Sparqa Legal

Our latest blog delves into the government's intention to implement measures in hopes of supporting small businesses and the self-employed by cracking down on late payments, which cost small businesses £22,000 a year on average and lead to 50,000 business closures a year. The government intends to consult on new laws to hold larger businesses to account, as well as to introduce new legislation requiring all large businesses to include payment reporting in their annual reports. The blog sets out some ways in which you can minimise the risk of late payments to your business, as well as what steps you can take to recover late payments without going to court. Read and find out more here: https://lnkd.in/e24pc_Ff

Our latest blog highlights the importance of maintaining and updating board minutes. It also places great emphasis on directors to get records right to comply with the law, and to keep a record on file in case of disputes in the future. Additionally, the blog sets out how to draft and record your own minutes using the available template. Read and find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eEWEmeSX

Our latest blog sets out key information about who is entitled to the national minimum wage or national living wage. It also covers the importance of maintaining records of compliance with pay obligations, whether employees are entitled to the real living wage or London living wage, and whether you are obliged to offer staff pay increases. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eTEunYc4 #minimumwage #livingwage #employmentlaw

From the 22nd of this month parties with claims worth less than £10,000 will be required to attend free mediation prior to any court hearing. To help you prepare for the requirement to mediate in small claims, we’ve set out some guidance on handling small claims proactively in our recent blog: https://lnkd.in/eXNa-E5b

A survey from ACAS in January this year found that 70% of employees, and 43% of employers, were not aware of upcoming changes to the law. Read our recent blog to make sure you are up-to-date with the latest changes: https://lnkd.in/eJ_dM3BZ #flexibleworking #hr

The Statutory Paternity Pay (Amendment) Regulations 2024 came into force on 8 March 2024 and will affect paternity leave for fathers or partners who have children due to be born or placed for adoption on or after 6 April 2024. Our recent blog discusses the changes you should be aware of: https://lnkd.in/emAKYhK6 #paternityleave #hr

The Department for Business and Trade have launched a Small Business Council and refreshed Help to Grow scheme to support SMES. To help you run your own small business, we’ve set out 7 key tips: https://lnkd.in/e23tU9gS

Are any of your staff suffering from long COVID? Make sure your organisation has policies and procedures in place to manage and support staff who are suffering from long COVID, and to mitigate against discrimination risks. We discuss how to do in our recent blog: https://lnkd.in/gsKyVRmk

It’s important to make sure that your business has its legal documents and processes in place; you can do this by carrying out our free legal health check. Our free legal health check helps you manage risks in all areas of your business. Visit our blog page for more information: https://lnkd.in/eNpfckVz #hr #smallbusiness #businesslaw

The ACAS has released a draft Code of Practice on flexible working requests, expected to be effective from April 2024. Our recent blog explores the draft Code, covering the process of making a request, considerations, and communication with employees. Visit our blog page: https://lnkd.in/eBRhbTEj #FlexibleWorking #EmploymentLaw #ACAS #hr