Post covid-19
The Government’s roadmap out of the current lockdown has undoubtedly been welcome news for employers, who can now start planning to reopen their businesses and bring their employees back to work. However, when putting these plans in place, there are many issues to consider, some of which we’ve outlined below: Effective communication and good planning […]
As announced in the Budget, the furlough scheme will be extended until September, with the Government continuing to pay 80% of furloughed workers’ wages until June. Thereafter, employers will be expected to contribute towards furloughed workers’ pay. From July, employers will be expected to pay 10%, increasing to 20% in August and September, with the […]
In its ‘Roadmap Reviews’ paper on 5 April the Government clarified how it intends to manage the pandemic once we take (hopefully) the final step out of lockdown on 21 June – when all restrictions are expected to be lifted. Included is a COVID-Status Certification Review, which will explore how COVID-status certification might help in […]
A Covid passport is for those who have had a Covid jab and have received a vaccination card. Plans to introduce a Covid-status certification – known as a ‘Covid passport’ have received much media coverage. If introduced, the ‘passport’ will indicate if you’ve had the vaccine, or if you’ve tested negative recently, or if you […]
As the UK continues to progress along the government’s roadmap towards the end of restrictions, many employers are turning their minds to the return to getting their staff back into the workplace. With policies in place covering the physical return to the workplace, employers must now start consulting their staff about their return to the […]
The furlough scheme is helping a large number of schools to reduce their overheads at a time when their revenue has been reduced by fee discounts and in some cases pupils not returning in September 2020. Boarding schools have been particularly affected with some pupils opting to remain in their home countries, even as schools […]
The news that pupils would be returning to school on 8 March threw up lots of questions and concerns from school staff, whether those working in the classroom, office, reception or school grounds. Below, we’ve focused on the most common questions asked of us on this issue in recent weeks. The advice we offer here […]
The Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rishi Sunak – has announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough scheme), which has helped millions across the UK, is to be extended until the end of September 2021. What is the furlough scheme? The furlough scheme was introduced at the beginning of lockdown in March 2020 as […]
As a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the British Government introduced state backed loan facilities schemes. The schemes are intended to provide support via much needed cash injections into SMEs, in an attempt to alleviate the financial burden afflicting many industries in the UK. Two loan schemes have been introduced to assist small and […]
We hear in the news this week that Charlie Mullins, famously litigious founder and CEO of Pimlico Plumbers, has announced that he has instructed the company’s lawyers to draft new employment contracts making it mandatory for staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. If that is the case, it is not an enviable position for those […]
Meetings are a fact of life when it comes to running a charity. The way a charity is structured will dictate what meetings need to be held. In this webinar Gordon Reid and Helen Harvie from the Charities Team at Moore Barlow look at those different meetings, how they should be convened, what processes have […]
Many charities have property assets, which are sometimes quite substantial. The Charities Act imposes various requirements in relation to dealings with charity property to ensure that the assets are protected for charitable purposes. In this webinar, Gordon Reid and George Shepherd from the Charities Team at Moore Barlow explain the requirements and how charity trustees […]
It has never been more important for charity trustees to understand the nature of their role and what is required of them, so that they can ensure to the best of their ability that the charity is well run and pursuing its objects as effectively as possible. In this webinar Gordon Reid, Helen Harvie and […]
The government has updated its guidance on which employees may be put on furlough through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. It has clarified that employees will be eligible for the grant and can be furloughed if they are unable to work (including from home or working reduced hours) because they: are clinically extremely vulnerable, or […]
Given the unprecedented financial challenges of 2020 and the impending end of the extended furlough scheme, many charities are actively restructuring and considering redundancy consultations. In this webinar, Adam McRae-Taylor, Olivia Stanton and Gordon Reid, employment law specialists in the Moore Barlow Charities Team, share with charity leaders and HR managers the key things they […]
After one of the most challenging years in recent memory, strategic planning for the year to come has never been more vital. In this wide-ranging webinar Joanna Lada-Walicki, Adam McRae-Taylor and Gordon Reid consider the key topics on the agenda for independent school senior leaders and governors for the year ahead. Topics covered include: The […]
The Chancellor has announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (also known as the furlough scheme) will be extended once again and will now be in place until 30 April 2021. A review of the scheme was supposed to take place in January but a decision was made to bring forward the review in order […]
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain v The Secretary of State for Work & Pensions and others. A recent decision by the High Court to extend health-and-safety protections those engaged in the gig economy will have a huge impact on hundreds of thousands of workers. The Independent Workers Unions of Great Britain brought the […]
Many employers are having to make changes to their business, including restructuring and redundancy programmes. In doing so, it is important that they do not fall into the trap of assuming that it is safe to dismiss any employee who has less than two years’ service because they do not qualify for ordinary unfair dismissal. […]
There are new stricter time limits for making claims under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough). These apply during the extension of the scheme to 31 March. Claims made from 1 November 2020 must be submitted by 11.59pm, 14 calendar days after the month you are claiming for. When this time falls on a weekend […]
As we will all now be aware, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (commonly known as the ‘furlough scheme’) has been extended to be in place until 31 March 2021. You can read more about this in our recent article – Extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Guidance released. On Friday 13 November, HM Treasury published The […]
On 5 November, the Chancellor announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (commonly known as the ‘furlough scheme’) which was originally due to end on 31 October 2020 would be extended to 31 March 2021. From 1 November 2020 to at least 31 January 2021, the government will pay 80% of wages for hours not […]
The government has just announced further extensions to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), also known as the furlough scheme, and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). For further details on how the CJRS operates, see some guidance Job retention scheme. The CJRS was recently extended to the end of November to cover the second lockdown […]
SEISS has been extended for a further six months, with two grants available covering each three month period. In order to be eligible, self-employed individuals must have been eligible for the first and second grants, although there is no requirement that they must have claimed those grants. They must also declare that they intend to […]
The Prime Minister has announced that England will be entering into a national lockdown from Thursday 5 November until at least 2 December 2020. During the lockdown pubs, restaurants, gyms, non-essential shops and places of worship will close but schools and universities will stay open. People should work from home where possible but those industries where working […]
In September the Chancellor unveiled plans for the Job Support Scheme (JSS) which comes into force from 1 November, taking over from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) that ends on 31 October. We have been waiting patiently for official guidance to be released setting out the finer detail of how the scheme will work […]
The Chancellor has announced plans to increase support through the Job Support Scheme which is due to come into effect from 1 November. The Job Support Scheme will take over from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) which will come to an end on 31 October. When originally announced back in September, the Job Support […]
The Prime Minister has formally unveiled plans for a new three tier system for implementing local lockdowns restrictions across England. The system uses three levels which are ‘Medium’, ‘High’ and ‘Very High’ to determine the measures to be imposed in certain areas. Most areas are at medium level and those who are currently facing local […]
With many companies starting to make redundancies as the furlough scheme begins to wind down, there has been much discussion of how to calculate notice pay and statutory redundancy payments, in particular whether these should be based on the employee’s usual salary or the reduced rate that they have been receiving on furlough. On 31 […]
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020 came into force in England at midnight. The Regulations confirm and set out the rules regarding mandatory periods of self-isolation following the rollout of the NHS contact tracing app. The Regulations also increase the level of fines for failing to comply with the self-isolation rules to as much […]
The government has been under increasing pressure to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which is going to stop providing support to employers at the end of October. With infection rates of Covid-19 on the rise and anticipation of continued disruption to the economy, the Chancellor has outlined new measures in order to try and […]
In response to the rising number of cases of Covid-19, the Prime Minister outlined new measures in an address to the nation last night to try and tackle the spread of the virus. Boris Johnson reiterated the points he had made to MP’s in Parliament earlier in the day which included guidance that office workers […]
The NHS is a fantastic institution, and we are all very much aware of the increased demand on its skill and resources which has been brought about by Covid-19. There is the need to treat people who are seriously ill with a previously unknown and not yet wholly understood disease, while working out the safety […]
As the furlough scheme draws to an end, what are your workplace options? With only a few weeks to go, it is certainly something on a lot of employers mind. Date: Wednesday 7 October 2020Presenters: Katherine Maxwell, Partner at Moore Barlow Emma Edis, Partner at Moore Barlow Stephanie Clark, Associate solicitor at Moore Barlow This […]
The UK Government has recently introduced new legislation to help directors and businesses deal with threats from creditors in these difficult times. Some provisions relate to dealing with the Covid-19 crisis specifically, but other changes are permanent, changing the law in far-reaching ways which include: new powers to directors to impose a moratorium on their […]
Our corporate experts discuss key risk areas to consider when investing in distressed businesses, share valuable insights into the opportunities of investing, and help you avoid the pitfalls. We outline some of the basic checks you should be making before investing, provide some pointers around keeping your deal on track amidst pressure from the other […]
Since 1 August, the government has given employers the green light to bring their employees back to the workplace (provided it is safe to do so), but it has been a slow trickle effect. Many people are opting to continue to work from home for a number of reasons, including health & safety, family commitments […]
Covid 19 raises a number of issues on contracts, including frustration and force majeure, which are especially important when these contracts are the lifeline of a business. Through the Cabinet Office, the government recently published its guidance on responsible contractual behaviour in the performance and enforcement of contracts impacted by the Covid-19 emergency. Some businesses […]
Whilst there may be many reasons to cause businesses to enter into liquidation, for SMEs it is often the impact of unpaid invoices and the negative effect that has on cash flow. The coronavirus pandemic has significantly disrupted businesses across the UK and around the world. Many businesses may have felt that there was little […]
Schools have broken up for summer holidays and more employees are now venturing out and going abroad. Already we are seeing signs of further coronavirus related issues for employers. The first big challenge has been triggered by the government’s sudden decision to impose 14-day quarantine on those returning from Spain.This has implications for employees who […]
On 26 June 2020 the Government’s new Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA) came into force. CIGA sets out temporary measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, there are important permanent reforms to insolvency and company law. Together this represents a major package of new legislation to help navigate troubled times and in […]
The challenges of coronavirus and how employers manage returning to work We are facing a time of uncertainty as employees are encouraged to return to the workplace for economic and well being reasons, whilst at the same time being asked to work from home where possible. With the potential for conflict between offices re-opening versus […]
Michelle Tudor, senior associate in the employment team discusses some of the practicalities and legal issues that may arise as you bring your workforce back to work.
The Government recently announced that from 4th July couples can now get married in England with up to 30 guests and enjoy their wedding ceremonies with rules in place, such as all individuals from different households being at least 2 metres apart, or one metre with risk mitigation if this is not possible.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a £30bn plan to boost the economy and prevent mass unemployment as the financial effects of the coronavirus wear on. We have summarised the key points below which will be of interest to employers: Job retention scheme The furlough scheme is due to be phased out over the summer before coming […]
As the stay at home rule relaxes and businesses get the green light to re-open, employers are making plans to bring their staff back into the workplace. All employers have a statutory duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees as far as reasonably practicable. The government’s message remains that employees should […]
The president of the employment tribunals for England and Wales has said that he expects a big increase of unfair dismissal claims by reason of redundancy as the government’s furlough scheme is wound up. We know that for many employers the furlough scheme has simply been a means of delaying the inevitable. With changes to […]
In March we produced our toolkit to help independent schools manage the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. As society starts making steps towards a return to normality and schools prepare to welcome back pupils, we have updated this key resource for independent schools as they continue to navigate their way through the next […]
The Government has just released the updated version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), which will come into force on 1 September 2020. You should continue to refer to the current version of KCSIE until 31 August 2020, but schools will want to start preparing for the upcoming changes. The key new developments are […]
The President of the Family Division has announced that the functioning of the Family Court is unlikely to return to full and ordinary operation until Spring 2021 and, even by then, there may be a new normal to the court working environment. Most of the court buildings have been closed to the public as a […]