Flurry of cases regarding energy brokers’ commissions
All businesses use energy, and therefore all businesses will have some form of contract in place with an energy supplier. Often the end user business will, knowingly or unknowingly, be paying money to a broker, a form of middleman, who has been involved in the setting up of the contract. This can often be a substantial amount of money, and various cases have started to appear before the courts considering what obligations, if any, there are on either the energy company or the broker to disclose any commission. Read our blog to find out more.
Court considers liability for damage caused under the Party Wall Act 1996
The Party Wall Act 1996 (PWA) came into force on 1 July 1997 and applies throughout England and Wales. (The Act does not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland). It provides a framework for preventing or resolving disputes in relation to party walls, party structures, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings. Anyone intending to carry out work (anywhere in England and Wales) of the kinds described in the Act must give Adjoining Owners notice of their intentions. Disputes can nevertheless still arise when damage is caused as a result of work done in and around party walls. Read our blog to find out more.
Further legal developments regarding bank payments made to fraudsters (APP fraud)
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for us to receive calls on the advice line from members who have inadvertently sent money to fraudsters, directly via their bank, having been duped into doing so often by an email purporting to be from somebody legitimate, but containing the fraudsters bank details. There has been previous case law in this regard, but now another potential angle has arisen. Read our blog to find out more.
Disability and reasonable adjustments
The EAT finds that a trial period in a new alternative role could have been a legally required reasonable adjustment for a disabled employee. Read our blog to find out more.
Parental leave and automatically unfair dismissals
The Employment Appeal Tribunal rules that an employee who was dismissed after informally requesting to take parental leave was automatically unfairly dismissed because they had ‘sought’ to take parental leave. Read more about this on our blog.
New ACAS Code of Practice on handling employee requests to work flexibly
Are you up to date with the new guidance on dealing with employees’ flexible working requests? Read our blog to find out more.
HSE woodworking inspections
Does your business carry out woodworking? If so, it is essential to be protect staff adequately from the risk of wood dust exposure. Read our blog to find out more.
New template documents for employers on Carer’s Leave, which applies in England, Scotland and Wales from 6 April 2024:
1. Carer’s leave form
2. Carer’s leave policy
3. Letter to postpone carer’s leave
Updated fact sheet guidance for employers:
1. Lay-offs, short-time working and guarantee payments
2. Employment Tribunals
3. Adoption leave and pay
4. Maternity leave and pay
5. Parental bereavement leave and pay
6. Paternity leave and pay
7. Shared parental leave and pays
8. Sick pay
9. Calculator for redundancy pay
10. Guidance notes for casual workers contract
11. Guidance notes for zero hours contract
12. ACAS Early Conciliation
13. National Minimum Wage
14. Unlawful discrimination
15. Age discrimination
16. Apprentices
17. Flexible working
Updated template documents for employers:
1. Holidays policy
2. Adoption leave policy
3. Paternity leave policy
4. Flexible working policy
5. Flexible working application form
6. Invitation to flexible working request meeting
7. Invitation to flexible working appeal meeting
8. Contract clause – term-time only work
9. Casual hours worker contract
10. Zero hours contract of employment