The property market throughout the UK appears to be flourishing once more, a sign that the country is moving out of the severe recession and into economic stability and growth. This is always evident when the construction industry gets busy again as it’s often the first sector to really feel the pinch when times are…
If you are thinking about entering into a new lease of commercial premises – whether to expand your existing business or for a new venture, you will need to agree on the main terms of the lease. At first glance, these can appear simple – but there are a number of complications which you should…
In the current economic climate the bottom line for companies is ‘cash in the bank’ rather than assets, order books or goodwill. In many cases, a lot of companies have a habit of holding back on payments due or even avoid making any payment at all! A growing number of companies require debt recovery services,…
After the shopping frenzy of ‘Black Friday’, the frantic weekend shopping before Christmas to be followed by Boxing Day sales, it’s a wonder that anyone has any money or credit left for any more bargains. However, only recently there was a huge rush by bargain hunters when sellers on global giant Amazon were subject to…
It is reported in this week’s news that the number of High Street shops fell sharply last year after many more stores closed than opened. The Local Data Company, which based its analysis on the top 500 UK town centres, said a net total of 987 high street shops disappeared in 2014, almost three times…
There are a number of interesting changes affecting employment law which come into force over the next couple of months. These have far reaching consequences for employers and employees alike. Already, the changes in the law and the introduction of fees has seen a 76% drop in cases going to the employment tribunal. The current…
What is “flexible working”? Flexible working is a term used to describe any working arrangement that is outside an employee’s normal pattern of work. A request for flexible working can include a request to change the days or hours worked, the times of work, or even the place of work (such as a request to…
It is devastating for an employer to discover that a trusted employee with years of loyal service has had their ‘fingers in the till’ for some time. It’s not only the financial loss that you may have incurred, it’s also the total betrayal from someone whose work and support you have relied on and believed…
A ground breaking ruling at an Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in the case of Bear Scotland v Fulton (and conjoined cases) has meant an additional burden to employers, who may now have to take into consideration any overtime their workforce have carried out when calculating their paid holiday leave. Until this ruling, only basic pay…
For many people who are used to managing their lives and being independent, as they get older they often don’t realise the importance of ensuring that their finances are taken care of should they start to lose their mental capacity and independence. There may come a time when it becomes impossible for an older person…