Do I Need A Power Of Attorney

Powers of attorney are useful if you need someone to make decisions on your behalf.  This may just be temporary (for example, to ensure that bills are paid if you were in hospital) or more long-term (for example, if you have been diagnosed with dementia). What is a Lasting Power of Attorney? A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) gives someone you trust the legal authority to make decisions for you.  There are two types of LPA, 'Property and Financial Affairs' and 'Health and Welfare', and you can create one or both.  The Property and Financial Affairs LPA allows your chosen attorneys to operate your finances, for example to mange your bank accounts and pay bills.  The attorney can act while they have mental capacity (if you consent) but also if you lose mental capacity. A…

How To Calculate Holiday Pay

We all look forward to our holidays, whether it is for travel or to spend time with friends and family.  But the subject of holiday pay has been causing concern recently since a number of cases in relation to the calculation of holiday pay have increased employees' rights.  Gillian Reid, employment law specialist at Ware & Kay in York, Wetherby & Malton sets out what you need to know and what you should be doing as an employer to ensure that you stay on the right side of the law. The Working Time Regulations The right to paid holiday is set out in the Working Time Regulations and, despite the fact that the regulations have been in force for more than 16 years, there are still grey areas.  The law in this area continues to…

Shared Parental Leave For New Parents

Members of staff announcing that they are soon to be parents will be entitled to take shared parental leave. This applies to pregnancies with a due date on or after 5 April 2015. Under this new right, expectant parents will be able to choose how they share time off work for the first year of their child's life so that they can both retain a link to their workplace.  Gillian Reid, employment law expert at Ware & Kay Solicitors in York & Wetherby, explains how the new right will work in practice. The new legislation will allow a woman to return to work early and share the remainder of her leave and pay with her partner, if she wishes. The current entitlement to 52 weeks' maternity pay and 39 weeks' maternity pay will remain the…

10 Common Debt Recovery Mistakes

This article looks at the ten most common mistakes business owners make when it comes to tackling debtors, and advises on the best course of action. 1. Failing to have a credit policy When a company provides goods or services before receiving payment, it is essentially the same as handing over cash.  For this reason it is vital for cash flow and ultimately the survival of your businesses to be able to predict when you are likely to get paid and the cost of ensuring that this happens.  This begins with having a credit policy. By gathering the same types of information from each customer, it is possible to attribute different risk levels to each and adjust your payment terms accordingly.  Your credit policy provides uniformity of terms for each type of customer you have…