Online News
July 2009
More Company Directors Disqualified Than Ever Before
Record numbers of company bosses have been banned from acting as directors during the last financial year.
Landlords Need To Act Quickly During Economic Slow Down
The early bird catches the worm, and the early landlord gets the best value out of their rental properties.
One in five businesses admit data protection breaches
A survey of over 500 SMEs carried out by the British Standards Institution (BSI) has found that nearly one in five businesses has unwittingly breached the Data Protection Act (DPA) at least once.
National Minimum Wage Increases
From 1 October 2009, the principal rate of the national minimum wage will increase from £5.73 to £5.80 per hour. The rate paid to workers aged between 18 and 21 will increase from £4.77 to £4.83 per hour and the rate to be paid to workers aged below 18 who have ceased to be of compulsory school age will increase from £3.53 to £3.57 per hour.
New Lasting Power Of Attorney Forms
Following a review of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, new Lasting Power of Attorney forms are to be introduced in October 2009.
Employees Accrue Holiday Pay While On Sick Leave
The House of Lords has ruled in the case of Stringer v HMRC that workers who are refused holiday pay while on sick leave can make a claim to an employment tribunal for an unauthorised deduction from wages (under the Employment Rights Act 1996).
‘Fit Notes’ To Replace Sick Notes
A new government announcement sees the introduction of a new ‘fit note’ scheme, which aims to encourage employees to stay in work, rather than taking long-term sickness leave, and make it easier to return to the workplace after a period of illness.
