now passed for new PD rights
25 March 2020The Government is responding quickly to the current crisis with new legislation. On the 21 March, The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closure) (England) Regulations 2020 were issued requiring the immediate closure of businesses selling food or drink for consumption on the premises including all restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs.