Following the post earlier this week about the importance of having employment contracts, this post looks at what should go in them to ensure your business is properly protected.Some contract terms are obvious: the rate of pay, the hours of work, arrangements for holiday pay and sickness absence, etc. Provisions for how the employment can be brought to an end – by either employer or employee – and the disciplinary and grievance procedures should also be in the contract.The law […]

I often come across situations where employers have not given their employees written employment contracts. Or there is a contract, but it is based on one originally drafted many years ago, and no longer reflects the arrangements the employees work under. The problem is that properly drafted employment contracts and policies are not – or should not be – an optional extra for employers. They provide important protection for employers, as well as telling employees about the terms on w […]

Landlords have always had an obligation to keep the properties they let to tenants in good repair. If there are problems with heating, gas, electricity and water installations, then they should be put right. If a landlord does not take action to remedy these situations, a new law will soon allow tenants to force landlords to do so.Currently a tenant can complain to the council if their landlord fails to take action. Environmental health officers can then visit a property to check for haza […]

Probate is the process of dealing with the affairs of someone who has died and administering their estate. It can be a long task, and is especially difficult if you have to do it when coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. If you also have to juggle family life, a job and other responsibilities while administering an estate, it can become overwhelming.An executor needs to be able to show banks, pension companies and official bodies that they are legally entitled to deal with the es […]

If you’re a company director, you are an attractive target for fraudsters. Not only are you seen as fairly wealthy, your personal details such as name and date of birth are often readily available. Directors form 20% of all victims of identity theft, and it’s easy to see why. It’s possible to obtain a range of services – including loans and other credit agreements – with only a name, address and date of birth.How should you should protect yourself as a direct […]

A Commercial Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) protects you and your business if you become unable to look after your […]

It is easy to agree to be someone’s executor, but a lot harder actually to do the job. When you […]

If you own or run a business you have probably known about GDPR for some time, and will have started […]

Reading untrue or hurtful comments online about yourself (or your business) is embarrassing and upsetting. It can be mortifying to […]