Cover Genius, the insurtech for embedded insurance, has acquired Booking Protect, the Leeds-based specialist in embedded ticket protection for ticket sellers, platforms and live event companies such as SeatGeek, Spectrix, AudienceView, and Night Out in the US, Zaiko in Japan, See Tickets, Festicket and TicketSource in the UK and OzTix in Australia. With the acquisition, Cover Genius expands its presence in the ticketing and Live Entertainment market by enabling ticketing platforms, small-to-mid-sized ticket sellers, events and venues and Booking Protect’s 350+ partners, the ability to offer embedded ticket protection worldwide through XCover, its end-to-end global distribution platform. “We’ve seen significant growth in attach rates and customer satisfaction metrics for ticketing partners like AXS, so we’re excited to apply those learnings and utilize our platform approach in order to supercharge the exceptional foundational work from the talented Booking Protect team,” said Angus McDonald, CEO and co-founder of Cover Genius. “It’s a natural fit for us to team up with established leaders in specialty fields like ticketing who have built a great service and end-to-end solution at the expense of traditional insurers whose legacy systems contribute to poor customer outcomes and stunted growth for partners. While Cover Genius remains focused on enterprise partners like AXS, we recognize that there’s a huge addressable market out there, so acquisitions like this set us to be able to go deep within highly attractive verticals like ticketing.” Booking Protect’s team will move to Cover Genius in order to maximize growth within a sector experiencing explosive growth. Sales have grown 74% YoY to more than 2 million policy sales in 2022. “We started Booking Protect to provide peace of mind to customers who are buying tickets via sellers and events and their upstream ticketing platforms, especially small-to-midsize players,” said Simon Mabb, CEO at Booking Protect. “With the pandemic exposing the need for comprehensive coverage, we believe that now is the time to join forces with Cover Genius to scale our technologies and expand the reach of our mission. We look forward to continuing to serve our partners and help businesses provide a seamless customer experience in their time of need.”

Hopkins Solicitors on 20th of July 2022, saw a landmark judgment in favour of their music teacher client, Mrs Lesley Brazel, by the UK Supreme Court. This decision follows her case being heard before an employment tribunal (in 2017), the Employment Appeal Tribunal (in 2018) and most recently the Court of Appeal (in 2019). The UK’s highest court confirmed the rights of part-year and zero hours contract workers to the full 5.6 weeks’ statutory paid holiday provided for under the Working Time Regulations 1998. They rejected the argument from the school that the entitlement of such workers, should be reduced on a pro-rata basis. Thanks to the judgement, it will no longer be possible for employers to argue staff who don’t work all year are only entitled to pro-rata holiday based on the hours they work. Today’s decision is also good news for anyone working irregular hours or on zero-hours contracts. From now on, all workers will be due the same legal minimum of 5.6 weeks (28 days for full-time employees), even if there are months during the year when they don’t work. Example: The Supreme Court judgment ensures leave must be paid at the rate of an ordinary week’s wages (or if pay varies every week, then an average of all the weeks worked in a year). Annual leave calculations are based on weeks, as a person can work a full week or part of one. The law says that someone working a full year is entitled to at least 5.6 weeks of annual leave (28 days for anyone working full-time hours in a week and this can include the eight bank holidays). The judgment means that an employee working all year, but say, for just two days a week is entitled to 11.2 days a year (2 x 5.6 weeks, so 2.24 weeks or 11.2 days). Lesley Brazel, the part time music teacher, said: “After an eight year legal process I am pleased to have finally secured a basic employment right in accordance with the law and as stated in my employment contract. I would like to thank the Incorporated Society of Musicians, ARAG Insurance, and the legal teams at Hopkins Solicitors and 3PB Barristers, for their outstanding professional, legal and financial assistance throughout. “I am an alumna of the Harpur Trust and I have worked for them as a visiting music teacher at Bedford Girls’ School and it’s legacy schools for 20 years, pursuing a career which I am passionate about. Emotionally it has not been an easy journey. I am indebted to my family and friends for giving me the self-confidence to see this through and for their continued encouragement and support throughout this time.” 3PB Barristers were instructed in this appeal by Hopkins Solicitors LLP to act on behalf of clarinet and saxophone teacher Mrs Lesley Brazel, who teaches at the independent Bedford Girls’ School run by the Harpur Trust. She was supported over several years of legal action by the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) and ARAG who provide legal expenses insurance to the ISM’s members. Mathew Gullick QC of 3PB said: “This judgment gives clarity on the method of calculating holiday pay for people in Mrs Brazel’s position working on permanent ‘zero-hours’ contracts and who are not required to work every week of the leave year. The judgment will be of particular interest to term-time workers at schools, colleges and universities, as well as many other types of workers whose working patterns do not fit the traditional ‘full-time’ model.” Partner Carl Wright at Hopkins Solicitors said: “We are obviously delighted with both the outcome of the appeal and to have been able to clarify the law for the benefit of all of those workers who, like Mrs Brazel, work on term time only contracts. As a consequence of this decision, term time only workers will be entitled to the same minimum annual holiday as those that are contracted to work all year round.”

Ambitious plans to enhance the Cathedral Precinct area of Wakefield are getting underway. The overall plan would see the creation of a premier space for entertainment and festivals, new facades for buildings on Bread Street and opportunities for food and drink businesses to be developed over the next three years, if full funding is agreed. The first stage of the work has begun with shops and businesses with front or rear-facing façades along Bread Street being offered grants to create new façades that would complement the Wakefield Cathedral conservation area. The next stages of the plans are awaiting final confirmation of funding from the Towns Fund. If monies are granted, the second phase would see vacant buildings at the end of Bread Street removed in 2024 to recreate the early 19th-century vista of the Cathedral. The third phase will be hugely transformational with a new flexible multi-use entertainment area with seating, lighting and trees created to become the premier outdoor venue in the city for hosting open-air events, festivals and other family entertainment. Cllr Darren Byford, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “These plans will completely change the look and feel of Wakefield City Centre, the new building frontages with look amazing and will improve the look of our historic buildings. “Once Government confirms the funding, we will be able to make a start in transforming the area. Putting the Cathedral Square and surrounding streets at the heart of the City Centre will give us the space to bring entertainment and events to Wakefield, giving residents, visitors and businesses more reasons to be here in our city.” Chair of Wakefield High Street Task Force, Cormac Hamilton, said: “It is very positive to see this imaginative project is getting underway. It will bring people together and will enhance our city centre and strengthen our offer as a great place for residents, businesses and visitors to experience and to enjoy.” When completed in 2025, it would link in with the pedestrianised southern section of Wood Street and Cross Square with its wider pavements and new gardens becoming a place that prioritises the environment for people. In delivering the Wakefield Masterplan, Wakefield Council aims to grow the local economy, make the city more attractive to new businesses, inviting to visitors and create more jobs for local people.