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Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.
What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.
While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.
Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.
From pay, hours and time off to discipline, grievance and hiring and firing employees, find out about your legal responsibilities as an employer.
Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.
Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.
Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.
With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.
As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.
Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.
Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.
From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.
Discrimination against employees is covered by the Equality Act 2010. As well as undermining employee morale, illegal discrimination can lead to employee grievances. If an employee makes a discrimination claim to an employment tribunal, your business could face substantial damages as well as the costs and distraction of the case.
Discrimination law has long applied to both racial discrimination and sex discrimination. These include discrimination on the grounds of colour or ethnic origin, gender, marital status (including civil partnership), pregnancy or childbirth.
More recently, discrimination law has been extended to include age discrimination and discrimination against disabled people both in terms of employment and as customers. Discrimination on the grounds of an employee's religious or philosophical beliefs is also illegal, as is discrimination against those undergoing gender reassignment.
There are a few narrow exceptions when discrimination is permitted: for example, to encourage under-represented groups into the workforce, or where employing someone of a particular race or gender is a genuine occupational qualification. If you feel you need to discriminate, you should take advice to ensure that you are not discriminating illegally.
Direct discrimination occurs when you discriminate against someone because of who they are: for example, if you decide not to recruit someone because of their skin colour. You must also avoid indirect discrimination, which involves applying an unnecessary condition that is likely to discriminate: for example, insisting that all job applicants must be at least six feet tall (and so more likely to be male).
As an employer, you can be held responsible for discrimination by your employees: for example, if an employee is abused or harassed with racist or sexist jokes.
Discrimination can occur at every stage of employment: recruitment, selecting employees for training or promotion, applying disciplinary procedures, dismissal and redundancy. To avoid illegal discrimination, you need to ensure that your procedures and policies are objective, focusing on work performance and the requirements of the job.
Under the Equality Act, you may need to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled employees to work: for example, providing appropriate equipment or altering working practices.
You should publicise a code of practice dealing with discrimination, making it clear to everyone that discrimination is unacceptable and will be treated as a disciplinary offence. Managers and employees may need training to help them act fairly.
Treat any allegations of discrimination or harassment seriously. Investigate thoroughly and ensure that you follow your grievance procedure.