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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.

Every business needs to be aware of its obligations under minimum wage and equal pay laws, as well as recent pensions auto-enrolment changes.

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.

You must comply with legal restrictions on employees' working hours and time off, or risk claims, enforcement action and even prosecution.

The right employment policies are an essential part of effective staff management. Make sure any policy is clear and well communicated to employees.

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.

While sick employees need to be treated fairly, you need to ensure that 'sickness' is not being used as cover for unauthorised absence.

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

Most pregnant employees are entitled to maternity leave and maternity pay, while new fathers are entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay.

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

As well as undermining morale, illegal discrimination can lead to workplace grievances. Employee discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

Home, remote and lone workers are becoming increasingly commonplace. Key issues include communication and how to manage and motivate people remotely.

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

The right approach to consulting with and providing information to your employees can improve employee motivation and performance.

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

Disciplinary and grievance issues can be a major burden to employers. Putting in place and following the right procedures is essential.

Following the right dismissal and redundancy procedures helps protect your business and minimise the risk of a legal dispute at tribunal.

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

Employment tribunal claims are a worrying prospect for any employer. A tribunal case is a no-win situation – even if the claim is unjustified.

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.

UK set to ditch cookie banners in GDPR shake-up

31 August 2021

The government is expected to get rid of some website cookies rules as it promises to scrap key parts of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force in 2018.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden is expected to announce data regulation reforms which he has said will cut costs for businesses, boost innovation and drive growth, opportunities and jobs. In an interview with The Telegraph, he said the plans include getting rid of cookie pop-ups for most websites (with some exceptions), many of which he said were "pointless".

"There's an awful lot of needless bureaucracy and box ticking and actually we should be looking at how we can focus on protecting people's privacy but in as light a touch way as possible," he said.

Oliver Dowden has announced that John Edwards is the government's preferred candidate to be the next Information Commissioner. Edwards, who is currently the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner, is expected to shake up current data regulations and the government has said he would "go beyond the regulator's traditional role".

John Edwards said: "I look forward to the challenge of steering the organisation and the British economy into a position of international leadership in the safe and trusted use of data for the benefit of all."

The government has also said it will make new "data adequacy" partnerships that will make it easier for businesses to send people's personal data internationally. Data adequacy is about agreeing that data protections are similar in two countries so that personal information remains safe. The UK currently has a data adequacy agreement with the EU but that could change if UK data laws diverge too far from EU rules.

According to the government, billions of pounds worth of trade goes unrealised around the world due to barriers associated with data transfers. "Now that we have left the EU I'm determined to seize the opportunity by developing a world-leading data policy that will deliver a Brexit dividend for individuals and businesses across the UK," said Oliver Dowden. "It means reforming our own data laws so that they're based on common sense, not box-ticking."

Written by Rachel Miller.

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