A big welcome to Katie Baldwin who joins our Residential Conveyancing Team.
You can find out more about Katie on the website and we all wish her the best of luck at Clarke & Son. She is a welcome addition to our growing team.
On 9th November, we will be attending a ‘Speed Dating For Business’ event in Basingstoke.
The event is being held at The Red Lion Hotel and starts at 8am.
Other companies joining us are:
If you are looking for all-round business advice, why not come along and meet us. If you are interested, please contact 01256 469768 or email us.
One in five UK workers have faced bullying and harassment at work in the past two years, a survey says.
The disabled have been worst affected with 37% claiming to have been bullied.
Those from ethnic minorities have also been badly hit, with 29% of workers who are black or Asian saying they have suffered from bullying or harassment.
The findings are being published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development ahead of a national campaign against workplace bullying, to be being launched next month by the Andrea Adams Trust.
Its national "Ban Bullying Day", scheduled for 7 November, is aimed at persuading employers to make more effort to combat bullying and harassment among their own workers.
Report: BBC
If you are an employee and have issues with bullying, why nor speak to our Employment Solicitor, Nick Bowers or read more on our website about employee rights.
Rita Donaghy, Chair of Acas, recently called on employers and employees to work together to resolve disagreements as early as possible, arguing that unresolved disputes damage workplace relationships and lead to reduced business efficiency.
In her speech at the ‘Dispute Resolution and Workplace Mediation Summit’ in London, she encouraged employers to deal with problems when they first arise rather than waiting until they impact on the workingplace, saying that disputes can lead to low morale, increased absence and, if not resolved, an employment tribunal.
She noted that there were 109,712 applications to employment tribunals in 2005/2006.
"With any relationship breakdown if the individuals stop talking, it often takes intervention from a third party to get communication back on track. Workplace mediation is increasingly being recognised as the ideal way to resolve workplace disputes between employers, employees or colleagues.
"Most people don’t like conflict which is why a mediator can help individuals focus on where things have gone wrong and possible ways of moving forward. It makes good business sense to have good working relationships. Disputes and disagreements at work are costly in time and money.
"We believe that prevention is better than cure and mediation is just one of the services we offer which can help to resolve conflict in the workplace before it gets out of hand. Our new training course called ‘Handling difficult conversations’ will equip line managers with the right skills to deal with day to day people matters and help avoid conflict escalating."
Further information on Dispute Resolution for Business or as an Employee you can visit our website.
Source: hrmguide.co.uk
UK Businesses are facing more lawsuits than ever before and expect levels of litigation to remain constant or increase in the coming year, a global study by international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski has highlighted.
Four out of five UK businesses (78%) said they faced court action over the past 12 months. This figure is up from 66% on last year, and the percentage of UK respondents who faced more than 50 court actions in the past year has trebled, from just 5% in 2005 to 15% in 2006.
One in six UK businesses (17%) expects to see an increase in legal disputes over the next year.
Regulatory issues were cited by UK companies as a primary litigation concern, with almost 60% of UK respondents stating they had faced a regulatory proceeding over the past 12 months.
Labour and employment disputes also featured prominently, cited by 48% (up from 26% last year). More companies are facing class or group actions, which they see as an increasing risk.
Ref. Personnel Today
You can be sure that if someone dies leaving a badly drafted Will or no Will at all, then the costs to surviving relatives are liable to be very high indeed. So it is much better to seek out qualified, professional advice at the outset.
During the month of November, Clarke & Son will be looking to raise up to £2000 for good causes as it takes part in Will Aid drawing up your will for Free and asking that you make a donation direct to Will Aid. All money donated by everyone making a Will under the scheme goes directly towards the work of the nine Will Aid charities. The suggested donation levels are:
The twin aims of Will Aid are to encourage people to make a Will and to raise much needed funds in donations and future legacies. Will Aid spokeswoman Shirley Marsland said:
"The funds raised by Will Aid go directly towards desperately needed work to transform lives of people in developing countries and in the UK. We would encourage every adult to make or up-date his or her Will with a Will Aid solicitor. So make an appointment as soon as possible.
When it comes to protecting your loved ones’ future, a proper Will is essential."
The Will Aid website has more details. www.willaid.org.uk
A European Court of Justice has ruled that companies can continue to reward workers for long service.
The court rejected an appeal by health and safety inspector Bernadette Cadman that it was wrong to pay more to male staff who had been in the post longer.
Ms Cadman had argued that because women were more likely to have breaks from work, this amounted to sexual discrimination.
The court has, however, left leeway to appeal in certain individual circumstances, but in their general ruling the court said experience was an acceptable way of setting somebody’s pay.
