“The biggest compliment you can pay me is to say I’m not like a lawyer.” Quite an opening line from Nicola Poole, solicitor and a Managing Director of a firm of solicitors which has been around for over 200 years. But then Hedges is no ordinary firm of solicitors and Nicola’s approach is refreshingly different, as B4’s Erica Conlan found out.

Employment is a fast-moving area of the law influenced by ever-changing UK laws, rulings in the courts and European law. It’s no wonder that employers struggle to find the time to keep up to speed with new developments, and managing sickness absence is particularly problematic.

Andy Harris, Head of Financial Services at Shaw Gibbs, talks about the legal requirements to provide employee pension schemes for 2012.

After The Bribery Act, The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (‘the Regulations’) are next on the list of “Things to do” for a busy employer. The Regulations will make significant changes to how temporary workers are used and engaged.