Can you get out of a commercial lease early?
The impact of COVID-19 has been significant on almost every business in the UK. For many office based businesses remote working practices mean that they may no longer require the same amount of office space. In some cases therefore, it may no longer be commercially viable to pay expensive rent on office space that is…
Reopening Of Schools And Workplaces During The Coronavirus Pandemic – The Employment Law Issues
Following the announcement by the Government that schools would see a gradual phased reopening, Ison Harrison has had a steady flow of enquiries from teachers querying their rights. Many are naturally concerned at feeling pressured to return to work whilst there is still a very real risk of catching Covid-19. This feature discusses the rights…
#YouAreNotAlone – Violence is not the only form of domestic abuse.
Trapped, isolated, frightened and without hope. These are some of the emotions that are likely to be experienced by those all over our country that are in an abusive relationship. Those feelings must be magnified at a time where the victim may not be able to get any break from their abuser; forced into lockdown…
Furlough and Fraud – A Perfect Storm?
The government’s Covid019 Job Retention Scheme went live on 20 April, enabling employers to make claims of up-to £2,500 per month, per employee, until at least the 30th of June. HMRC have already expressed concerns that the scheme will be targetted by orgainised criminals looking to profit illegally from payments on offer. A spokesperson was…
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Portal Opens and HMRC Updates Furlough Scheme Guidance
There have been two important developments for businesses. Firstly, and importantly HMRC have from today started accepting applications for payments under the Job Retention Scheme (JRS). HMRC chief executive Jim Harra told the BBC’s Today programme that employers had made 67,000 job claims in the first 30 minutes of the scheme operating. The portal can…
Child Arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the current COVID-19 pandemic we have seen an increasing number of parents approach us with worries and concerns about child arrangements. Whether these were official arrangements that were applied through the courts, or individual arrangements agreed outside the court system, parents are unsure how the government restrictions apply to their current situation and could…
Lockdown Law: A Practical Overview
Three weeks in and a fast-tracked set of laws are upon us all. Although the issue is a public health one, the new legislation imposes rules and restrictions on behaviour- with the scope for penalties if we do not conform. The key legislation is the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. Here, we present…
Is NOW the time to restructure your Business?
Covid-19 is an unprecedented risk to health, but also to the economy and businesses. Understandably therefore many business owners are anxious about what the future holds. However, what we are already seeing is that many businesses are finding ways to adapt, to diversify, to thrive in these challenging times. It is said that ‘necessity is…
The Yorkshire Law Firm – Here when you need us
Why Ison Harrison? With 19 offices, from our Leeds City Centre office, from Ilkley to Pontefract, from York to Barnsley, from Garforth to Huddersfield we have bases all across Yorkshire As will writers we are key workers. We are therefore able to be here for you during these difficult times. We have twelve fully trained…
Guidance On Compliance with Family Court Child Arrangement Orders
The Rt. Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice, has published guidance on compliance with family court child arrangement orders during the Coronavirus outbreak. His statement reads: During the current Coronavirus Crisis some parents whose children are the subject of Child Arrangements Orders made by the Family Court…
The New Job Retention Scheme, How Will It Work?
On Friday 20 March 2020 the government implemented a new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to combat the economic effects of the Coronavirus and prevent businesses from being forced to make redundancies. It will be implemented for an initial period of 3 months backdated from 1 March. The government has not ruled out extending the period…
5 Top Tips for Disaster Planning for Business Owners
Given the current economic climate and issues arising due to Coronavirus, I thought it would be useful to give an overview of the kind of protection all business owners should have in place. I am not going to focus on the various reliefs and assistance being offered by the Government in light of the current…
Coronavirus Update: Schools Closed – The Right to Time off for Dependants
The Government announcement of school closures for all apart from vulnerable children and children of key workers will have enormous implications in the workplace. The situation is changing daily, and many businesses and employees do not know how to handle or what to expect in the coming days and weeks. Flexibility and adaptability are paramount…