Employment Law Newsletter November 2023
Consultation for Acas new Code of Practice Acas has released a consultation regarding a fresh statutory Code of Practice concerning the management of requests for a predictable work schedule. This code will be implemented once the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act of 2023 is officially enacted. Following the enactment of the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023, expected to take effect around September 2024, Acas has initiated a consultation on a new statutory Code of Practice governing requests for predictable working patterns. This Act establishes a statutory right for workers and agency workers to request a predictable work...
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10 min read.
B&P wear it pink!
The Bowcock & Pursaill team celebrated Wear it Pink Day on 20 October to raise awareness for breast cancer. Between the offices we raised over £200 – here’s some photos from our Uttoxeter office with a special shout out to Kay Johnson who has just undergone surgery for breast cancer and returned back to work on the same day as the fundraiser. Kay is pictured ringing her own bell that was brought for her as a congratulations.
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1 min read.
Employment Law Newsletter August 2023
BSI publishes new standard on menstruation, menstrual health, and menopause in the workplace The British Standards Institute (BSI) has published a new standard on menstruation, menstrual health, and menopause in the workplace – Menopause standard launched to help organizations support workers | BSI (bsigroup.com). Designed following an extensive public consultation and in conjunction with major employment organisations such as Acas and Unison, the report’s aim is to help employers support and retain employees experiencing issues connected to menstruation or the menopause. EAT rules on calculating accrued but untaken statutory holiday following termination of employment Connor v Chief Constable of the...
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10 min read.
Caroline Gregg joins B&P team
Family law specialist Caroline Gregg has permanently joined our team. With more than 20 years of experience in family law and as an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Legal Executives, Caroline has now started her new role as Head of the Family and Matrimonial Department. Through her career, Caroline has negotiated a range of legal issues from marriage breakdown to divorce, and financial disputes to child matters. As a member of Resolution, Caroline is committed to a particularly high standard Code of Practice and promotes a constructive approach to the family issues. Prior to the new full-time role...
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2 min read.
Protecting Your Employee’s Mental Health
Protecting Your Employees’ Mental Health In today’s fast-paced, highly digitalised, and demanding work environment, protecting the mental health of employees has become a top priority for many law firms. The significant impact of mental well-being on productivity, engagement, and overall job satisfaction, is now well-established. In addition, employees are demanding more mental health support and employers are increasingly facing the threat of legal claims if a lack of support leads to harm. For example, at the beginning of June, The Law Society Gazette revealed that the Employment Tribunal is allowing more time for a claim brought by a mother on behalf of...
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5 min read.
What is land registry when buying a house?
Land registry is a set-in-stone document highlighting information about the ownership of a property or land, or both. Registering land gives added security to property or landowners. Land registry, itself, gives the landowners a guaranteed title and a plan with indications of each property boundary. There is a cost associated with the land registry process. There are also a few different factors which can influence the amount of money payable for the registration of land: Cost of the property First registration New build Electronic or postal Registration of land in the UK has a range of advantages but there are...
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3 min read.
What is residential conveyancing? A guide for beginners
Residential conveyancing is a term you have probably heard if you’re in the process of buying or selling a property. The term residential conveyancing refers to the legal process behind transferring the ownership of a property. It refers to the many different aspects of the process from property searches to contract exchanges. Talk to one of our residential conveyancing experts today What are the different steps in residential conveyancing? The different sections of residential conveyancing can be put into six main categories: 1 Pre-contract At this point, after getting an agreement in principle for a mortgage, solicitors from both the...
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4 min read.
Employment Law Newsletter May 2023
Acas publishes new advice on workplace stress management and guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health Following a recent survey, Acas has issued fresh guidance on managing stress at work. One-third of employees do not believe their workplace has a suitable stress-management policy and 63% feel under pressure from the rising cost of living. The Acas advice sets out the many causes of workplace stress, such as too many or conflicting demands, poor working conditions, lack of control, lack of support, bullying, insufficient training, lack of role clarity, low trust, or organisational change. Personal circumstances including bereavement, divorce, menopause, caring...
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11 min read.
Why is health and safety everyone’s responsibility?
Why is health and safety everyone’s responsibility? Under health and safety law, the primary responsibility for health and safety in the workplace is down to employers. But health and safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. While employers have primary responsibility for all health and safety matters, all employees play a crucial role in preventing accidents and work-related illness. Employees have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work. Employees must co-operate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements. No employer can...
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3 min read.
5 things you need to know before signing a postnuptial agreement
What are postnuptial agreements? Postnuptial agreements are written contracts between two parties who are already married. Similar to a prenup, the contract allows you to specify how your financial assets would be divided should you ever get divorced. Even happily married couples think about protecting their assets should life take them down separate paths. In this case, a postnuptial agreement can save bad feelings, time and money. Both spouses MUST sign postnuptial agreements For a postnup to work, you and your partner both need to sign! If one spouse doesn’t agree to the terms of the agreement, then the contract...
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3 min read.
Employment Law Newsletter January 2023
This newsletter covers: UK Government Rejects Calls To Make Menopause A Protected Characteristic No finding of disability discrimination following the dismissal of a disabled employee High Court refuses to strike out a claim for misuse of private information by an ex-employer Government launches consultation following SC decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel [2022] UKSC 21 Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill 2022-23 introduced in the House of Commons EAT imposed a penalty of £20,000 for an employer’s failure to inform and consult UK Government Rejects Calls To Make Menopause A Protected Characteristic The Government has published its response to the Women...
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13 min read.
B&P bolsters Leek team with expert Solicitor, Emma Kirkwood
B&P bolsters Leek team with expert Solicitor, Emma Kirkwood Bowcock & Pursaill has welcomed its newest Solicitor, Emma Kirkwood after working as a consultant and demonstrating her dedication and commitment to furthering her career in law. Emma Kirkwood joined our Leek-based consultancy department in spring 2022, assisting the wider team and providing clients with guidance in many aspects of law, such as contracts, legal documents and helping to resolve disputes. She commented: “I was self-employed for five years before joining Bowcock and Pursaill, and prior to that I worked for another solicitor firm based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.” With a keen interest...
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2 min read.
What are your commercial property legal obligations?
What are your commercial property legal obligations? As a landlord or tenant of a commercial property, you have a duty to ensure the business premises is well-maintained, offering a safe and healthy place for people to work. The law and terms of lease determines whether the landlord or tenant is responsible for certain aspects of business property. A landlord’s obligations and responsibilities are often laid down in legislation, or form part of the lease agreement between them and their tenants. For this reason, it’s essential that landlords and tenants understand what is legally required of them. Here’s a run-down of...
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3 min read.
Employment Law Newsletter July 2022
This newsletter covers: Early Conciliation: How to Avoid the Employment Tribunal Part-Time Workers Rights “Wellness” in the Workplace Was Dismissal of Employee Fearful of Covid-19 Fair Early Conciliation: How to Avoid the Employment Tribunal The obvious route to avoid the employment tribunal is for employees and employers to discuss workplace issues as they arise and to resolve them before they become disputes. However if informal workplace conversations or more formal approaches such as a grievance procedure don’t work, employers can find themselves facing a claim in the employment tribunal. The question is, how to avoid the claim being heard, in...
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7 min read.
5 reasons why you need a solicitor for probate
When someone you love passes away, managing their affairs is never an easy task. Probate is just one of many things that you may unfortunately have to deal with throughout your lifetime. Nevertheless, it’s important that your loved one’s final wishes are carried out in the way they had planned for in life. A probate solicitor can help make sure that claims for financial provision for any relatives not mentioned in their Will are monitored. If those named agree to change the terms outlined in your loved one’s Will, a specialist probate lawyer can make such amends to ensure their...
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4 min read.
B&P extends Hanley team with Litigation Assistant
Bowcock & Pursaill is supporting its newly recruited Litigation Assistant, Lucy-Anna in her dream of becoming a fully qualified Solicitor. Lucy-Anna joined B&P’s Hanley-based Litigation Department in May 2022, assisting its dispute specialist, Tim Wolley with a wide range of cases. She commented: “So far, I have supported Tim on several disputes, covering topics such as property owner and tenant, probate and Wills, business and contractual and debt collection to name just a few!” With a keen interest in the operations of the legal system, Lucy-Anna first began her legal journey as an undergraduate at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Law School. She continued...
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2 min read.
How employment law benefits employers
There is an average of 4 million limited companies in Britain and at least 21 million full-time employees, and thankfully, UK employment laws are in place to make sure both employers and employees are protected from a multitude of unexpected circumstances in the workplace. What is employment law? Although employment law can seem complex and varied, its purpose is to protect worker and employer rights, its purpose is to help maintain a healthy balance in the workplace. Employment laws provide legislation on dismissal, annual leave, salary, discrimination, and many other areas for that matter. As a business owner, understanding UK...
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2 min read.
6 must-ask questions for your solicitor
Whatever the reason, hiring the services of a solicitor is a decision often not made lightly. If you’re going through, or anticipate going through a difficult period, turning to a trusted solicitor for guidance and legal advice should be a stress-free process. That said, finding the right firm to handle your case is crucial and requires a great deal of care and attention. Here are a few questions you should ask your solicitor: Have you handled a similar case previously? The first question you’ll need to ask is whether they have helped someone in a similar situation previously. To stand...
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2 min read.
Farewell to our secretaries of 40 years!
We’ve recently said farewell and good luck in retirement to two of our most long-standing colleagues, Carol White and Doreen Mason. Both Carol and Doreen served as the company’s Secretaries and each had been with the firm for over 40 years’ of their careers. As part of the ladies’ retirement celebrations, the team all joined together for a meal at Leek Bar and Grill. Since 1972, Carol has been a great part of the team at Bowcock & Pursaill and has always been on hand to keep everyone in the Leek office organised. She said: “I’ve enjoyed being apart of the B&P...
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2 min read.
How long should the house buying process take?
Buying a house can be a complex process. It involves different parties who all need to cooperate to make the transaction successful. But how long does it actually take? This is a question we get asked a lot, so we thought we’d explain the stages involved with rough timelines. It’s tricky to say exactly how long the house buying process will take but the national average is around 15 weeks once an offer is accepted. However, if you are in a chain, then this may impact on this timeline. Here are the stages for the house buying process: Getting a...
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4 min read.
Employment Law Newsletter March 2022
This newsletter covers: Horseplay and Vicarious Liability Holiday pay and the Gig Economy The Great Resignation Climate Friendly Employment Contracts Horseplay and Vicarious Liability Mr Heath detonated two explosive pellets close to Mr Chell causing injury to his hearing. This happened in the workplace, namely on the premises of Tarmac. Were Tarmac vicariously liable as employer? In the case of Chell v Tarmac, Mr Chell claimed they were. He cited a history of friction between fitters employed directly by Tarmac, and others by Roltech – rivalries arose. The potential vicarious liability of an employer is relevant where an employee causes...
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7 min read.
B&P help Ukrainian refugees
The team from our Uttoxeter office have been collecting goods for Ukrainian refugees as part of their regular fundraising. Items collected include: toiletries; warm socks; cuddly toys; and more. At B&P we’re always happy to join in and raise funds or collect donations for those in need. And anyone interested in donating money to help can do so at: Unicef British Red Cross Oxfam
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1 min read.
The Changing Workplace – what you need to know
Back to the office? With this new beginning also comes a changing legal landscape in terms of employment law As working from home guidance is relaxed many employers will be welcoming their workforce back to the office. However, what employers may not realise is that new legislation imposed during the pandemic has changed some of the rules around office-based working. Now is the time for employers to plan for any issues which may arise, so that any potential legal risks associated with a return to the workplace after long periods of remote working or working from home can be identified...
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5 min read.
Law firm, Bowcock & Pursaill bolsters Uttoxeter office with Paralegal
B&P has supported Flora Aubrey, 23, through her professional development Flora joined Bowcock & Pursaill in April 2018 as an Office Junior, following her A Levels. She commented: “When I first joined the firm, my responsibilities involved looking after the general admin of the office such as monitoring and ordering stationery, organising legal case files and various office duties to support the wider team.” With a keen interest in the legal industry, Flora climbed the ranks within our Uttoxeter office to a Paralegal position where she maintains a high-level of professionalism when dealing with her colleagues and clients. Through CILEx...
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2 min read.
Can a pet be considered a ‘family member’ during a divorce?
At the moment UK law states that pets are treated as ‘chattels’ – which basically means that they’re given the same status as a fridge, sofa or table! There are arguments for this to change – indeed Spain recently passed a new law to make pets official family members – but certainly nothing will happen in the UK for the forseeable future. What happens if you decide to separate or divorce from your partner? Who gets the pet? When you’re dealing with pets and divorce, it doesn’t have to be complicated and we’d always advise trying to negotiate with your...
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3 min read.
