Winter is here and it could be colder and snowier than normal. Advanced weather models are predicting months of heavy snowfall, with conditions expecting to mirror those of winter 2009 / 2010 which was so long and chilly it was dubbed “the Big Freeze”. Staff absences tend to raise dramatically during extreme weather as road and rail disruption, combined with school closures make it difficult for employees to make it in to work. Effective absence management and flexible working options can help maintain staff productivity…
After your employees leave work at the end of the day, do you lose all control over what they say or do? While you won’t wish to intrude upon their activities or interests outside work, you can legitimately expect them not to engage in activity which may: Result in bad publicity to your organisation Cause you to question their integrity Prevent them from performing their duties/responsibilities to your satisfaction If their behaviour or actions potentially bring your organisation into disrepute, they can still be subject…
Smart phones, the internet, tweeting and blogging have all become part of the 21st century working world, whether employers like it or not. But when do comments made by employees in blogs or on social network sites such as twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace become an employment issue? What’s the problem? What employees do or say outside work is usually their own choice. However, when this impacts on their work or their employer’s business, it may be legitimate for the employer to intervene. The most…
In a recent survey of people who ‘work for themselves’, it was found that 1 in 10 were actually employees, even though these people were classed as self-employed. However, the biggest area of concern is the Construction industry where it is estimated that over 50% of self-employed workers are, in fact, employees. This could mean that over a million ‘employees’ are missing our on such things as holiday pay; the government is losing tax revenue which could be over £1.5 billion per year; and responsible…
Many employers are unaware that some of the substances they use could result in their employees suffering adverse health effects. One of the most common failings identified our team of Health & Safety professionals relates to the management of Substances Hazardous to Health. The information gathered by employers on this topic is often out dated, which means that their Health & Safety assessments could no longer be suitable or sufficient if the supplier’s information, ingredients or exposure levels have changed. So how can you make…
More and more Directors and Senior Managers are being prosecuted alongside the companies they own or manage for Health & Safety breaches. Figures published indicate a 400% increase in this type of prosecution from 2000 to 2011 and they continue to feature heavily in the news. In a recent example, a skip company was fined £65,000, ordered to pay costs of £25,000 and the Director went to prison after an employee fell to his death in an excavator accident. The company was found to have…
You probably already know that employees have a number of rights under TUPE laws. However, you may not be aware that employers face a number of pitfalls when buying a business, which could result in huge fines if ignored. What is TUPE? Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006/2014, commonly referred to as TUPE, applies when there is a transfer of business or services from one employer or service provider to another. TUPE applies regardless of the size of the transferred business, whether it…
Dressing up and decorating the office at Halloween can be fun. However, there are a few things to consider to make sure the day doesn’t end up with a trip to casualty. Decorations Make sure suitable step ladders are used for putting up any decorations. Don’t use office chairs, desks, filing cabinets or domestic grade steps. Pumpkins with candles can be effective but do you need to introduce a naked flame into the workplace. Consider using battery powered tea lights or small torches in place…
The time spent travelling to and from the first and last jobs by employees without a fixed office should be regarded as work, European judges have ruled. Until now, mobile workers who travel to get to or from their first or last appointment of the day were not required to count that time as work. However, the European Court of Justice judgement (ECJ) has ruled that those without a fixed office should consider the time they spend travelling between their homes and the premises of…
Businesses can more easily be brought to justice when people die as a result of their actions. Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, which came into force on the 6th April 2008, it is now easier to bring a company to justice following fatalities resulting from their undertakings. When a company is prosecuted it faces the prospect of being found guilty if they are judged to have caused death due to their gross corporate health and safety failings. Under previous legislation a company…
