Widespread imitation of original fashion designs poses a perennial problem for the clothing industry. However, the High Court has come down hard on importers of a range of jeans which were ‘copied’ from a leading brand. The makers of the popular jeans brand argued that their design rights were violated by the infringing garments, which were manufactured...
Expatriate Workers – Are You Properly Insured?
In a warning to expatriate workers that the small print of their employers’ insurance policies needs careful perusal before they move abroad, the widow of an IT specialist discovered that her husband was not covered when he died in a road accident after being sent to work in India. The man had worked in England for a UK company and had benefited from an...
Council Slammed for ‘Serious Breach’ of Public Procurement Rules
Long-standing plans to redevelop part of the historic heart of Winchester have been thrown into the air after the High Court ruled the City Council in ‘serious breach’ of public procurement rules and expressed doubts as to whether the project was ‘the best scheme on the best terms available’. The council had entered into an agreement with a developer to...
Low Pay Commission Recommends Three Per Cent Increase in the National Minimum Wage
The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has recommended to the Government that the adult rate of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), which applies to workers aged 21 and over, should rise by 3 per cent to £6.70 per hour from 1 October 2015. The LPC’s report also recommends: an increase of 3.3 per cent to £5.30 per hour in the youth development rate, which applies to...
Updates to Employment Law Allowances
New Employment Limits Increase As a result of the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2015, employers will need to be aware of the new limits coming in to force as of 6 April 2015. The most interesting increases include: The maximum payment for any one week in relation to the basic award or a redundancy payment is now £475.00. The maximum...