Updates

Coronavirus and AGMs – Public and Private Companies

COVID-19 has caused and continues to cause unprecedented disruption. One possible consequence for both public and private companies is the cancellation or rescheduling of AGMs and / or other general meetings (a meeting of the company’s members or shareholders, hereafter referred to as shareholders). A public company must hold an AGM within the period of …
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Announced changes to the Working Time Regulations – what do they mean for employers and workers?

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), workers are only allowed to carry over up to 1.6 weeks of leave to the next holiday year, at the employer’s discretion. The remaining four weeks to which every worker is entitled cannot be carried over and are ‘lost’ if untaken, except where the worker has been unable …
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Breadwinners – supporting refugees one loaf of bread at a time

In our regular client focus, we take a look at the work of a winner of the Stephen Lloyd Awards, Breadwinners. Breadwinners is a grassroots charity and social enterprise supporting refugees into work, training and mentoring opportunities through selling artisan organic bread across London’s best markets. We invest funding to set up market stalls that …
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Charity Trustee Duties: A Coronavirus Guide

During the coronavirus crisis, many charity trustees will want to be sure they are complying with their duties. This quick guide aims to help them do so, however it is not a comprehensive guide to trustee duties. Trustee duties in generalAlthough there are some differences in trustee duties and responsibilities depending on the legal structure …
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The Modern Slavery Act

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 has recently been the focus of an independent government review. Oliver Scutt and Yvett Talas interviewed Andrew Wallis OBE (Chief Executive of leading anti-slavery charity Unseen) and Dr Anjali Mazumder (AI and Justice and Human Rights Theme Lead at The Alan Turing Institute), to find out what impact the Modern …
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Governance and Solvency: A Coronavirus Guide for Public Service Mutuals and Co-operatives

This is a quick guide for trustees and directors of public service mutuals and co-operatives concerned about solvency and wondering how to approach it in the immediate crisis caused by the coronavirus shutdown. Legal form matters –  insolvency and personal liability Mutuals usually fall into two broad types of legal structure:Charities such as charitable companies …
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Across the not-for-profit sector: latest responses to COVID-19 (23 March)

We’ve rounded up the latest news, guidance and notices relevant to the charity and not-for-profit sector. Sector news DCMS is working closely with the civil society sector – including National Emergencies Trust, the National Council of Voluntary Organisations and the British Red Cross – on how to galvanise volunteers and coordinate help to those who …
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Cabinet Office publishes new guidance on procurement

The Cabinet Office has published a new procurement policy note in response to the coronavirus situation. Procurement Policy Note 01/20: Responding to COVID-19 (PPN 01/20) reminds contracting authorities – and their suppliers – what flexibilities currently exist within the Public Procurement Regulations to act quickly, where necessary, to procure goods and services. It is not …
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Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: how it works

On 20 March 2020, the government announced that it would be implementing the “Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme” to help employers pay the salaries of staff who would otherwise have been laid off as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.  Please see our latest update on the scheme here. Please see our latest update on the …
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Coronavirus and the UK immigration system: what we know so far

The UK and many other parts of the world are entering a very difficult period due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the drastic measures it has provoked across the world. We recognise that this is an intensely stressful time for everyone, as we all try to adjust to a ‘new normal’ and keep ourselves …
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Transgender inclusion

Charities are looking to the law for clarity on how to be inclusive and respectful of all their beneficiaries. Single sex charities and those whose beneficiaries, members or service users are young people often have queries about transgender inclusion. In the first of a series of articles on transgender inclusion and the law, Mindy Jhittay …
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COVID-19: What does this mean for landlords and tenants of residential property?

This is clearly going to be a testing time for landlords and tenants alike and so last night the government announced that there will be emergency legislation implemented to try and alleviate some of the pressure on those landlords and tenants affected by coronavirus. In order to protect tenants who are experiencing financial difficulties due …
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