Business Blog

Unsurprisingly, Employment Law news this month is dominated by the extension of the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until March 2021. Until January 2021 employees will receive 80% of their usual salary for hours not worked up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. The cap is proportionate to the hours not worked. Points of note: Employers do not need to… Read More

Following HMRC’s announcement on 12 June confirming the winding down of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), many employers may have no choice but to start thinking about reducing their work force. We have seen many big companies recently making redundancies, here, we address questions we find employers are asking in these difficult times. Can employees be made redundant… Read More

With many changes to the Furlough Scheme around the corner, here we set out what employers can expect over the next few months. Closure to New Entrants From 1 July 2020, employers will not be able to furlough anyone new (unless they are returning from family leave). In order to be furloughed after 1 July, the employee must have previously been furloughed for… Read More

Yesterday, the government announced that all non-essential shops can re-open on 15 June.  This includes all retail shops, money branches such as post offices and money businesses as well as markets and car dealerships. On May 25 the Government updated its guidance on working safely during coronavirus, including a section on shops and branches. If you are looking to re-open your… Read More

What changes has the Government made to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)? Ordinarily to qualify for SSP an employee or worker must be absent from work due to incapacity. This would not normally include a person who is self-isolating without suffering symptoms. However with effect from 13 March 2020, a new piece of legislation provides that a person in self-isolation is deemed incapable… Read More

For many, Adidas’s three parallel stripes trademark is synonymous with the major sporting brand. However, last month’s highly anticipated judgement from the European General Court (T-307/17) declared the trademark invalid on grounds of a lack of distinctiveness. The judgement stems from a long-standing ‘battle of the stripes’ between Adidas (three stripes) and Belgian footwear… Read More

Having created a brand and a logo for your new business how do you now protect this and stop others copying it ? Business owners commonly create and invent literary and artistic works (such as symbols, names and images) that are used to identify and promote their company. These devices can be a valuable asset of the business and, in many… Read More

Introduction - What is an EPC? All domestic and commercial buildings in the UK that are available to buy or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (‘EPC’). By obtaining an energy performance survey, it will allow you identify ways to save money on your energy bills and improve the comfort of the property. What is changing? From… Read More

With Britain voting to leave the European Union, we look at what’s next and how long it will take. This is no short-term relationship where you can un-follow, delete and move on from the EU. There is a formal legal process called Article 50 - but it's never been used and when it was created nobody thought anyone would… Read More

From today (6 April 2016), the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 brings into force changes to the registration requirements with Companies House for all UK incorporated companies (whether limited and unlimited) as well as LLPs Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs). Companies and LLPs are now required to keep a register of people who have significant control of the Company (PSC). It should… Read More