Victims of negligence, nuisance, or other civil wrongs will be relieved by a Supreme Court decision which guarantees their cost-effective access to justice. The Court ruled that the ‘no win no fee’ regime operated by hundreds of law firms is lawful and does not involve any breach of human rights. The issue arose in a case in which a couple succeeded in a...
Simplification of the Tax and NI Treatment of Termination Payments
In response to a report by the Office of Tax Simplification, the Government is carrying out a review of the taxation of termination payments in order to create a regime that is easier for employers and HM Revenue and Customs to administer and for employees to understand. The consultation document can be found here. Consultation closes on 16 October...
Lack of Contractual Precision Leads to Director’s Bonus Dispute
A lack of precision in employment contracts, particularly when it comes to calculation of staff bonuses, can poison the atmosphere of any business. So it was in the case of one company whose finance director insisted he should have received the same bonus as its chief executive officer (CEO). The finance director earned a salary of £100,000 a year and, under...
Adjudicator Blundered in £900,000 Building Contract Dispute
A company which was directed to pay over £900,000 to builders following a major construction project succeeded in overturning more than half of that bill after the High Court identified a fundamental flaw in an adjudicator’s decision. The project was almost complete when the parties fell out over money and the builders suspended work on the site. Following...
Acas Guidance on Handling Pay and Wages
Failing to handle pay issues in accordance with the law can prove costly for employers. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has published guidance, aimed at small employers and line managers in larger organisations, giving practical advice on this topic. This covers choosing a new pay system, pay during absence and deductions from pay. The...