58 communications Client Blogs

In a controversial ruling, the Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who claims her 40 year marriage is “wretchedly unhappy, loveless and broken down” cannot divorce her husband until they have been separated for a full five years. Tini Owens started divorce proceedings after moving out of the family home in 2015, following a period of escalating tension in the relationship exacerbated when Mrs Owens had an affair. She said that her husband, Hugh Owens, had behaved unreasonably and that she could not reasonably be expected to stay married. Mr Owens refused to agree to a divorce, denying Mrs Owens’ allegations in respect of his behavior and stating that if their marriage had broken down it was because she had had an affair or “was bored”. Two years ago, a Family Court judge rejected Mrs Owens’ allegations and refused to grant her a divorce. The trial judge felt that Mrs Owens had failed to prove that her husband had behaved in such a way as to entitle her to divorce him unde...

At last the sun is shining and as we head into Summer it’s the ideal time to look at the latest hair and makeup trends, to make you stand out from the crowd: Lip balm or gloss with a hint of sparkle deliver the perfect Summer lip – adding a subtle hit of glitter in the heat. If you must use lipstick, explore petal-pink shades and avoid matte Natural, shimmer-free cheekbones using pearly creams and dewy balms. Bronzer is no longer required, instead aim for a pinkish ‘rosy tan’ Eyebrows will be fluffy, feathery and brushed – try a pomade to add texture, fullness and shape, and then finish with clear mascara to set the brows in place White liquid liner – yes you read that right! It can make your eyes appear more open and awake, and is the perfect accent to set off a clean, minimal makeup Low-key “boy” eyelashes need no high-maintenance winged eyeliner, maybe even just a few simple dots Smokey eyes still rule, however colours are now soft, peachy or even more resembling peanut ...

1. Gender Pay Gap Reporting – if you employ more than 250 staff, it is time to finalise your first gender pay gap report, upload the results to the Government’s reporting website and publish the information on your website. 2. Changes to the Rules on Taxation of Termination Payments – make sure that all payments in lieu of notice are treated as subject to both tax and NIC. 3. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace – read up on the new recommendations by The Equalities & Human Rights Commission, including approved safeguards to have in place and also remember that men can be victims too. 4. The National Living Wage and Apprentice Rates have Increased – ensure that your workers and apprentices are being paid at least the national minimum wage and keep adequate records so that you can demonstrate compliance. 5. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – finalise preparations for the new rules: only keep relevant, up-to-date information, revisit your privacy notice an...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come info force on 25 th  May 2018 – by which time your organisation needs to be compliant with the new rules in respect of personal data and to have a framework in place which clearly demonstrates this. As of May 2018, any data of individuals should be completely secure and your systems should support privacy by default. Failure to comply with the rules, which results in a serious data protection failing, could end in punishment by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) by means of a stiff administrative fine. In addition to the above fine, organisations must take into consideration the other very real negative impacts involved if a cyber attack occurs. If you lose the personal data of your clients through a preventable breach, you will be liable for compensation to the victims, and the accompanying bad publicity will no doubt result in a significant loss of customers and drop in sales. So how might the...

Mental health has been described by Theresa May, Prime Minister, as “one of the greatest challenges of our time”. Mental health issues are an aspect of modern life and those in education are not immune – indeed, over the last 12 months the number of teachers seeking mental health support increased by 35%. Many factors can influence an individual’s mental and emotional wellbeing – including work, family, money or health. Clearly working in a pressurised environment such as education might have an impact. Whether in the classroom, as a member of support staff, or in leadership; anyone might find themselves affected. It is therefore incumbent upon senior school management to take the lead in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. There are many ways to prevent mental illness in staff and develop a supportive working environment:            While having high expectations of teachers is important, without a strong emphasis on self-care ...

A recent article in the Guardian stated that “ Schools are in crisis. With plummeting teacher training applications and difficulties in recruiting enough staff to fill vacancies, tuition fees, unacceptable workloads and budget cuts have all been blamed for the current shortage”. However, there is light on the horizon! It is actually a great time to join the profession, with the Government and a range of innovative organisations finding ways to make teacher training much more appealing. As its most basic level, all teacher training courses include time spent training in at least two schools and lead to qualified teacher status (QTS). But there are also a variety of training routes available, to meet the needs and desires of prospective teachers, whatever their personal circumstances. For example, the Government is particularly keen to attract the best and the brightest graduates into the profession. Currently, the Department for Education (DFE) is offering tax-free burs...