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It is clear from the recent King's Speech that the new Labour government has set itself an ambitious pro-worker agenda, with the intent of overhauling employment laws and upgrading workers' rights, say lawyers at Cleary.
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Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming the Irish job market, and proactive engagement with the forthcoming European Union AI Act, a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for Irish businesses, will be essential for Irish businesses to responsibly harness AI’s advantages and to maintain legal compliance, say lawyers at Pinsent Masons.
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The Court of Appeal’s recent judgment in the World Uyghur Congress' case against the National Crime Agency confirms that companies dealing in goods that they suspect to be products of forced labor are potentially liable to criminal prosecution, presenting significant legal risks that cannot always be mitigated through conducting supply chain due diligence, say lawyers at King & Spalding.
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In Morley's v. Sivakumar, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court recently found that a fast-food franchiser had breached a fried chicken franchise's trademark rights, despite a prior settlement agreement, offering lessons on drafting express terms to ensure IP protection, say Nessa Khandaker and Clare Cornell at Finnegan.
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The European Commission's anticorruption proposal, on which the EU Council recently adopted a position, will substantially alter the landscape of corporate compliance and liability across the EU, so companies will need to undertake rigorous revisions of their compliance frameworks to align with the directive's demands, say lawyers at Linklaters.
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The prior Conservative government's proposed reforms to the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations to simplify processes protecting employee rights have generally been welcomed, but the fact that Labour is now in power casts significant doubt on whether they will be pursued, says Robert Forsyth at Michelmores.
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A Scottish employment tribunal’s recent decision to award a teacher over £60,000 ($77,829) for unfair dismissal is a reminder that menopausal symptoms can amount to a disability, and together with potentially stronger measures from the new Labour government, should prompt all employers to implement effective menopause support policies, say Ellie Gelder and Kelly Thomson at RPC.
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Following the Labour Party’s U.K. election win on July 4, the new government has already announced its key missions for economic growth, green investment and tax reform, so affected Financial Conduct Authority-regulated entities should be prepared for change and on the lookout for details, says Rachael Healey at RPC.
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Since April 1, the consumption and limited possession of cannabis has been permitted in Germany, so employers should take a few steps to maintain safe and productive workplaces while respecting the new legal landscape, says Sven Lombard at Simmons & Simmons.
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In order to tackle the skills shortage in the U.K. space industry, companies should use immigration policies, which were recently updated by the government, to attract international talent, says Laxmi Limbani at Fragomen.
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The recent passage of the Victims and Prisoners Act follows a crackdown on the misuse of nondisclosure agreements, but although NDAs are not prohibited and regulators recognize their legitimate justification, organizations relying on them must be able to clearly explain that justification if challenged, say attorneys at Macfarlanes.
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Many companies were forced to withdraw job offers after the government recently raised the salary thresholds for skilled worker visas, bringing focus to the strain on businesses to quickly adapt to the changing immigration system, say Claire Nilson, Abilio Jaribu and Emily Evans at Faegre Drinker.
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The European Union’s proposed revision of the Works Councils Directive, motivated by perceived shortcomings of existing legislation and the transformation of the world of work, includes significant changes that would increase workers' rights, including through strengthened enforcement and confidentiality provisions, says Thomas Player at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Michael Powner, Isobel Goodman and Hauwa Ottun at Charles Russell examine a recently enacted law that bars employers from making deductions to workers' tips, shed light on the government's final code of practice, and highlight key trends and potential implications
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A recent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal judgment against a solicitor for online posts deemed antisemitic and offensive highlights the serious sanctions that can stem from conduct on social media and the importance of law firms' efforts to ensure that their employees behave properly, say Liz Pearson and Andrew Pavlovic at CM Murray.