This has led to areas of dispute and interpreting the law wrong can prove costly. The Government has decided to consolidate the law into one set of Regulations. These have been published in draft and the Government has launched a consultation which provides an opportunity to comment on areas where the law is unclear.
One area in desperate need of clarification relates to sleep-ins. Many employers who provide care and support are under pressure to change their pay arrangements for staff working sleep-ins. These staff are typically paid an allowance that is less than the minimum wage because they are allowed to sleep throughout the shift unless they are disturbed. The pressure for change is because two recent cases found that workers should be paid the minimum wage for every hour of a sleep-in. Those cases conflict with the Government’s own guidance on sleep in arrangements which provide “workers are not entitled to the minimum wage while they are on standby or on call and are asleep or entitled to sleep”. The guidance seems to reflect the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission when the National Minimum Wage was introduced. A Court of Appeal case has previously found that a worker was not entitled to the minimum wage for every hour of a sleep in where the work was treated as unmeasured work. This consultation presents an opportunity for the housing sector to influence the law on this key issue so take your opportunity to contribute. The consultation closes on 15 September 2014.
For further information, please contact Matthew Wort on matthew.wort@anthonycollins.com or 0121 214 3501.
It is anticipated that as lockdown restrictions ease, and particularly with children and young adults returning to education, cases of meningitis will start to rise.
As we continue to emerge from lockdown measures and deal with local measures and the short and long term economic impact of Covid-19, local authorities will need to re-assess how services will be delivered for years to come.
The Government first announced plans for a shared ownership right to buy in October 2019. At the time the sector raised concerns about the impact the plans would have on housing associations ability to borrow. An election and a pandemic later the Government announced, during the CIH Housing Festival last week, the return of the right to shared ownership as part of its Affordable Homes Programme (AHP).
Two final pieces of the possession jigsaw have been published on 15 September 2020. Mr Justice Knowles’ working group on possession proceedings has issued its guidance on the “overall arrangements” for possession proceedings.
One change proposed by the Building Safety Bill is the introduction of a duty holder regime, which will see statutory responsibility for the safety of higher risk buildings placed on key individuals
Throughout this pandemic, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been publishing various “Statements on Coronavirus” (Statements) which provide guidance on consumer rights during this time.
A recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the UK means new measures are being put in place in an effort to reduce the risk of a second wave. Whilst the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt, it is important to remain focused on the sector’s road to recovery.
Sometimes half an hour at a conference gives you the reality that has been staring you in the face all along. That was my experience watching “Change is on the Horizon”
Following our recent e-briefing on Possession Notices, Helen Tucker and Emilie Pownall from our housing litigation team discuss the impact of the changes on social landlords.
Not only has the possession stay been extended until 20 September, the notice periods to be given to tenants has been extended in certain circumstances with some important exceptions.
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