In December the government made public their intention to extend the Excepting Regulations for smaller charities by 10 years. The relevant legislation has now come into effect, so the deadline for registration is now 31 March 2031. The Excepting Regulations mean that many smaller churches which are affiliated to the FIEC or another umbrella body … Read more …
Many Christian charities (whether churches or other organisations) operate as either a charitable trust or a charitable unincorporated association (CUA). Historically, the only realistic alternative to these structures (other than incorporating the body of trustees, which is relatively uncommon) was for a charity to incorporate as a company limited by guarantee, but this brought with … Read more …
Marriage is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act). This means that treating someone less favourably because they are married (or because they are having marital difficulties) may be unlawful discrimination. The law and marriage It is worth noting that the law acts in favour of marriage. Under the Act, it is … Read more …
If you are a registered charity, details of your charity appear on the Charity Commission’s public register, available online. On 3 September 2020, the Commission launched the latest version of the online register, which now contains more information than ever about each charity. In particular, the register now includes details taken from your charity’s annual … Read more …
The GDPR modified the right of individuals to access data held about them. Here is a basic guide on what to do if you receive a Subject Access Request (SAR). Is the request valid? Requests can be either verbal or written. The request need not refer to the legislation or even say it is a … Read more …
The Cornerstone Judgment raises important questions for Christian organisations, such as Edward Connor Solicitors, who are seeking to conduct themselves in accordance with their beliefs, whilst obeying the law prohibiting unlawful discrimination. The full judgment can be read here. It is lengthy and we have written this article to clarify the key issues and principles, … Read more …
Getting to grips with the legal status of those who “work” in your organisation can be confusing. For example, are they actually an employee? It’s important to get right because different types of working create different obligations and rights, and one way we should seek to honour God is by properly honouring our obligations to … Read more …
The 2020 UK mental health awareness week theme was kindness. Centring on the small acts of kindness that have been so important and heartening to hear of throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the message is clear: kindness is good. Really good. Or to give it it’s hashtag, #kindnessmatters. You don’t have to argue this much – … Read more …
The last few years have been eventful, to say the least, and have had a huge impact on the UK economy. One of the unfortunate consequences of such a climate may be the need to consider redundancies within the workplace. This may be uncharted territory for many organisations. Get it wrong and there could be … Read more …
Are you confident who within your organisation or church is an employee, worker or volunteer? It’s important you know, because things have recently changed in a big way for those classified as “workers”. As a result of “The Good Work Plan” initiative, legal changes impacting employment law came into effect in April 2020. Churches and … Read more …
