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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.

Is the 9-5 working day best for productivity?

29 September 2020

A new study suggests that flexible working could increase the UK's creativity and productivity as it finds that the 9-5 day does not work for everyone.

The average Brit is most productive in the late morning and is most creative soon after, according to a new study conducted by Tic Watches. However, marked differences between ages and professions suggest that productivity patterns are individual and a significant number of workers are most productive outside of the traditional 9-5 day.

The poll asked 1,500 employees, from a range of sectors, to reveal the hour of day they feel most creative, productive and energetic. The findings show that the average Brit feels most productive late in the morning (at 11:54am) and they reach their creative peak at 12:42pm.

However, there are marked differences between genders, age-groups and professions. For example, women say that they reach maximum creativity slightly later in the day than men, at 12:54pm and 12:24pm respectively.

Younger people are most likely to prefer working earlier or later in the day - as many as 42% of 25-34-year-olds say that they feel most creative outside of traditional work hours, compared to 33% of 35-44s and 27% of 45-54s.

Productivity follows a similar pattern. More than one in six (18%) millennials feel most productive before 9am, while the same number feel they're most efficient after 5pm - more than any other age category.

There is also considerable variation by profession. Those that are most productive in the morning include: accountants (9:48am), civil servants (11am), plumbers, electricians and builders (11am), admin/office workers (11:42am) and those in IT (11.48am).

Those that feel productive later in the day include those in finance (12.36pm), HR/recruitment (12.54pm) and sales (1.12pm).

More than a fifth (21%) of workers polled said they feel most active between 10am and 11am, before slowly fading as the day progresses. Workers feel laziest in mid-afternoon, with 4-5pm and 3-4pm being the least energetic hours. In fact, just 3% of Brits feel most energetic at this time.

Interestingly, nearly a quarter of employees (23%) feel most sprightly before 9am, suggesting that earlier working shifts could help boost productivity for some.

Danny Richmond, managing director at Tic Watches, said: "COVID-19 will undoubtedly have a long-lasting impact on the day-to-day of many professions. Lots of workers have enjoyed the flexible working arrangements afforded to them over lockdown and some may push for these to become permanent.

"Our new research has shown that many Brits feel more energetic, creative and productive outside of the typical 9-5 working hours, so it could benefit both employers and employees to continue this flexibility."

Written by Rachel Miller.

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