The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is the body responsible for regulating workplace pension schemes in the UK. Where an employer operates a defined benefit trust-based pension scheme for its employees, legislation requires it to notify TPR if certain events occur. Some events must always be notified, while others only need to be notified in certain circumstances. Events which employers must always notify Receipt of advice that the employer is wrongfully trading or knowledge that there is…

In June 2019, the Women and Equalities Select Committee (WESC) published its report on the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in discrimination and harassment cases. This week, the Government’s response to that report has been published. The Government had previously (in July) published its proposals for new legislation regarding the use of NDAs, and the response this week restates much of what we knew already: in particular, new legislation will be introduced restricting the use…

On 15 October, the eagerly awaited Pension Schemes Bill (the Bill) had its first reading in the House of Lords. Whilst the Bill addresses the launch of collective defined contribution (or CDC) pension schemes and includes provisions enabling pensions dashboards, employers will be particularly impacted by the new requirement on trustees to produce a funding and investment strategy, to which employer agreement must be obtained. However, perhaps of more immediate concern to employers will be…

When making certain future changes to their pension scheme, employers should keep in mind the requirement to consult with their employees before making the change. In this blog post, we run through the key aspects of member consultations to provide a reminder of what exactly employers need to do, and why they need to do it. Who? Employers who have 50 or more employees based in Great Britain are subject to consultation requirements set out…

Continuing our spotlight posts featuring contributions from our global Employment & Benefits group, here are some recent articles from our teams in France and Germany: Protecting IP with employment agreements in France – Employment & Benefits partner Julien Haure and associate Marine Hamon provide guidance on how employers in France can establish ownership of the intellectual property rights in works created by employees during the course of employment. Increasing demand for flexibility leads to considerable need…

As you may be aware, since February 2017, all Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal judgments have been published on an online register on the gov.uk website. A recent case in the Court of Appeal has confirmed that, other than in cases of national security, the online register will always maintain a copy of any judgment. In this case, the Claimant made an appeal to the Court of Appeal to argue that his judgment should…

With the introduction of automatic enrolment, increasing longevity, and employees focusing on the full benefit package offered by an employer, rather than just salary, an employer’s pension offering is under the spotlight. However, despite the increased relevance, the difference between types of pension scheme is not always clear. So, what are the key differences between a workplace trust-based pension scheme (“Trust Scheme“) and a workplace contract-based pension scheme (“Contract Scheme“)?…