Following the lapse of the emergency measures introduced by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, the Charity Commission has issued updated guidance explaining their approach to charities who are experiencing difficulties holding face to face meetings as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus restrictions.

With the second phase of lockdown easing well and truly underway, the government has highlighted the important role that employers can play in the fight against Covid-19 by urging businesses to make use of free lateral flow tests. The last day for employers to register to receive free tests was 12 April 2021, but there are still other options available if you missed this deadline. Here, we look at some FAQs about testing in the workplace and address your responsibilities as an employer.

Having staff working remotely has presented significant challenges for many businesses, but one of the most difficult to address is the increased cybersecurity risk. As many companies did not have sufficient opportunity to prepare for the transition to homeworking, they may not have identified potential cybersecurity issues. Moreover, it is now much harder to monitor staff and ensure they are following safe practices.

With the government’s announcement of a ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ and as we progress towards a full relaxation of coronavirus restrictions, more and more businesses are planning for a gradual return to normality. This blog sets out some considerations employers may want to think about over the coming months.

One year after the first lockdown and the UK is facing another year of uncertainty around the issue of taking holidays abroad. You may be getting lots of questions from employees about carrying over holidays during Covid, we try and answer some of the main questions here.

If you are acting as an attorney or deputy for a vulnerable person, you might be finding it difficult to know what you can and cannot do under the current restrictions. The Government has now updated its guidance for attorneys and deputies, following the recent announcement regarding their roadmap for easing restrictions.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered the 2021 Budget, which extended several Coronavirus support schemes and outlined plans for the country’s post-pandemic recovery.

The Government has confirmed that in the 2021 Budget the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of September 2021.

With less than a week to go until the next Budget, on 3rd March 2021, speculation is rife as to what Chancellor Rishi Sunak may announce. With the pandemic affecting the country for more than a year, there are likely to be numerous Covid-related support measures announced.

Coupled with operations restrictions, the stamp duty holiday has slowed almost every part of the conveyancing process. Surveyors, mortgage lenders, search agencies and conveyancing lawyers are struggling to meet demand which means that the average property transaction completion time has increased from 12 weeks to 16 weeks. As a result, current new buyers are unlikely to meet the March 31st deadline to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday.

As the vaccination effort gathers pace, many employers are considering the knotty question of whether they can require unwilling employees to be vaccinated (or refuse to recruit the unvaccinated). This isn’t a simple issue.

With the UK Government’s current Covid-19 vaccination programme now well underway, the question of consent and whether or not to administer the vaccine to vulnerable loved ones is a particularly topical issue.