34 Business


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017


Assembly urged to go for housing growth MEMBERS of the Welsh


SOCIAL MEDIA


by Richard Reed SOCIAL MEDIA is


pervasive in today’s society. 500 million people use Twitter, over one billion Facebook, to name just two. Many of you may read this


through a link found on a social media platform. The proliferation of social media presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses, and the same can be said for individuals as employees. Some of you might remember the jailing of a man for abusing Fabrice Muamba on Twitter after his collapse on the football field during an FA cup match. His conduct cost him his place at University, and potentially limited his future employment prospects. Prosecutions based on social media posts are on the rise and the ramifications of what we post on social media are under more scrutiny than ever. Many of you will have read of arguments on Facebook leading to prosecutions or even individuals in senior positions being dismissed for airing extreme views on social media. This has employment law implications for employers. You may need to take disciplinary action against an employee for their actions. Without clear policies and contracts, this can cause difficulties for employers, most worryingly, costly tribunal and court costs. Your action or response is something you should always seek legal advice on before taking steps against an employee. At Hains & Lewis we


are experienced in drafting employment contracts which contain social media clauses and business procedure manuals, which will apply to your business


generally. We draft contracts for employees at varying levels of seniority from all sectors of business and industry, including the farming community and retail sector. By seeking legal advice on


your employment contracts, you can minimise employee disputes, remove ambiguity and misunderstanding between you and your employee and, most


importantly, protect


your position. Employment is constantly evolving. We at Haines & Lewis stay abreast of these changes to ensure our clients remain compliant with the law.


It is important that employees


know what is expected regarding their conduct online. This is also paramount to protect your brand or company image, that can so easily be endangered by inappropriate social media use. A well-drafted, accessible policy can minimise these risks and reduce the chances of employees being careless in their social media posts. We draft appropriate social media policies for business clients to outline what is expected by employers from their employees when they use social media. Social media platforms are


an exciting development for both business and personal use but it is important that the two are distinguished and that employers and employees are aware of their respective duties and responsibilities.


Divorce, Family and Litigation Cases Discounted rates of 30-60% available to clients with limited incomes. Please call 0345 408 0125 or


email us at: law@hainsandlewis.co.uk


Assembly have been urged to support the development of new homes and amend plans that could make it more difficult for vulnerable people to access rented housing. The call came ahead of an


Assembly debate on the principles of a proposed law to scrap Stamp Duty in Wales in favour of a new Land Transaction Tax – the first Welsh tax measure in almost 800 years. Under the plans, a 3% levy will


be added for the purchase of homes to rent out. A similar policy introduced by the former Chancellor in England last year for stamp duty was criticised by the cross-party Treasury Select Committee which warned that it 'is likely to reduce the supply of privately rented properties, and hence result in higher rents'. The Residential Landlords


Association Cymru is warning that any threat to the supply of homes to rent will make it more difficult for families and the homeless to access rented housing, at a time when it is increasingly needed. Government statistics show


that in 2015-16, a total of 6,891 households were assessed as being


EDWARDS HOLIDAYS are


excited to announce an expansion into its existing cruise portfolio by welcoming P&O Cruises and Cunard Cruises on board. P&O Cruises and Cunard Cruises


are the largest cruise lines sailing out of Southampton and offer an extensive programme year round. Andrew Jeans, Cruise Product Manager at Edwards Holidays, said: “We are


homeless and entitled to help securing accommodation in Wales. Of this figure, 3,534 households were found accommodation, of which, nearly 50% (1,722) were housed in the private rented sector. Additionally, of the 3,108


households that were threatened with homelessness and which were prevented before they became homeless, 35% (1,077) were housed in the private rented sector. The number of homeless people


finding accommodation in the private rented sector is likely to increase still further as partnerships with local authorities develop following laws passed a year ago allowing council to use the private rented sector in more effective ways to reduce homelessness. With a previous study for the


very excited to be working with P&O and Cunard Cruises and expanding our cruise holiday offering to our customers. As a brand, P&O and Cunard are well suited to Edwards’ customer demographic and their current holiday programme. Selected sailings will feature the unique door to port service that the UK coach operator of the year now provides. Cruising is one of the fastest


Government noting that a 'significant' proportion of new households in Wales will need the rental sector, the RLA is calling for the Assembly to scrap the planned tax levy where landlords invest in housing adding to the net supply of homes. This could be new build or bring empty homes back into use. Commenting, Douglas Haig, Vice


Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association and its Director for Wales, said: “The government has rightly made boosting the supply of housing, including homes to rent, a priority. “Whilst we believe the planned


levy on homes to rent out will most hurt vulnerable tenants needing a place to live, the Assembly has an opportunity to make constructive changes to the Bill to rectify this and back the nation’s tenants.”


Edwards announce cruise holiday expansion


growing industries and working with P&O and Cunard Cruises allows Edwards to offer a first-class service for all cruise tastes. Edwards are currently working


on production of their first cruise brochure due out later this year, offering a varied selection of cruises from all major cruise partners with door to port service for 2017 and 2018.


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