Don’t fear the SNP: The City can do business with Scottish nationalists May 12, 2015 When Parliament reconvenes next week, there will be many new faces among the throng of MPs being sworn in. For the first time, with no fewer than 56 representatives, the third largest party in the House of Commons will be the SNP. What will that mean for the City’s relationship with Westminster? On the one [...]
Woolworths and Ethel Austin staff lose battle for compensation over redundancy April 30, 2015 THOUSANDS of staff made redundant following the collapse of retailers Woolworths and Ethel Austin have lost a fight for back pay, following a ruling yesterday by the European Court of Justice. Woolworths employed more than 27,000 people when it fell into administration in 2008 after struggling with £385m of debts, while retailer Ethel Austin collapsed [...]
Woolworths redundancy case: European Court of Justice decision good for business, lawyers say April 30, 2015 British businesses breathed a sigh of relief this morning after the European Court of Justice ruled in favour of the UK government in the controversial Woolworths redundancy case. The case dates back to Woolworth's demise in 2008 (and subsequently 2010, when it also affected former Ethel Austin staff), when more than 4,000 employees did [...]
Why the “flash crash” whistleblower is in line for millions after implicating Navinder Singh Sarao April 23, 2015 The United States federal authorities could make it rain for the anonymous tipster who helped expose tracksuit wearing trader Navinder Singh Sarao who is accused of contributing to the "flash crash" five years ago. Under the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) whistleblower program, created as part of the government's response to the financial crisis, whistleblowers receive between 10 [...]
Why politicians should stop using employment law as an electioneering tool April 12, 2015 Faced with stubbornly unchanging polls and less than a month before the General Election, what can a party leader do to prevent the nation drawing the duvet over its collective head on 7 May? Into the arena is pulled employment relations law. All the main parties have something to say here – the coalition points [...]
Non-dom crackdown: What impact will taxing the global rich have on the UK? April 8, 2015 Tight finances and pressure to break the deadlock in the election campaign combined yesterday in a very focused new round of tax – on the foreign earnings of over 5,000 rich British residents. Labour first introduced a levy on long-term non-domiciled residents back in 2008, and the coalition has hiked it since. In December, chancellor [...]
Business takes centre stage in election battle April 1, 2015 Zero hours contracts… support from big bosses… tax rates… Charlotte Henry looks at the election row engulfing the City BUSINESS has become a key battleground in a fraught election campaign, with parties appearing to invest more time vying for the support of company leaders than they spend trading statistics over the NHS or the economy. [...]
How to deal with workplace dismissal March 19, 2015 An office fracas between employer and employee can be contained. We all know that when a business has an explosive falling out with one of its key members of staff, sides can be taken quickly and the rumour mill can go into overdrive. But in these cases, there are ways that both parties can preserve [...]
How to quit with confidence: Everything you need to know about resigning March 12, 2015 If you follow these steps, you can quit your position with confidence. Have you landed a dream job at a rival company? If so, are you about to have that awkward conversation with your boss? Before dropping the bombshell, there are certain things that you ought to consider first. Notice and timing It is [...]
Plain packaging could put Britain’s reputation for intellectual property at risk March 10, 2015 It’s an acronym that might be thought to only excite lawyers, but the importance of IP (intellectual property) to the economy cannot be overstated. If we want a business environment that promotes trade and investment, it’s crucial that we’re seen as a global leader in this area. Thankfully, the UK has many strengths. We have [...]