• changes to the way in which employees can make flexible working requests;
• additional protections from redundancy for pregnant employees and those on maternity and other family leave;
• a new right for carers to take one week’s unpaid care leave each year;
• the statutory right for those on zero-hour contracts to request a more predictable working pattern;
• a new duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment;
• the introduction of 12 weeks’ paid leave for the parents of babies in neonatal care;
• changes to the rules around the calculation and payment of holiday pay;
• provisions allowing direct consultation with employees under the TUPE regulations; and
• increases to the rates of the national minimum wage.

With a 27 place climb since they first entered The Lawyer publication’s prestigious UK200 rankings in 2019, Sills & Betteridge LLP are now in position 160 – with growth of 15% on the previous year placing the firm in the top 10 best performing firms in the country. The report is seen as the benchmark for anyone with a serious interest in the business of law. It comprises months of detailed, impartial research into the firm’s financial performance, characteristics of its service delivery and analysis of its people – looking forensically at diversity, progression and development. Chief Executive Martyn Hall said: “A combination of factors has led to these results, but they are principally due to organic growth, our acquisition of niche matrimonial practice Acclaimed Family Law of Sheffield, the recruitment of several senior fee earners across the firm and continuous efficiency initiatives across our working practices and operations.” But it’s not just about financial performance, the firm is also recognised in the gender analysis section of the report with another top 10 position for a notable number of female partners (60%) and female lawyers (64%) working across the firm. Karen Bower-Brown now goes into her 3rd year as Senior Partner – the first female Senior Partner in the firm’s 265 year history. Other highlights for Sills & Betteridge in 2023 included the Legal 500 Legal Directory results which saw the firm retain two prized accolades – Leading Law Firm and Top Tier Family Law Team, with a record 10 teams making the list and 30 individual lawyers. The firm also won the Solicitor Firm of the Year at the British Wills & Probate Awards and Children Team of the Year at the national Family Law Awards. Plans for 2024 include the relocation of the firm’s Sleaford, Sheffield and Northampton operations, significant refurbishment of its Boston premises and continued investment in its people and delivery of excellent service.

The headline NatWest East Midlands PMI^® Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – posted 50.7 in December, up notably from 47.1 in November, to signal a return to growth in output at firms across the region.

The rise in business activity was the quickest since May 2023, albeit slower than the UK average. Anecdotal evidence suggested that increased output was due to signs of improvement in demand conditions and efforts to clear backlogs.

December data signalled only a marginal contraction in new orders at East Midlands firms. The rate of decline softened for the second month running and was the slowest since July. Nonetheless, the decline in new business was linked to subdued demand conditions and economic uncertainty.

The decrease in new orders in the East Midlands contrasted with the wider UK trend which indicated the fastest rise in new business since May.

East Midlands companies recorded a slight pick up in the level of optimism regarding the year-ahead outlook for output in December. Expectations of greater activity stemmed from hopes of an improvement in customer demand, a more focused approach to marketing and investment in facilities. Although stronger than in November, the degree of confidence was below the long-run series average and the UK trend level.

Firms in the East Midlands registered a sixth successive monthly drop in employment during December. That said, the pace of job shedding eased to only a slight rate that was the slowest in the aforementioned sequence of decline. Companies reportedly cut workers in a bid to reduce costs, but some noted that staff growth was due to the hiring of temporary workers.

Companies in the East Midlands saw a slower fall in employment compared to the UK average.

The level of outstanding business at firms in the East Midlands fell further at the end of 2023, thereby extending the current sequence of decline which began in October 2022. Companies continued to state that lower new orders allowed them to work through existing business. The pace of contraction was solid but eased to the slowest since June.

The decrease in work-in-hand was led by manufacturers, as service providers registered a faster rise in incomplete business.

December data signalled a marked rise in input prices across the East Midlands private sector. Business expenses increased at the fastest pace in three months, and at a rate that was sharper than the series average. Hikes in input costs were attributed to greater wage bills, higher utility prices and increased component costs.

The pace of increase in input prices was the second-fastest of the 12 monitored UK regions, with only London recording a steeper uptick.

Selling prices at East Midlands businesses rose at a steep rate at the end of 2023. The increase in output charges was the quickest for six months and sharper than the series average. Firms reportedly sought to pass through costs to customers amid a faster uptick in input prices. The pace of inflation was broadly in line with the UK average.

Rashel Chowdhury, NatWest Midlands and East Regional Board, said: “East Midlands firms ended 2023 on a slightly better note, as output returned to expansion and the decline in new orders softened for a second successive month to only a marginal pace. Firms noted signs of improvement in demand conditions, but continued to highlight that economic uncertainty weighed on customers’ minds.

“Glimmers of hope regarding future demand led to only a fractional drop in employment despite a marked contraction in outstanding work.

“Meanwhile, inflationary pressures gained momentum as input prices and output charges rose at the fastest rates for three and six months, respectively. Greater utility costs and hikes in wage bills placed strain on margins, with paces of increase historically elevated which may constrain customer spending further in the opening months of 2024.”