Osborne Clarke's best legal reads of the week - September 28 - October 2
Published on 2nd Oct 2015
What are the top reads of the week around the web written by Osborne Clarke people? Which posts have been shared the most via social?
Here’s the best legal reads of the week…
From October 2015, under the new Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the MSA), most large commercial organisations in the UK will need to publish an annual, Board-approved, statement setting out the steps that they have taken to prevent slavery, not just within their organisation but also within their supply chain. Read the full update on what you need to know and do here.
Following our recent post on the failed merger between Telenor and TeliaSonera, new details have emerged which provide a better insight on the European Commission’s concerns and why it was on course to prohibit the deal. Read the update here.
The government has issued its response to its recent consultation on capping public sector exit payments at £95,000. The core elements of the government’s proposals have been retained and the government intends to legislate to introduce the cap largely in the form it originally proposed. It will implement the cap through the Enterprise Bill and further secondary legislation. Read about the cap here.
Many sharing economy platforms involve “buying” personal services. This relates to tasks ranging from cleaning, caring, driving, meal deliveries, valet parking, shopping and odd jobs to IT services and “professional” services. In this regard, the sharing economy is about sharing skills as much as it is about sharing assets. McKinsey suggested in June 2015 that by 2025 these online platforms could raise global GDP by $27 trillion and increase employment by 72 million full-time equivalent positions. Read about the sharing economies current challenges here.
The European Commission has indicated that it is currently deliberating the introduction of a new whistleblower program. The program would allow informants to channel information regarding cartel behaviour through an independent agency to the Commission. Read the full update here.
The new Consumer Rights Act (the Act), in force from 1 October, replaces and consolidates three significant pieces of consumer legislation – The Sale of Goods Act 1979, Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. It introduces some new rights relating to the purchase of goods and services, including digital content such as computer games. Read about the Act here.
Managing poor performance seems to be a constant issue employers need to grapple with – with time constraints and business targets to meet, keeping a check on individual performance is a matter that can be easily overlooked, particularly at a senior level. But this isn’t without its own cost to businesses. Read the eight key performance management issues for employers to watch for here.
