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07 August 2008 / Stephen Robinson
Issue: 7333 / Categories: Features , Employment
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Surviving the summer

Stephen Robinson offers some tips on how employers can tackle the summertime blues

After years of relatively unchallenging economic times, many workers are discovering that the so-called “credit crunch” and serious threat of recession are having an impact on how much money they have in their pockets. Employers are often seen as a soft touch in difficult economic times. For that reason they should be particularly wary of the potential for dishonesty among staff especially in areas such as expenses claims.

Having an expenses policy or a clause governing reimbursement of all reasonable expenses in a handbook or an employment contract is essential. The more information an employee is required to submit in respect of reasonable expenses incurred by the employee in the course of employment the better. It should be standard practice that all expenses are evidenced with a receipt or appropriate evidence of payment.

Moonlighting

Another workplace cultural shift that has resulted from the increased cost of living has been the need for more employees to obtain a second and, in some

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Nick Vernon, Walkers Bermuda

NLJ Career Profile: Nick Vernon, Walkers Bermuda

Nick Vernon of Walkers on swapping Birmingham for Bermuda and building an employment practice by the sea

Bird & Bird—Christian Bartsch

Bird & Bird—Christian Bartsch

Global firm re-elects CEO for second term

Fletchers Group—Miriam Hall

Fletchers Group—Miriam Hall

Business appoints managing director of operational excellence

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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