Michael Sippitt on 12 January attended a meeting in London organised by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, the High Commission of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, addressed by Mr Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India....
Despite the amount of geo-political upheaval; the business reality is that economic growth remains robust. The future may appear littered with threats, but opportunities remain plentiful...
Ten years ago, I moved to the Middle East as a co-founder of FSI Worldwide. Although I am no longer a director of the company and no longer live in the region, our mission was and remains, to try to improve the conditions under which migrant workers are recruited and employed. ...
For the first time since July 2015, the Home Office’s monthly Restricted Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) limit was reached and many employers saw their applications refused. Data published on the government’s website shows that 1,527 applications were granted. Successful applications had to score a minimum of 55 points as opposed to the usual 21 points (see data for previous months)....
Under current rules for data protection, businesses are allowed to implement “opt-out” and pre-checked boxes when it comes to obtaining an individual’s consent to collecting and using personal data....
Shortly before Christmas the judgement in the case of MLS (Overseas) Ltd v The Secretary of State for Defence [2017] EWHC 3389 TCC was released, containing important lessons for bidders and contracting authorities involved in public procurement....
Despite President Trump’s America First philosophy, the UK’s bumbling (though still unclear) exit from the EU, or any number of other “glass half empty” stories that dominate the news, the reality for business generally is that life goes on and deals can and must be done....
With 2018 newly arrived, it’s the ideal time to take a look at what’s in store for the world of business and its employees over the next year....
Pre-termination discussions between employer and employee are protected and cannot usually be referred to by either party in a subsequent unfair dismissal claim....
In 2017, we saw the government push ahead with its policy to reduce net migration to “sustainable levels.” Businesses saw the introduction of the Immigration Skills Levy, the closure of the Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer (ICT) route and an increase to the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers. ...
In December 2017, FIDIC launched new editions of the following contracts to replace the 1999 editions:...
A brief insight into the most used form of security in the construction industry, bonds and guarantees, after the recent judgment of Autoridad del Canal de Panamá v Sacyr, S.A. & Ors put these forms of security instruments back in the limelight....
There is evidence to suggest that some UK based transnational corporations are either actively engaged in, or negligently permitting, illegal or unethical labour abuses in their international operations. ...
Most potential commercial tenants will budget for what they expect to be the usual costs of taking a lease, such as the main rent, legal fees and any rent deposits required by the landlord, but often there are some hidden or unexpected costs that also need to be considered....
It’s the morning after the night before, and you’ve done something that really wasn’t a good idea. And it just so happens that today is the one day in your career that your boss has decided to randomly drug test some of the workers....
With the constant risk of fraud, investigating claims is a priority for many insurance firms. However, a recent case has shown how this can lead to a breach of data protection legislation and criminal sanctions. ...
Earlier this year we reported on the Tribunal decision in Dunkley and others v Kostal UK Ltd, involving an attempt to induce staff to give up their collective bargaining rights by informing them directly that failure to agree terms would lead to “no Christmas bonus”. ...
Released in 2009 as open source software, Bitcoin has quickly become one of the world’s most notable cryptocurrencies and payment systems. The digital currency is so lucrative because it’s decentralised by design, meaning it doesn’t need access to a central bank or administrator....
Last year, UK Visas & Immigration launched the Tier 2 and 5 priority change of circumstances service for business sponsors. UKVI’s current processing time for requests via the SMS is 18 weeks – which as our clients know is 18 weeks too long....
The Home Office has recently published its quarterly figures for the number of illegal workers identified between April and June 2017. The figures show that illegal workers are not just isolated cases....