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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.

Will Freedom Day see a rush back to the office?

6 July 2021

The government will remove the vast majority of COVID restrictions from 19 July - although it is urging people and businesses to remain cautious - but not everyone thinks a mass return to the workplace is a good idea.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that after 19 July, the government will no longer instruct people to work from home and it will be up to businesses to manage a safe return to the workplace for their employees.

However, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has urged businesses not to go back to the way things were before COVID once restrictions are lifted.

Peter Cheese, CIPD chief executive, said: "Freedom Day shouldn't signal a mass return to workplaces, but it could signal the start of greater freedom and flexibility in how, when and where people work … Businesses shouldn't rush to simply revert to how they used to work now we have experience and evidence that it can be done differently, and with positive impacts on employee health and wellbeing, inclusion and productivity."

Cheese also urged employers to be careful, saying: "Regardless of any changes to official guidance from 19 July, employers should continue to ensure that they have the necessary measures in place to give confidence to workers that their workplace is safe … This will be particularly important in these early weeks while the vaccination programme is still ongoing."

However, a new survey of over 2,000 office workers by Find Out Now for Ezra suggests that many workers are keen to get back into their workplace. Its findings show that 30% of office workers have already returned full-time and a further 24% have returned on a part-time basis. Workers polled were asked what positive impact a return to the workplace has had on their lives - 29% cited work-life balance, 23% said their productivity had improved and 13% said returning to the workplace had improved their opportunities for career progression.

Even so, 26% of office workers surveyed said they would be willing to take a reduced level of income in order to maintain a flexible working lifestyle and the same number said they would look for another job if their employer failed to offer flexible working.

"It seems as though the shine is starting to fade on the working from home culture with more and more of us choosing to return to the office, perhaps with a little encouragement from our employers in some cases," said Nick Goldberg, founder of Ezra. "The process of going to a place of work allows us to define clear boundaries and allows us to switch on and off more effectively when it matters. As much as we need to perform professionally, the ability to rest and recuperate at the end of the day is also incredibly important and this is something we've lost since our homes have become our offices."

Interestingly, it seems that the number of cyberattacks on UK companies has fallen in the past three months since workers started returning to the workplace. It is the first drop in cyberattacks in the UK for almost three years according to a new study by Beaming.

Sonia Blizzard, managing director of Beaming, said: "Cyberattacks on businesses surged when the UK went into lockdown last year as criminals sensed the opportunity to take advantage of under-protected home workers… These new normal working practices are inherently insecure and increase the risk of a breach."

Written by Rachel Miller.

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