JJB Sports announced on 27 April 2009 that the majority of its creditors had accepted a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) put forward by its insolvency practitioner, KPMG.

The Planning Act 2008 received royal assent on 26 November 2008 exactly a year to the day after the Bill was introduced to the House by Government.

From 1 February 2009 there will be increases on the limits of certain employment tribunal awards and other amounts payable under employment legislation.

Last year the High Court found that the sexual harassment provisions under UK sex discrimination legislation set out in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, did not comply with European Directives.

The European Court of Justice delivered a significant ruling earlier this year which extends the scope of the UK disability discrimination legislation to those who are discriminated against because of their association with a disabled person but who are not themselves disabled.

This April will be an extremely busy month for employers with some important legal changes coming into force. There are notable changes in relation to the gender equality duty for public sector employees, the increase of the statutory maternity pay entitlement to 39 weeks and the introduction of a new right for carers to request flexible working.

As record fines are handed out to offending companies, organisations need to reflect on their waste management strategies to ensure they don’t fall foul of the regulations.

Business people have enough to worry about but UK and European legislators keep providing them with new problems, especially when it comes to employment legislation.

In April 2009 we will say goodbye to the much maligned Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures which were brought in to encourage early resolution of workplace disputes.

One of the worst situations that any business will ever have to face is the destruction of the premises from which it trades and the recent destruction of the Findus factory in Long Benton, Newcastle is a good example of where a risk has become a reality!

To comply with Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are now under an obligation to make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees.

The European Court of Justice have released their decision in relation to the cases of Stringer and others v HM Revenue and Customs and Schultz-Hoff v Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund on the effect of long term sick leave on a worker's right to a minimum period of paid annual leave under Article 7 of the Working Time Directive.

It would be wrong to assume that the Employment Act 2008 is confined to the abolition of the Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures.

Tenant insolvency is on the increase and nowhere is it more common than on our high streets where household names such as Woolworths, Zavvi and Land of Leather have been some of the more high profile casualties!

As part of the changes around the replacement of the statutory disciplinary and dismissal procedures, a new Code of Practice on discipline and grievance has been launched for consultation by Acas.

Share buybacks, whereby a company buys its own shares and cancels them, can be useful for both the company and for shareholders, but there is no room for error and it is important to get it right first time, as Muckle LLP corporate partner Peter Robinson explains.

The current market conditions have led to dramatic fluctuations and events in the Landlord & Tenant market.

The tax rules on empty properties have changed and the implications of these changes can place a heavy burden on the shoulders of property owners.

A prepack is a deal for the sale of an insolvent company’s assets which is put in place before the company goes into a formal insolvency process.

Businesses now have a useful tool to help them achieve a fairer workplace, as Muckle LLP partner Paul Johnstone explains.