The End of Short Assured Tenancies
The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 was passed in April and is expected to come into force in late 2017.
After the…
To wear or not to wear that is the question?
Is a ban on religious clothing in the workplace discriminatory or can it be justified as a legitimate occupational requirement?
Most…
Taxi to the employment tribunal please! - Uber faces court action over employment status of its drivers.
The world’s largest provider of taxis is in an Employment Tribunal in London facing claims by its drivers that they are workers and…
How much HR involvement is too much?
Employers with HR departments understandably seek support from HR when disciplining employees but it is important that they do not become…
Domestic abuse: not always behind closed doors
Recent media coverage has highlighted the unfortunate situation of domestic abuse and the separation of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
This…
Is reading an employee's personal messages at work breach of privacy?
You may have heard about the case of Barbulescu v Romania which was widely reported in the media as it appeared to give employers the go…
When can an employer dismiss an employee who is not as unwell as they claim?
In a recent case the Employment Appeal Tribunal held an employee’s dismissal for exaggerating his illness was fair.
What happened?
Mr Ajaj…
Brexit - An Employment Armageddon?
The unthinkable happened yesterday – at least for 48% of UK voters – the UK has voted to exit from the European Union.
The differences in…
Public Sector Exit Payments
May 2016 saw the Enterprise Act 2016 be passed by the UK Parliament.
From an employment perspective, one of the key provisions of the Act…
Voluntary Registration of Title & Keeper Induced Registration
The Scottish Government’s drive to ensure transparency of land ownership includes accelerating the registration of titles to land in the…
The Extension of the Community Right to Buy
The Community Right to Buy rules have been extended by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.…
Ransom Strips
Many landowners who have considered selling land for development will be aware of ransom strips but any considering the voluntary…
Dealing with Concurrent Disciplinary Proceedings and Criminal Charges
What can, and should, an employer do if an employee is charged with a criminal offence?
The recent conviction of Sunderland player Adam…
Taxing Times - LBTT 3% Surcharge for Rural Property Transactions
From 1st April 2016 additional surcharges to LBTT will apply to some residential property purchases.
After 1st April 2016 the Scottish rate…
Borrowers Be Prepared: Closure of the Register of Sasines to Securities
From 1 April 2016 the Register of Sasines was closed to new Standard Securities.
As a Standard Security must be registered in the same…
Family Law specialist Stephen Brand, gives evidence at Scottish Parliament on possible family law reform
Family Law Partner Stephen Brand was invited to give evidence about the Family Law Scotland Act 2006 and how it is working in practice for…
Worried about Worrying?
There have been several high profile cases of sheep worrying in Scotland over the last few months and a resulting increase in press…
Scottish Government seeks to remove time-bar for childhood abuse victims
The nature of childhood abuse is that it is very difficult for the victim to come forward and speak about it. Publicity surrounding high-…
Holiday Pay: Two steps forward, two steps back?
The latest Employment Appeal Tribunal decision has been published relating to how holiday pay should be calculated for employees who do not…
Narrowing the Gap - Gender Pay Reporting
Plans that Employers will have to publish details on the gender pay gap in their workplace have been published.
Today Nicky Morgan, MP…
New Bill set to Criminalise the Distribution of Intimate Pictures
A new bill is currently proceeding through the Scottish Parliament which seeks to criminalise the distribution of a person’s intimate…