Overview of the minimum wage

National Minimum Wage rates Since April 1999 most workers in the UK have been legally entitled to a minimum wage. The national minimum wage (NMW) rates are set based on recommendations... read more

Becoming a British citizen

There are six forms of British citizenship, some of which are defined in the British Nationality Act 1981. They are: British citizenship; British overseas... read more

Buying or selling a business

There are a number of steps that need to be worked through when you are buying or selling a business. These include: valuing the business tax advice sales... read more

I have a housing dispute

Steps to follow Landlords and tenants have various rights and obligations: as a tenant, for example, you have the right to have your accommodation kept in a reasonable state of repair,... read more

I want to hire an employee, I want to fire an employee, I am being made redundant, I have been fired

Steps to follow Have you been fired following a certain number of warnings? Or fired on the spot? You can only be fired for a first offence if there has been gross misconduct. This... read more

I want to trade internationally

Steps to follow Where do you want to trade? Is it within the EU or outside? You will need to do thorough research to ensure you are complying with all relevant laws and... read more

I am being investigated for fraud

Steps to follow Have you failed to report a change in your personal circumstances to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or council or deliberately provided incorrect information... read more

Overview of pay (pay rises, pay cuts, notice pay, etc.)

Your employer should tell you when you start work how much you will be paid, how it will be paid to you and when. This must be put in writing within two months of you starting... read more

Invasion of privacy

Personal information is freely given in everyday transactions, from paying for goods at a supermarket to filling in health insurance forms. Consequently, there is a vast amount of... read more

Making staff redundant

There are many reasons why you may need to make staff redundant including closure or relocation of your company, a need to cut costs by reducing headcount or simply because some posts... read more

Workplace bullying

Acas defines workplace bullying as: “Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate... read more

Company filing requirements

Every company has a duty to prepare a set of accounts which report on the company’s performance and activities during the financial year. A copy of these accounts must be sent to... read more

Overview of motor accidents

There are thousands of motor accidents on the UK’s roads each year. If you are unlucky enough to be involved in a motoring accident, you are likely to be involved in a subsequent... read more

Overview of speeding laws

Speeding laws exist for a purpose—breaking the speed limit contributes to more than 727 deaths and 4,555 injuries every year. It was a factor in a quarter of fatal road accidents in... read more

Overview of employment rights (personal)

Employees and workers in the UK enjoy a number of employment rights by law. You are classed as an employee if you are a working under a contract of employment. Employment... read more

Introduction to child custody

If you are separating from your partner or getting a divorce, then the question of where your children will live, and how often each partner will see them, are tough decisions to... read more

Fostering a child

What is fostering? Fostering places a child into the care of a family when it cannot live with its own parents. This may be because its parents have problems, cannot cope and need a... read more

Which businesses require licensing?

There are a range of businesses in the UK which require a licence. These are generally issued, administered, and policed by local authorities. Licensing authorities must carry out their... read more

What constitutes gross misconduct?

If you have done something at work which is so damaging to your employer’s business or organisation that it amounts to “gross misconduct”, your employer can dismiss you... read more

Gross misconduct or being fired

Gross misconduct or being fired Gross misconduct is behaviour in the workplace which is so serious that it warrants dismissal for a first offence without... read more

Eviction from a home you are renting

All homes rented from a private landlord after 28 February 1997 will automatically be an assured shorthold tenancy unless your landlord has given you notice in writing that it is an assured... read more

Defending copyright and trademarks

Copyright and trademarks fall into the field of intellectual property. Copyright protects written, theatrical, musical and artistic works. It exists automatically, but in order to... read more

Claiming asylum

The UK has signed up to the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which means that under certain circumstances it will offer asylum to people who may be persecuted... read more

I have been accused of a crime

Steps to follow If you’ve been accused of a crime the police will no doubt want to talk to you about it. If the offence you’ve been accused of carries a power of arrest (eg... read more

Contesting parking tickets

They’re the bane of motorists’ life, and among the most unpopular of all professions. While traffic wardens play Tom and Jerry with hapless drivers up and down the country,... read more

Overview of sex discrimination in employment

Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA 1975), it is illegal for your employer, or a prospective employer, to discriminate against you because of your gender, your marital status or... read more

Overview of identity theft

You are a victim of identity theft if someone pretends to be you in order to steal money or gain some other sort of benefit. Offences It is an offence to possess, control and intend... read more

Bankruptcy basics

If the demands from credit companies are piling up on your doorstep, then you may be considering filing for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy no longer carries the stigma that it once had,... read more

Overview of employment rights (business)

As an employer in a UK company you have a number of duties and obligations to the people working for you under employment legislation. The duties you have depend largely on what category... read more

Criminal justice process

Many people and organisations make up the criminal justice process, from police officers to criminal barristers to prisons. The following is a brief guide to what happens and who is... read more

Overview of fraud in businesses

Definition of fraud  In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the fraud laws were overhauled by the Fraud Act 2006 which came into force in 2007. It introduced a statutory... read more

Advice on employment rights

Steps to follow If you have a contract of employment you’ll usually be classed as an employee and are therefore entitled to a number of employment rights. These include statutory... read more

Drugs and their classifications

Illegal drugs are classed A, B, or C under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Class A drugs are considered the most dangerous, and carry the most severe penalties. The laws concerning drugs... read more

I am being bullied

Steps to follow If you’re being bullied, your first move – if you feel able to - should be to talk to the bully and tell them, in a calm and controlled manner, that you find... read more

Drink driving and defences to drink driving

Drink driving ruins lives. There is no safe limit of alcohol, because each person’s tolerance depends on a range of factors such as metabolism, stress levels and weight. If you have... read more

I am a victim of discrimination

Steps to follow It is illegal for your employer to treat you less favourably (ie discriminate against you) because of your: gender; marital status; gender reassignment; pregnancy and... read more

I have committed a traffic offence

Steps to follow Police have the legal right to stop any motorist at any time. They don’t have to give you a reason and it’s a criminal offence if you fail to stop.... read more

I am being bullied, I am a victim of discrimination (employees)

Steps to follow Bullying in the workplace is where someone tries to intimidate another worker. It is defined by Acas as “Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour,... read more

An employee has committed a criminal offence

Steps to follow Do you genuinely believe on reasonable grounds that the employee committed the offence? This is the test that a tribunal will apply if you dismiss the employee and the... read more

Penalties for drink driving

A conviction for drink driving could lead to a six-month jail sentence, a fine of £5,000 and a driving ban of between 12-36 months. Penalties change according to the seriousness... read more

Overview of sex discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 outlaws discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of sex, marital status, civil partnership status and gender reassignment. It covers: recruitment and... read more

I have an employment issue

Steps to follow Are you an employee? Your employment status determines what rights you have. If you are paid a salary, do the work personally (rather than sub-contract it out), if your... read more

Dealing with domestic abuse

Nobody should have to live with domestic abuse. The abuse can be physical, sexual, financial, psychological, or emotional. It is mainly carried out by men towards women, but also happens in... read more

Grounds for divorce

Famously, one in three marriages ends in divorce. This is a depressing statistic. Divorce can be a hugely traumatic and costly experience for both parties. A divorce is the ending of... read more

The points system

Driving carelessly, while over the limit, or too fast, means you may have points added to your licence. Once you have a certain number of points, you may be banned from driving for a... read more

I am a victim of crime

Steps to follow Report the matter to the police as soon as possible. Dial 999 if it’s an emergency, otherwise, report it to your local police station either in person, via phone or... read more

Sexual harassment

Employees have a right not to be sexually harassed in the workplace, and employers have a duty not to let this happen. It causes stress and humiliation, and benefits no-one. Ultimately,... read more