Firm: Shoosmiths LLP
Practice Industry: All
Region: All
Country/ State: All
Tag: All
Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

On 22 February 2024, The Equality and Human Rights Commission published their first guidance on menopause in the workplace (the Guidance). This is a welcomed move in the right direction, but it remains to be seen how far this will change things in practice ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Employers are likely to have experienced some of their employees losing a baby before the 24 week mark. Employees may have been open about it with their employers; others may not have been especially if their pregnancy was in the early stages. The Government has just launched a new scheme for parents who experience a loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks. The scheme went live at 9am on 22 February 2024 and allows parents in this situation to request a baby loss certificate ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

To reduce carbon emissions, significant changes are necessary in how our industries operate, how they draw power from the grid and how we heat our homes. Hydrogen emerges as a pivotal element in achieving net zero (NZ) emission goals. It serves as a low-carbon fuel, facilitating our transition toward a more sustainable future. Developing a hydrogen economy holds the key to unlocking future investments, generating employment opportunities and enhancing supply chains ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

As it has been widely reported, 2023 saw a fall in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions compared to 2022. Many are predicting greater dealmaking in 2024, although we suspect that will be weighted towards the second half of the year. As it has been widely reported, 2023 saw a fall in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions compared to 2022. A vast array of headwinds all led to a reduction in deal activity, including high inflation, rising interest rates and lower economic growth ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

A podcast series that explores privacy themes within some of the most well-known movies. Whether you are a film buff, a privacy advocate, or simply curious about the intersection of storytelling and privacy, take a journey with us as we explore how the big screen tackles privacy. In this episode, William Moore and Alice Wallbank discuss “The Terminator”. So tune in to hear if the Terminator’s creator, Cyberdyne Inc ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

This February saw the largest Energy Storage Summit in the UK so far, as over 1500 delegates, exhibitors and speakers converged on West London to discuss the key issues in storage, both in the UK and overseas. Chris Pritchett, energy and infrastructure partner has been a prominent figure in Energy Storage since 2015 and was asked to chair day two of the conference ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

The Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (the “Regulations”) implement certain basic informational requirements that bus operators of local services need to implement in their vehicles in order to improve the accessibility of information for passengers on local bus services ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Following the conflict in Ukraine, the UK Government opened various visa routes and concessions for those affected to come to the UK. These routes granted Ukrainians three years’ leave to remain in the UK and granted a right to work ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Bringing in major reforms for the UK’s companies registry, administrative changes for companies and new measures to combat economic crime, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 is set to strengthen the UK’s economy’s position as a trusted place for business. Large, open economies are highly attractive for worldwide business, but with openness comes susceptibility to fraud and economic crime ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

In its blog, Companies House has indicated that a number of changes will be introduced in March 2024 by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. The Act will provide the Registrar of Companies with a set of new overarching statutory objectives to improve the accuracy and quality of the data held by Companies House ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

The requirement for companies to provide and maintain a registered email address is expected to be implemented on 4 March 2024. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, all companies will be required to provide a registered email address to Companies House. The intention is that Companies House will use this address to communicate with the company for updates, notices and reminders ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Flexible working has continued in many workforces since the pandemic. The most common pattern is a hybrid one where employees split their time between the office and home. However some employees are now looking to work remotely on a permanent basis. This is what happened in Wilson v Financial Conduct Authority 2302739/2023 ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

The Government has introduced the Rail Reform Bill, a major legislation that will overhaul the UK's rail network and affect the interests of businesses across various sectors. The Bill, which was presented to Parliament on 20th February 2024, will enable the creation of a new public body, Great British Railways, that will take charge of the planning, contracting and operation of rail services across the country ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Obtaining a medical report on an employee can be a sensitive and complex process. We set out our top tips for employers, including the key matters to include in the letter of instruction and the legal considerations they need to navigate. When to seek a medical report There are several situations where an employer might seek a medical report on an employee or prospective employee ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

The recent decision to permit 45 million competition law claimants to claim against Meta has thrown fresh focus on the real risks posed to organisations after data breaches. Here, we discuss recent trends and make some predictions. Following the news that up to 45 million claimants under competition law have been given the go-ahead for a £2bn class action against Meta, many are thinking about what the real risk of class action litigation is after a mass data breach ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Amazon France Logistics has been fined €32m in France for being “grossly negligent” about European data protection law when it comes to monitoring its workers. How can companies do the right thing by workers and by regulators? Employers have increasingly sophisticated tools to help them monitor their workers. Amazon’s  substantial recent fine from French data protection regulators shows that they don’t always get it right ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

One of the main features of the cryptocurrency market is how unpredictable it is - the value of cryptocurrencies can rise and fall sharply, depending on how investors feel about them or the social media hype around them at the time ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Unexpectedly, Home Office guidance Employer’s guide to right to work checks has been updated to expand on the required steps for employers who are taking on an individual to carry out ‘supplementary employment’. It now helpfully gives clarification on what steps should be undertaken to ensure that right to work checks for this category of employees are done correctly ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

From Dominic Cummings to Nicola Sturgeon, 2023 was a noisy, headline-grabbing year for the UK’s public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. What’s coming in 2024? And what does it mean for businesses? In terms of media exposure, the first full year in the life of the UK’s official Covid-19 Inquiry was a resounding success ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Recent surveys have revealed the shocking statistic that 90% of breastfeeding mothers are forced to use a toilet or are not provided with a suitable space to express their breastmilk at work. We look at what employers can do to rectify this issue in order to offer the appropriate level of support to new mums. Returning to work following maternity leave can be a daunting prospect, particularly if this is the first time that an employee has been apart from their baby for long periods of time ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Yesterday, Shoosmiths hosted an event by The Fashion Network titled ‘The Future of Social Commerce: Connecting Business with Community’. During this event we heard from fashion industry leaders on social commerce's transformative impact on fashion and FMCG ecommerce - in partnership with The Ecommerce Club ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

From chatbots to ChatGPT, AI is transforming the way that businesses interact with consumers. Businesses should be mindful of the risks surrounding the use of AI when interacting with consumers. In this article, we offer practical guidance for businesses seeking to utilise this fast-emerging technology. AI and consumer law: the pros and the cons AI and consumer protection is not a one-sided story ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

The Government has published its response to the consultation on the new funding regime for occupational defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, as well as the draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Funding and Investment Strategy) Regulations 2024.   The new regime aims to balance the security of members' benefits with the sustainability of sponsoring employers' businesses, and to encourage long-term planning and collaboration between trustees and employers ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

Shoosmiths' Natalie Aldread explores two recent cases and their implications for break options and the renewal of a business tenancy under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 It is often assumed that where renewal of a business tenancy under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 has not been opposed, the bar is reasonably low to include a landlord’s break option in the new lease. Two recent cases do, however, indicate that this is not always the case ...

Shoosmiths LLP | February 2024

A core aim of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) is to ensure the real estate industry - rather than leaseholders or the taxpayer - meets building safety expenditure. One way this is to be achieved is by introducing the Building Safety Levy under s.58 of the BSA. The government has now moved one step closer to the implementation of the levy with the recent publication of a consultation outcome and the publication of a third consultation - closing on 20 February 2024 ...

dots