From holiday pay entitlement to shared parental leave – the past 12 months have seen many changes in employment law that will affect businesses across the board.
However, leading law firm Buckles Solicitors is rounding off the year by sharing its top 12 legal points, looking back at some key issues as well as ahead to impending changes in the law during 2015 affecting business and personal issues.
Buckles itself has had plenty to celebrate in 2014 – with the opening of a new branch in Nottingham, a high ranking on the Legal 500 list and Investors in People Gold accreditation and Investors in the Environment awards.
Here is Buckles’ at a glance guide to topics you may want advice on:
- Holiday pay entitlement (November 2014) The Employment Appeals Tribunal suggests holiday pay should be based on a worker’s normal pay, which may include non-guaranteed overtime if they are regularly required to work extra hours, rather than their basic salary.
- Changes in planning law (April 2014) allowing changes from both agricultural buildings and shops/financial services to residential uses; from shops to bank/building societies (subject to certain restrictions and conditions).
- Selling online (June 2013). If you have a business selling goods online, by mail order or by phone – new regulations include the consumers’ right to cancel goods purchased on the doorstep or online, but also cancellation rights if your website doesn’t include certain information. When selling online, your instructions to the consumer need to be clear that they are placing an order, and are obliged to pay.
- Keeping it in the family when it comes to business. Draw up a shareholder’s agreement to ensure things stay harmonious when it comes to passing on the business to your children or during unforeseen events/circumstances to avoid family fall-outs and disputes.
- Shared parental leave (December 2014). Parents of children born or matched for adoption on or after April 2015 can choose how they wish to share the care of their child during the first year after birth.
- Sick leave. A health and work assessment and advisory service is to be introduced in April 2015 offering free occupational health assistance for employees and employers to provide an occupational health assessment after four weeks of sickness absence.
- From next April, statutory adoption leave will no longer have the 26-week qualifying period, and adoption pay will be brought in line with maternity pay, which will be 90 per cent of normal earnings for the first six weeks.
- The right to unpaid parental leave will be extended to parents of any child under the age of 18 years from next April.
- Personal injury awards can vary depending on severity or part of the body affected.
- The upper age limit for jury service is due to be increased in England and Wales at a date to be announced next year from 70 to 75 years.
- As people are living longer, sadly suffering from the frailties of old age, more and more Wills are being challenged. This is something the probate team can advise on.
- Our specially organised business breakfast seminars run through the year, looking at a range of topics that affect you and your business. The next is on 27 January when we look at the impact of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) due to be implemented in January 2015.
