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The top ten things charities get wrong in whistleblowing cases

Employees in the UK are entitled to certain legal protections in the event that they make a disclosure about wrongdoing that is in the public interest (known as “blowing the whistle”).  For employers, including charities, the best way to comply with their legal obligations to protect whistleblowers within their organisation, is to ensure that they …
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Employment Rights Bill update

On 4 March 2025, the Government published its responses to five consultations, relating to provisions contained its landmark Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament.  These responses addressed proposals to strengthen workers’ rights in relation to zero hours contracts, collective redundancy consultation, Statutory Sick Pay, industrial relations and Trade Unions, and …
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Chetal Patel urges cultural sector to support international creatives seeking moves to UK and boost film and television sector growth

While immigration remains a hot topic in the UK, Bates Wells is calling for the creative sector to lead in championing initiatives that increase the film and TV industry’s diversity. The UK’s film and television industry brings in more than £18 billion to the UK economy and supports almost 300,000 jobs. It is a fast-growing …
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UK visa options as an alternative to the H-1B visa

March can be a tense time for American companies and international employees who are awaiting the outcome of the H-1B visa lottery, which runs from 7-24 March 2025.  Last year, there were 484,000 entries submitted for 85,000 available spots, and high demand is anticipated again this year. It’s likely that many candidates will be disappointed …
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The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 – ID verification

Posted on 7 March 2025 and updated on 11 April 2025 In this blog, we continue our series on the reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and update you on the new identity verification regime. What is identity verification and who needs to do it? The Act requires the following people …
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Contemplating redundancies? Top tips for employers

In the wake of a number of well-known companies and charities announcing plans to cut jobs over the past few weeks, and the Guardian newspaper reporting that UK employers are preparing for the biggest redundancy round in a decade amid declining business confidence and tax increases coming into force in April 2025, it seems that …
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Navigating the expression of protected beliefs and social media use in the workplace: lessons from Higgs v Farmor’s School [2025] EWCA Civ 109

The question of how to navigate the expression of protected beliefs in the workplace, particularly where those beliefs may not be universally shared or agreed with by co-workers, remains a hot topic for employers; not least in the context of balancing “gender critical” beliefs and the rights of transgender individuals.  This issue has become all …
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Bates Wells advises Tearfund on innovative financing transaction

Bates Wells has advised the international charity Tearfund on a ground-breaking risk transfer transaction supporting their humanitarian relief activities in Nepal, Ethiopia, Malawi and Pakistan. The transaction involves the provision of a natural disaster risk transfer facility from Global Parametrics, part-funded by Humanity Insured. Global Parametrics is an organisation that structures parametric risk transfer solutions …
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Is your charity ready for the Online Safety Act?

The Online Safety Act (the “OSA”) imposes a range of duties on in-scope online services, aiming in particular to protect children from harmful content and to protect all users from illegal online content and activity. While the OSA received Royal Assent in 2023, the majority of its provisions will come into force in 2025 with …
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Early Neutral Evaluation: A game-changer for resolving sports disputes

Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in UK dispute resolution. While commonly used in business and contractual disagreements, ENE is also gaining traction in the world of professional sports, where legal conflicts often involve sponsorship deals, regulatory issues, and financial disputes between clubs, players, and governing bodies. Recent high-profile sports disputes, …
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The Procurement Act 2023: new regime goes live

The Procurement Act 2023 is now in force. Explore our Procurement teams’ top takeaways on the Government’s strategic priorities following publication of the new National Procurement Policy Statement. On 13 February 2025, the Cabinet Office published the long-awaited National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), reinvigorating a focus on public bodies using procurement to achieve public benefit. …
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Is it worth appealing against a Charity Commission trustee disqualification order?

In February 2025 we saw the first successful overturning of a Charity Commission trustee disqualification order. The Commission had disqualified Mr Mond, a former trustee, for two and a half years, based on some social media activity while Mr Mond was a trustee. Mr Mond appealed the order to the First Tier Tribunal.  The Tribunal found that …
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