Monthly Archives: March 2016

Modern Slavery Act Statement

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force in October last year and applies to financial years ending on or after 31 March 2016.

The Act requires large organisations doing business in the UK, with a minimum total turnover of £36 million per year to publicly state each year the action(s) they have taken to ensure that their supply chains are slavery free.

We would advise that the statement must include or state as follows:

  • the steps the business has taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of its supply chains, and in any part of its own business; or
  • that the organisation has taken no such steps.

The statement may contain other information, such as the organisation’s structure, its due diligence processes in relation to slavery and human trafficking and any training on the subject that is provided to its employees.

While there is no set time limit in which to make the statement, the Home Office guidance provides that a business is encouraged to make it within six months of the end of the previous financial year.

If the organisation has a website, it must publish the statement on that website and include a link to the slavery and human trafficking statement in a prominent place on the homepage.

Employers:  even smaller companies are being asked to publish a Modern Slavery Act Statement if they are tendering for work with certain customers.

We can provide further information on this topic and can also assist organisations in preparing a compliant statement.

Contact us if you need help with a Modern Slavery Act Statement

Sunday Trading

Sunday Trading

The government has decided to move ahead with its plan to loosen the restriction on Sunday trading hours in England and Wales, despite opposition.

At the moment, large shops in England and Wales (ie those with over 280 square metres of floor space) are allowed to open for only six hours on a Sunday, between 10 am and 4 pm.

The government is proposing to allow councils to extend those hours, so retailers can have the flexibility to compete for trade. Councils will also be able to restrict the longer hours to certain zones, such as high streets and city centres, although there are fears that the additional hours will benefit large chains to the detriment of independent high street stores.

An additional proposal is to make it easier for those who work on a Sunday to opt out of doing so. At the moment, all employees can opt out of Sunday working by providing three months’ notice. Under the new proposal, the required period of notice to opt out would be reduced to one month.

Contact us if you need any help with zero hours or part-time contracts