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Bermans wins Best Receivables Finance Lawyer award
We are pleased to announce that Bermans were named Best Receivables Finance Lawyer 2017 at The Business Money Receivables Awards!
Continue ReadingRenewal of fixed term contract
Do you use fixed term contracts? If you do, you might think that as long as you comply with the regulations which protect fixed term workers all will be fine. That’s not always the case, as the NHS Trust in Surrey found out.
Continue ReadingNew data protection regime
Are you ready for the new data protection regime? The Government has published research saying that fewer than 50% of businesses are aware of what they need to do to get ready for the new regime which comes into force on 25 May this year. The EU General Data Protection Regulation and the new Data Protection Act 2018 create a new set of data privacy rules which all businesses and employers must follow. Potential fines for a breach of the new rules are enormous and could in extreme cases amount to the higher of 4% of annual turnover or 20 million Euros.
Continue ReadingSettlement discussions
Sometimes things don’t go well with an employee. They may not perform well, their behaviour may not be up to scratch or they may just not be a ‘fit’ for your business. If this happens, you may want to have a confidential discussion with the employee with a view to them leaving the business, without having to go through a formal performance management or disciplinary procedure. In exchange for them signing a settlement agreement waiving their rights to bring a claim against you, you may choose to offer them a sum of money.
Continue ReadingDetriment for blowing the whistle
Employees who are whistleblowers have protection from dismissal and detriment (being treated badly) because they blew that whistle on their employers. These so called ‘protected disclosures’ could be disclosures of information about a criminal offence, or breach of health and safety, or other legal obligations. An example of a detriment is refusing to promote someone because they blew the whistle on you.
Continue ReadingBribery Act 2010 – A Reminder
For the first time in contested proceedings since the law came into force in 2011, a commercial organisation has been convicted of failing to prevent bribery under section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010.
Continue ReadingSurveillance cameras at work
If you think that your employees are stealing from you, you can install a hidden camera to catch them, can’t you?
Continue ReadingBermans moves to One King Street
On Monday 12th March 2018, Bermans (Manchester) will be moving offices from Cardinal House, 20 St. Mary’s Parsonage, to the following address:
Third Floor
One King Street
Manchester
M2 6AW
We kindly ask you to update your records to reflect this change.
Please note, our telephone numbers and email addresses will remain the same.
Continue ReadingRefusing to work in protest
An employee who refused to do work after suffering a discriminatory demotion has lost his court case. Mr Rochford was Senior Vice President of a WNS Global Services. He was off work for a year with a back condition (which was a disability). He eventually returned to work on full pay. However, his employer refused to allow him to do his full role or say when he could go back to full duties. Instead they gave him fewer duties, but on the same pay. This demotion related to his disability and therefore amounted to disability discrimination. As a result, he refused to do any work at all and was eventually dismissed for misconduct.
Continue ReadingPitfalls in Annual Credit Statements
We recently prepared for trial a Funder’s defence to a claim which raised a number of difficult issues in relation to the annual statements required for a fixed sum credit agreement regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (“CCA”). In the event the matter settled before trial but a number of interesting points arose and are worth considering.
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