Earlier in the year, we reported on the government’s announcement of increases to visa and nationality fees. These increases to application fees came into force on 4 October 2023, other than the substantial increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which was expected to come ‘later in the autumn’ ...
On October 16, 2023, the Division of Examinations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Division”) published the 2024 Examination Priorities. Historically, the Examination Priorities have been published in the 1st quarter of the applicable calendar year. For 2024, the Division revised the publication date to align with the start of the SEC’s fiscal year ...
October 23, 2023 By: Leah Lively and Alexandra Shulman This month, dozens of class action lawsuits have been filed in Washington, based on alleged violations of Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunity Act ...
For those considering such a move, there are various options open to them to make their relocation a reality: Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means Certificate of Direct Investment Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means A person can apply for a Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means ...
On October 16, 2023, the Council of the Central Bank of Chile ("CBCh") published in consultation a proposal to systematize and update the exchange information requested to entities that are part of the Formal Exchange Market (the "Project"), in compliance with the regulation of the Foreign Exchange Regulations Compendium ("FERC"), together with a reformulation and restructuring of this regulatory body ...
It’s the final countdown, with only one year to go before EU member states must transpose the EU’s new Network and Information Security 2 Directive (“NIS 2”) into national law. Key Dates EU Member States have until 17 October 2024 to transpose NIS 2 into national law and those national laws will apply to organisations as early as 18 October 2024. Enforcement is likely to start from 17 January 2025, in line with parallel legislation affecting financial services ...
On September 29, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) published new proposed enforcement guidance ("the Proposed Guidance”) on harassment in the workplace. This is the first proposed EEOC guidance on workplace harassment since the turn of the century ...
October 18, 2023 By: Leah Lively California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed SB 525 into law, which amends the California Labor Code to set industry minimum wage requirements for nearly all healthcare workers, whether they are hourly or salaried employees, or independent contractors. The law also provides these workers with an independent private right of action to enforce these minimum wage requirements ...
The European Commission published a draft proposal for a revised Product Liability Directive (the “PLD Proposal”) on 28 September 2022, which aims to bring the European Union’s product liability regime ‘up to speed’ with the digital age, circular economy business models and global value chains. This blog focuses on the main changes the PLD Proposal brings and its impact on life science companies ...
PSNI v Agnew & Others: landmark Holiday Pay judgment from the UK Supreme Court. On 4 October 2023, the Supreme Court released its long-awaited judgment in the case of PSNI & Others -v- Agnew & Others, on the issue of holiday pay. We explain the outcome of the case and what it means for employers ...
We have previously commented on the impact environmental concerns are having on those working in the traditional energy sectors. In particular, the focus on renewable energy has left many oil and gas workers nervous about their job security and ability to find alternative work if they are made redundant. Thankfully, it appears those concerns might be unfounded ...
For a long time, socialising at work was synonymous with drinking alcohol, but in recent times we have seen this trend start to shift. This is positive news for employers who risk social events centred around alcohol inadvertently isolating those to choose not to drink. With minimal alternatives available in the past, some employees have felt a certain pressure to drink at events to ‘keep up’ with colleagues ...
When the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Conditions for Transfer) Regulations 2021 came into force on 30 November 2021 the government promised to review them 18 months later. That review shows there's more work to be done. Background Back in December 2021 we wrote about the new Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Conditions for Transfer) Regulations 2021 (Transfer Regulations), which had come into force on 30 November 2021 ...
The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill has received Royal Assent and will come into force, along with implementing regulations, in September 2024. This follows our previous article in which we considered the Bill and its wider implications. The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act (the Act) aims to address “one-sided flexibility” between employers and workers who undertake atypical work ...
On October 8, 2023, theScientific and Technological Ethics Review Regulation (Trial)("Scientific and Technological Ethics Regulation") was jointly published by the China's Ministry of Science and Technology ("MOST"), the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and other seven (7) departments/institutions, which was followed by a press conference held next day by the MOST to respond to media inquiries ("Press Conference") ...
In case 161/2022/LM, delivered on 11th October 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Industrial Tribunal, which found justifiable reasons for dismissal. Following the Tribunal’s conclusion that the grounds for dismissal presented by the defendant company were justified, and consequently, the dismissal was fair, the former employee contested this decision in front of the Court of Appeal ...
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is once again extending telemedicine prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances. On October 6, 2023, the DEA jointly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a Second Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications (the “Second Extension”) ...
Last week, 49 state attorneys general announced a $49.5 million settlement with Blackbaud, Inc. (Blackbaud) over the software company’s data-security practices and its response to a breach in 2020 that exposed the personal information of millions of individuals. Blackbaud provides software solutions to nonprofit organizations, including charities, schools and healthcare agencies, to help them connect with donors and manage data about their constituencies ...
On June 22, 2023, the federal government significantly expanded the reporting requirements for certain so-called avoidance transactions, in particular with respect to termination agreements.1 The new rules will make it easier for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to detect certain avoidance schemes, conduct tax audits and issue notices of assessment and penalties more quickly when warranted ...
On 25 September 2023, in conjunction with the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority published a consultation paper on diversity and inclusion in the financial sector. The proposals include measures to ‘support healthy work cultures, reduce groupthink and unlock talent’, in order to support the competitiveness of the UK’s financial services sector ...
