Its that time of year again … when Newcastle welcomes a new batch of students from across the globe. For some of you, this is the first chance to spread your wings and taste independence; at time for finding new friends and having huge amounts of fun and frivolity. This historic city welcomes you all…. Read more »
After a four year legal battle we can finally say goodbye and good riddance to Employment Tribunal fees, and welcome back to fair and improved access to justice. On 29 July 2013 the government introduced controversial Employment Tribunal fees which saw Claimants paying up to £1200 in order to bring a claim to enforce their… Read more »
Why is asbestos still being found in the work place in the UK? We have made improvements since asbestos was heavily used in the building industry and shipyards. Thanks to research regulations are now in place to prevent workers from exposure to this deadly substance. Unfortunately Mesothelioma, a type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure, is… Read more »
As the glorious summer weather continues, interspersed with the odd thunder storm, the urge to go outside and soak up the sun becomes increasingly hard to avoid…. What could be more civilised than a cool beer in a sunny beer garden? Well, nothing.. as long as you’re not driving home.. Despite numerous campaigns, drink drive… Read more »
The introduction of Shared Parental Leave in April 2015 was meant to create choice and to enable families to decide who takes time off to look after children that best suits their personal circumstances. The reality is that very little has changed in terms of who takes time off, with recent TUC analysis finding that… Read more »
The Summer is finally here and so is the sunshine…for now! With increasing temperatures comes an increasing number of questions about safe working conditions during periods of warm weather. One common myth is that if temperatures reach a certain point that employees have to be sent home. In fact, The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)… Read more »
A recent survey suggests that 3 in 5 people in Britain believe that Civil Partnerships should be open to all couples. At the moment same sex couples can get married or into Civil Partnerships but mixed sex couples can only get married. There was a case at the Court of Appeal that rules that the… Read more »
At the moment the only ground for a divorce is that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. The Court then has to be satisfied that the person applying for the divorce can prove one of five facts. These are adultery, unreasonable behavior, desertion, 2 years apart and both parties agreeing or 5 years apart and… Read more »
It will not have escaped anyone’s attention that the Government has brought in further changes to the penalty point system today. From 24th April, those caught significantly over the speed level will see fines rise from 100% of their weekly income to 150%. For instance, those caught doing 51 mph or above in a 30mph… Read more »
Everyone has the right to go to work and to feel safe in their working environment. If the way you are being treated at work means that you do not feel safe, you should make your employer aware of this. This will give it the opportunity to deal with any issues and hopefully tackle any… Read more »
The practice of asking potential suspects to attend a police station ‘voluntarily’ is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to arrest. Instead of arresting a potential suspect that they wish to interview, police are contacting them and requesting that they attend the police station at a time and date to be agreed. Going to a police… Read more »
No one can have escaped the press coverage of high profile cases of historical sexual abuse such as Savile and Rolf Harris. One of the effects of these cases has been an increase in victims coming forward to report similar offence, some of which occurred decades ago. While it is likely that most are justified… Read more »