Brexit - Speculation on the future of Personal Injury

By Rehana Hussain of Charles Gregory Solicitors Limited posted in Injuries on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.
The Government has a lot on its mind at the moment; apparently there was some sort of vote last week.
This article may seem a little woolly, with liberal use of 'might' and 'maybe' but the reason is that no-one really knows what will happen. All we can be certain of is that when, and if, the Government pushes the big red button and invokes Article 50, there will be a 2-year negotiation period to set out the terms of Britain's exit from, and continuing relationship with, the EU.
Until the 2 years are up, Britain remains a member of the EU, with all the rights and obligations that membership entails. For those two years, little is likely to change in the PI landscape. Once the exit is finalised and moving forward, the situation will become clearer.
Dependant on the concessions to EU law that are made during negotiations, it is not entirely difficult to foresee the dislike of EU bureaucracy leading to an indiscriminate purge of EU-based laws and regulations. While in some cases this might be harmless, there is the potential for upheaval, if not with the laws themselves, then certainly with procedure.
Click here for more details..

Contact Details:
Charles Gregory Solicitors
2 Hammersmith Broadway
London, Greater London, W6 7AL
Phone no: 2033933219
Mail id: info@charlesgregory.co.uk
Web: http://www.cgslaw.co.uk/

Statement: The Status of EU Nationals in the UK

By Rehana Hussain of Charles Gregory Solicitors Limited posted in Immigration on Thursday, July 14, 2016.
From: Cabinet Office, Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office
'There has been no change to the rights and status of EU nationals in the UK, and UK nationals in the EU, as a result of the referendum.
The decision about when to trigger Article 50 and start the formal process of leaving the EU will be for the new Prime Minister. The UK remains a member of the EU throughout this process, and until Article 50 negotiations have concluded.
When we do leave the EU, we fully expect that the legal status of EU nationals living in the UK, and that of UK nationals in EU member states, will be properly protected.
The government recognizes and values the important contribution made by EU and other non-UK citizens who work, study and live in the UK.
I have lived in the UK for more than 5 years. What does the vote to leave the EU mean for me? Click here for more details..

Contact Details:
Charles Gregory Solicitors
2 Hammersmith Broadway
London, Greater London, W6 7AL
Phone no: 2033933219
Mail id: info@charlesgregory.co.uk
Web: http://www.cgslaw.co.uk/

Forthcoming Changes To Employment Law

By Rehana Hussain of Charles Gregory Solicitors Limited posted in Employment on Tuesday, July 26, 2016.
So, what major changes are in the pipeline this year and in the next few years?
Here are few of the forthcoming changes:
1. Immigration Act 2016 - The Immigration Bill became an Act on 12 May 2016 but enforcement is not expected until October 2016. The new Immigration Act 2016 increases the number of potential prosecutions of employers as it lowers the burden of proof from 'knowing' to 'reasonably believing' an employee to be an illegal worker. If the employer knew that a worker is illegal, but still employs him, he may be sentenced up to 5 years. The Immigration Act 2016 also allows immigration enforcement officers to close down a business employing illegal workers for 48 hours. The Act created a new offense of illegal working where illegal workers could face a six-months prison sentence and have their assets seized. Finally, the Act introduces a new requirement for public sector workers in customer-facing roles to speak fluent English.
Mandatory Gender Gap - In October 2016 Gender pay gap reporting regulations coming into force however the first gender pay gap reports to be published by organization with 250 or more employees is not due until 30 April 2018.
Click here for more details..

Contact Details:
Charles Gregory Solicitors
2 Hammersmith Broadway
London, Greater London, W6 7AL
Phone no: 2033933219
Mail id: info@charlesgregory.co.uk
Web: http://www.cgslaw.co.uk/

Beware: Writing A Reference For An Ex-employee Can Land You In Legal Water!

By Rehana Hussain of Charles Gregory Solicitors Limited posted in Employment on Friday, August 5, 2016.
Employers have known for a while that they need to be careful when giving references. Most of our clients provide a factual reference only including in a settlement agreement. The reason is that you have a duty to take reasonable care to ensure it is true, accurate and fair and that it is not misleading- a duty that is owed to both the employee and to the new employer. If you gave a bad reference that you can't fully substantiate you run the risk of your employee suing you for damages if they didn't get the job or suffered some financial loss because of it.
A recent appeal case Pnaiser v. NHS England and Coventry City Council UKEAT/0137/15/LA 2015 is a good example of why that approach should be seriously considered. Ms Pnaiser job offer was withdrawn following a reference from her former employer though the former employer claimed that it had not intended to discriminate against her or provide a bad reference. The Employment Appeal tribunal found that the employer intentions were not relevant and found in favour of Ms Phaisner. This case also shows the difficulties for those in receipt of poor references. Click here for more details..

Contact Details:
Charles Gregory Solicitors
2 Hammersmith Broadway
London, Greater London, W6 7AL
Phone no: 2033933219
Mail id: info@charlesgregory.co.uk
Web: http://www.cgslaw.co.uk/

How can I accommodate Ramadan in my business?

By Rehana Hussain of Charles Gregory Solicitors Limited posted in Employment on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.
The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees on grounds of their religion or belief.
How could an employer unknowingly discriminate against an employee on grounds of their religion or belief?
Direct Discrimination, for example, an employer treating an individual less favourably than someone with a different religion or belief. Examples of direct discrimination include dismissing someone because of a protected characteristic, deciding not to employ them, refusing them training, denying them a promotion, or giving them adverse terms and conditions all because of their religion or belief.
Indirect discrimination, Indirect discrimination occurs when an organisation's practices, policies or procedures have the effect of disadvantaging people who share certain protected characteristics. Examples of indirect discrimination include: refusing to allow an employee to wear a hijab or turban or requiring all employees to dress in a particular way if this means they can't wear an item of clothing they regard as part of their faith. Click here for more details..

Contact Details:
Charles Gregory Solicitors
2 Hammersmith Broadway
London, Greater London, W6 7AL
Phone no: 2033933219
Mail id: info@charlesgregory.co.uk
Web: http://www.cgslaw.co.uk/

Post EU Referendum - should we be concerned?

By Rehana Hussain of Charles Gregory Solicitors Limited posted in Immigration on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.
In their business updates the BBC news informed the public that Barclays shares fell more than 12%, while Royal Bank of Scotland fell more than 14%. The public were also informed that the FTSE 250 index, which mostly contains companies that are more UK-focused, was down 4.5% on Monday after sliding 7% on Friday. Furthermore, we were told that the pound hit a 31 year low of $1.32089 sinking below the level it had fallen to on Friday, when it recorded its biggest one-day fall against the dollar. Lastly, we were informed that the Stock markets plunged on Friday, with more than $2tn(£1.5tn) wiped off the value of global stock markets, according to Standard and Poor's Dow Jones Indices.
What all this means for the UK economy? Are we heading towards a financial melt down with the magnitude of the Lehman shock in 2008? Click here for more details..

Contact Details:
Charles Gregory Solicitors
2 Hammersmith Broadway
London, Greater London, W6 7AL
Phone no: 2033933219
Mail id: info@charlesgregory.co.uk
Web: http://www.cgslaw.co.uk/