Growing your business

Farming families have traditionally relied on their land and livestock to make a well-earned living. However, as the behaviour of the everyday consumer changes so have these once traditional enterprises. Many in the primary sector have decided to supplement their income (and in turn their security) by diversifying their business to include farm shops, garden centres and, in some instances, magical lands filled with ice cream and fair ground rides. However, what are the key employment law considerations when such growth happens?  In this article we touch on some of the more pertinent points to consider: Contracts of Employment Family who work for you could still be employees and in that regard there is a legal requirement to provide a written particulars of employment with very specific content. There is a right to a pay slip…

When your partner owns the property and you pay the bills – what rights do you have to your home if you separate?

If your partner owned their home when you moved in together, then it is not uncommon to agree to pay all or most of the bills as a way of sharing living costs without the hassle of changing the mortgage paperwork or the legal title. When a relationship has broken down and you are contemplating separating, a key concern will be where you will be able to live, especially if you have children and have built a family home together over many years. ‘Your rights will depend upon your marital status and, if you are not married,  whether you have any formal agreement regarding the property’, explains Robert Bellhouse family law expert at Ware & Kay in York & Wetherby who outlines the various entitlements, and what steps can be taken to protect your interest. The…

Hedge your bets with a conditional contract when selling farmland for development

As the national housing shortage continues, particularly in rural areas, development land is very much in demand.  You may even have been approached by a developer or promoter who is interested in your land. Property sales are never risk-free, with buyers able to pull out of a deal sometimes for the most incongruous of reasons. Many farmers negotiate a conditional contract to sell their development land which, as Andrew Little, agricultural law specialist at Ware & Kay Solicitors in York & Wetherby explains, provides some certainty for the seller that the land will be bought. A conditional contract is a contract between a landowner and a developer which will only be completed if the condition or conditions stated in the agreement happen. If the conditions are fulfilled, the developer is legally obliged to buy the land…

Spring 2022 - Employment law update for employers

April is usually the month when the Government introduces new employment legislation, and in recent years has announced its commitment to introducing significant new rights, such as neo-natal leave and a duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. ‘While there are very few big changes this April, employment law remains a fast-moving area of law,’ says Kalpesh Nakeshree, Head of Employment Law with Ware & Kay Solicitors. He explains the key changes employers need to know about this year and looks back at recent developments. Closure of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rebate scheme Employers are no longer able to claim back SSP for coronavirus-related absences or periods of self-isolation after 17 March 2022. The usual SSP rules now apply with employees being entitled to SSP from the fourth qualifying day of absence. Repeal of…