EU proposal for fairness and transparency across online platforms targets tech giants
In excess of a million EU enterprises currently trade through online platforms in order to reach their customers, while it is estimated that around 60% of private consumption and 30% of public consumption of goods and services related to the total digital economy are transacted via online intermediaries. The proposal for a regulation of the […]
Read MoreGender pay gap deadline highlights need for industry wide culture change
The gender pay gap reporting deadline has come and gone. The results are in and City law firms have filed their figures. So how did the legal sector perform and what can be done to address the issues of diversity and flexible working which underpin much of the gap that still exists? But first, the […]
Read MoreIs it time to reform inheritance tax?
Inheritance tax (IHT) has a long and complex history stretching back to 1694 when a probate duty was introduced in a fixed stamp tax on the personal property in wills. A century later came the 1796 tax on estates, which helped to fund the imminent war against Napoleon. Meanwhile, modern IHT can be traced back […]
Read MoreInsolvency: Government initiatives fail small business
Insolvencies are making an unwelcome return to the headlines. The number of individuals who were declared insolvent last year reached its highest level since the aftermath of the financial crisis. According to the Insolvency Service, 99,196 people in England & Wales were declared insolvent in 2017 – up by 9.4 per cent on the year […]
Read MoreWhat employers need to know about settlement agreements
When employers are faced with potential claims from their employees it is quite common for them to enter into settlement agreements to resolve the dispute. However, not every claim can be resolved in this way. Some can only be settled through The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), by using conciliation, which avoids the need for […]
Read MoreAre auditors to blame for Britain’s high-street woes?
Everyone has felt the effects of a long cold winter. But this year, it was particularly bitter for some of Britain’s best-known retailers. Toys ‘R’ Us will soon be no more with the loss of 3,000 jobs in the UK alone. The administrators are also in action at Maplin, where closing down sales are already […]
Read MoreCutting the red tape: a potential boon to business from Brexit
Does Britain have a clear 2020 vision? Over halfway through the two-year time limit prescribed by the terms of Article 50, but with no Brexit deal yet in sight, several critical fault lines remain between the government in London and EU leaders in Brussels. Despite endless discussion, debate, and dissection of the myriad issues over […]
Read MoreSocial media and the workplace in the #MeToo era
Quickly following on from the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the #MeToo hashtag went viral across all forms of social media. After it first appeared on Twitter, the hashtag was used 850,000 times within the first 48 hours. Since then, #MeToo has been posted on Twitter and elsewhere tens of millions of times, often accompanied by a […]
Read MoreIs it time to accept coworking and flexible working as the new normal?
Ask someone to list innovative companies which have become notable disruptors in their market and they invariably respond with two names – Uber and Airbnb. That is because both brands are positioned squarely and successfully at the retail consumer: for people who use a taxi or take an occasional short break in a foreign city, […]
Read MoreWomen still await their seat at the law firm partnership table
Women in law firms will not achieve parity with men at a senior partnership level until 2037, even though most entrants to the legal profession have been female for more than 20 years. Based on current trends, that is the conclusion of a recent report into the future of legal practice published by BPP University […]
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