AN EDINBURGH law firm is launching a guide aimed at the growing number of small businesses said to be ignorant of the potential legal consequences of hiring casual labour.
Murray Beith Employment said feedback had revealed “widespread complacency” over the rights enjoyed by workers even in hiring situations which did not involve a formal written contract of employment.
Partner Dawn Robertson said: “Small firms are resorting to hiring people on an ‘as required’ basis, while not necessarily thinking through the full legal consequence of doing so.”
Companies quicker to pay their bills
Businesses are paying their bills earlier compared to a year ago, research today suggests.
The latest “late payment index” from information services outfit Experian shows that UK firms paid their bills nearly 1.3 days earlier in the third quarter, compared to the same period last year. In July to September this year, firms paid their overdue invoices 24.88 days after agreed terms, compared to 26.17 days in Q3 2011.
However, payment times increased slightly when compared to the previous quarter, up from 23.46 days between April and June 2012.
AG Barr and Britvic tie–up anticipated
Drinks firms AG Barr and Britvic are tipped to announce this week that they have struck a £1.4 billion merger deal following extended talks.
The Cumbernauld-based maker of Irn-Bru and its larger peer Britvic, which bottles Pepsi in the UK, revealed in September that they were in preliminary talks about a possible tie-up.
One drinks analyst said: “In racing terms, I believe it is 6-4 on that a firm deal will be unveiled this week and 5-1 against that it is a ‘walk-away’. Another extension would, I think, raise City eyebrows.”
James Gibb hires Mayall from rival
James Gibb Residential Factors, the Edinburgh-based factoring business, has appointed a new operations director.
The firm said the move strengthened its management team as part of expansion plans.
Nic Mayall joined from rival Ross & Liddell, where he was responsible for an Edinburgh factoring division with a portfolio of 8,000 properties.
James Gibb is owned by Strathspey Capital, which has plans to consolidate the Scottish factoring market through acquisitions in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow in the next three years.
