ContractStore Legal Business Blog

On 18th June the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills announced the start of a consultation period (ending on 10th September: timetotrain.consultation@dius.gsi.gov.uk) on proposals to give all employees with at least 6 months continuous employment the right to request time off from work to attend training courses relevant to their job. Consultation on the final draft inspected in early 2009 with legislation in late 2009 coming into effect in the first half of 2010. It is proposed that employers may refuse a request for sound business reasons and that employers are neither obliged to fund training costs nor pay employees during training.

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Encouraging or forcing workers not to save in a workplace pension will become unlawful under proposed changes to the Pensions Bill, Minister for Pensions Reform Mike O’Brien said today.

The DWP intends to amend the current Pensions Bill

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ContractStore recently ran an online survey for SME’s about the threats facing their businesses, and what they are doing to protect themselves.

The research shows that as many as one in three businesses make up their own employment contracts.

Giles Dixon, managing director of ContractStore.com, says the findings are worrying and believes that the trend is due to a renewed focus on the economy.

Less than 10% of business owners regard being taken to a tribunal as their ‘biggest threat’ whilst approximately 40% of businesses name the economic downturn as their number one concern.

Dixon commented: “As times are possibly set to get tougher, it is vital to ‘batten down the hatches’ and leave no stone unturned with regards to protecting your business