The coming year will see the biggest change in health and safety enforcement possible since the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and definitely since the "six-pack" regulations in 1992, warns Ciaron Dunne, writing in the latest issue of Facilities Management Legal Update. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and facilities managers should be planning ahead for the new legislation and, where possible, budgeting for the expense of compliance. Expected major changes, reported in the January issue of Facilities Management Legal Update, include t... Continue reading

Members may be interested in The WHICH? Guide to Employment, which is written by Ian Hunter, partner at City firm Bird & Bird and a member of the Workplacelaw Network. The book explains employment law in an easy-to-read journalistic style, while drawing on Ian’s practical experience as a senior employment lawyer. It tackles all the big topics; including how TUPE works, the employer’s strengths and weaknesses when sacking an employee, stress claims, maternity rights, discrimination, restrictive covenants and employing overseas nationals. ... Continue reading

Orders in the year to July 2001 rose by one per cent compared to theprevious year but orders in the three months to July 2001 fell by 11per cent compared to the same period a year earlier, which wasexceptionally high following large contracts in June 2000. Orders inthe three months to July 2001 fell by 6 per cent compared to theprevious three month period, with falls in all sectors except publicnon-housing.Private housing orders in the three months to July 2001 fell by oneper cent compared with the previous three month period and were 11per cen... Continue reading

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has decided, on theinformation at present before her, and in accordance with therecommendation of the Director General of Fair Trading, not to referthe following mergers to the Competition Commission under theprovisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973:Proposed acquisition by Vinci SA of TBI plcProposed acquisition by Innogy Holdings plc of the electricity andgas supply activities of Northern Electric plc... Continue reading

New proposals to improve the law covering employees' rights when thebusiness they work for transfers to a different employer wereannounced today by Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt.The changes to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection ofEmployment) Regulations 1981 - commonly known as the TUPE Regulations- aim to make the process of business restructuring and public sectormodernisation less threatening for employees and smoother to operatefor employers.The main proposals in the consultation document include: - Options for new rule... Continue reading