Whether you are an online-only retailer or have many stores, your digital presence is likely your single largest entry point to your brand. In-person human interactions remain important, but our constant connection to our devices has forever changed how we discover, research, buy, and use products and services. However, this constant chase for new customers and individual transactions can be draining on profits as customer acquisition costs are at all-time highs. At the same time, policies and customer expectations continue...

Today, 30 March 2023, the European Parliament adopted the legislative proposal of the European Commission to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms (the Pay Transparency Directive). The Pay Transparency Directive has some important consequences for employers as well as employees, which we have described in more detail below. Background The right to equal pay between women and men for equal...

Like many accountants, I love Excel. However, there are times when Excel is not always the best tool to get the job done. Here are some indications that it may be time to get out of Excel: The Excel workbooks have become complex & unwieldly to maintain, creating risk of errors in formulas and data. Excel is being used as a collaborative tool, such as in the budget process or consolidated reporting. Excel is doing the job one of...

As part of the European Commission’s ‘Fit for 55’ package, a proposal to revise the 2014 directive on alternative fuels infrastructure and turn it into a regulation was subject to interinstitutional negotiations since November 2022. On 28 March, the Council and the European Parliament have found a provisional political agreement to deploy more recharging and refuelling stations for alternative fuels in the EU. The Commission issued its proposal in July 2021. Overall, the proposal’s goal is to tackle interoperability and...

Hiring a new employee can be exciting and stressful for both the employer and the employee. This initial period it is important to onboard which means make sure that the new employee transitions easily into the company and the employer can assess if this is going to be a good match. One of the best ideas when it comes to onboarding effectively is to have someone else who recently onboarded to assist the new hire. This will help eliminate a...

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that certain flexibilities it first announced in March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic will end on March 23, 2023. Applicants must respond to any notices or requests from USCIS dated after March 23, 2023 by the deadlines listed in the notice or request. This includes: Requests for Evidence (RFEs); Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14); Notices of Intent to Deny; Notices of Intent to Revoke; Notices of Intent to Rescind; Notices of Intent...

“DORA”, or the Digital Operational Resilience Act, means Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on digital operational resilience for the financial sector. Its impacts on the financial services sector are wide ranging. In this article, we focus on its regulation of third party ICT contracting and the specific requirements it imposes in this regard. Entry Into force in January 2025 Since our previous update the final text of DORA has been published....

On July 14, the U.S. Senate advanced legislation that puts all businesses at risk of defending antitrust lawsuits across different jurisdictions simultaneously. Senate Bill 1787 (S. 1787) — the Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act of 2021 — prevents defendants from transferring state antitrust lawsuits to more favorable venues. This regulatory action is part of a broader legislative scheme that seeks to target giant tech monopolies and streamline litigation for state prosecutors. If enacted, S. 1787 would allow states to pursue...