2007 - January
The Taxman has been looking into your tax affairs in some detail. He’s now suggested a meeting. Do you have to attend and if not, how can you help bring things to a swift conclusion?
As part of your service you deliver goods etc. to your customers. But delivery problems occur all the time, e.g. there’s no one to sign or the goods won’t fit through the door. How can you pass the liability on to the customer?
Foreign workers - full of trouble?
More than 420,000 people have arrived from Eastern Europe in the past two years. They might solve your staffing problems, but what about the risks?
That’s not what we agreed…is it?
It’s your job to negotiate new contracts on behalf of the company. In an ideal world you wouldn’t start work until the ink’s dry on the contract. But from a commercial perspective is it safe to rely on e.g., letters of intent?
We’re now well into the bad weather season again and the Environment Agency is warning of further devastating flooding. With 185,000 businesses at risk this winter what steps can you take to ensure your company stays trading?
Statistics show that company insolvencies and personal bankruptcies are on the rise. As a director, you know full well how damaging unpaid invoices can be. But should you always go chasing every debt?
Passing on the family business
You’re getting near to retirement and considering passing the business onto your son and daughter. What’s the most tax-effective way to do so? Is there anything you should be doing now?
Don’t forget members of the public
If there’s a possibility of someone being injured because you failed to prevent access to your work area, then you may find yourself in trouble if an accident occurs. What precautions do you need to take?
Employers’ Liability insurance isn’t optional - it’s a legal requirement. What can you expect from an inspector if you don’t have it?
One of the findings of the investigation into the Buncefield explosion was the problem with communication at shift handover. How might similar issues affect your business and how can you avoid them?
Liquid spillages and wet floors are a much overlooked workplace menace. Use our spill assessment and response document to help you through the steps to understanding, controlling and preparing for the unexpected.
A new member of staff has informed you that he’s finding some of the controls on your machines confusing. He says that this lack of knowledge nearly led to an accident. What do you need to do to resolve the problem?
A common problem is getting your staff to wear their PPE without being repeatedly told to do so. What approach can you use to get your staff to wear and look after their PPE?
Your IT man has informed you that he intends to purchase laptops instead of desktop PCs in future. He says that it will allow your staff to work flexibly for minimal extra cost. But are there safety issues as a result of his decision?
Competitors for CNN and BBC World?
CNN and BBC World remain the most popular sources of worldwide news. But there are some ambitious newcomers: meet France 24, Al Jazeera English and Euronews, and discover the phenomenon of “citizen journalism”.
For the past few weeks, any user of Yahoo! Mail has been able to try out the revamped Web interface. Is it worthwhile switching over?
Make your site compatible with all browsers
Your website is OK in IE, but then a customer mails that he can’t open a page in Opera, Firefox or Safari… What’s the reason and how can you prevent this?
To search the Web even more efficiently, it can be useful to install extra tools which work seamlessly together with the major search sites. Here are a few good examples.
Adding an automatic “signature” at the bottom of your mails can be convenient. Such a signature can even include your company logo or a “handwritten” signature. How does it work in Outlook (Express)?
Making better use of the clipboard
The “clipboard” is the place where Windows temporarily stores text, images, etc. It’s convenient, but the capacity is limited to just one chunk of text or one single image. Here are some useful tools that can do a better job than this.
PDF documents are indispensable. Now there’s a brand new version of the free software required to read your PDF files: Acrobat Reader. What’s new?
Government grants, “business angels”, even your local authority - try them all if you’re thinking of starting your own business. We look at sites that can help you find funding to get your ideas off the ground.
A respected guidebook says UK hotel Wi-Fi rates are a rip-off. Are they that bad and how do you get the best deal for accessing the Net while you’re on the move?
Many people have forgotten how enjoyable it is to read a book. One way to get back into the habit is to try a digital version. They’re also useful if you need to search for - or copy - text. Where can you find e-books?
Reasonable adjustments - what’s the latest?
You know that when an employee presents you with a qualifying disability, you’re obliged to make reasonable adjustments to how and where they work. Now it seems procedure or policy changes may be needed too. What’s the latest?
A vacancy has arisen and it’s your policy to advertise internally first. You normally do this by e-mail. However, what about an employee on maternity leave? Does she have to be informed and what happens if she applies?
You’re supposed to supply witness statements to an employee charged with a disciplinary offence. But what if the witness is scared of reprisals? Can you fairly dismiss an employee when they’ve not seen the evidence against them?
Is Secret Santa sexually discriminatory?
A subscriber contacted us with a thorny issue. In their workplace (as in many up and down the country) they operate a “Secret Santa” at Christmas. One employee found his gift offensive. Could the employer be liable?
Withholding discretionary bonuses
An employee recently challenged his employer’s decision to withhold his bonus payment by using the Unfair Contract Terms Act. Was he successful?
Temps and continuity of employment
One advantage of using temps is that you can try them out before offering them permanent employment. However, is there a risk that this period of temping could count towards continuity of service?
One of your employees seems to have disappeared and has been absent from work for several days. How do you deal with the situation and, more importantly, when is it safe to stop paying them?
January 31, 2007 is the deadline for submitting your 2005/6 tax return. This is also the Taxman’s last chance to look into your tax affairs for 2004/5. Can he also ask you questions about other years?
Planning to buy new equipment?
You can purchase plant or machinery and claim 50% Capital Allowances in the first year of ownership. However, you have to get the date of the expenditure right. What do you need to remember?
For this VAT period you have expenses shown on your company credit card statement but no VAT invoices to back them up. If you don’t include them in the return you might be missing out on Input VAT. So what should you do?
To encourage a candidate to join your company can you offer them a cash lump sum as a form of golden hello and still get a tax deduction for it? What’s the Taxman’s current view on this practice?
You already have a tax-free loan from your company of £5,000. If you take out another £1,000 as an advance to meet business expenses will this cause a problem with the Taxman? If so, what should you do?
The Taxman may challenge dividends not properly declared and paid in accordance with company law formalities. However, there is a way to sidestep most of his arguments. So what do you need to do?
Yet another Pre-Budget Report has come and gone. By this time last year we had some retrospective measures to deal with. Anything this time around?
Marital breakdown - who gets what?
You’ve read about the recent high profile divorce cases in which it appeared that the wife cleaned up at the husband’s expense. Have things really changed for successful people like you, and if so, how can you protect your assets?
If you receive more of the profits without the other directors reducing their share of the company (because you do more work than they do), how can you prepare for any attack by the Taxman?
It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it
A recent survey showed that 67% of UK companies aren’t compliant with money laundering regulations, leaving their directors open to legal action and possible jail sentences. What’s to know?
It’s claimed that at any one time 10% of all companies are in default regarding late filing penalties. If you’re faced with such a situation, how can you prove your annual return, accounts etc. were delivered by the deadline?
The Companies Act 2006 has been hailed as the biggest shake-up of business law in over 20 years. Are you ready for the first of the changes?
The Data Protection Act came into force some years ago, but many companies have yet to notify. The Information Commissioner’s Office is getting tough. So what do you need to do to avoid a fine?
You know that being an employer is a challenge at the best of times - you have to know the rules and regulations inside out. But before you even hire staff there are plenty of traps for the unwary. How can you avoid them?
Converting files and large attachments
Zamzar is an online service for converting files into different formats, and Pando helps you when you have to e-mail large files. How useful are these online services?
Perhaps the creative artist inside you wants to draw or paint on your computer? Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Corel Painter are powerful - but expensive - tools. Are there any reasonable alternatives?
To prevent spam, it’s best to use a “disposable address” when registering on websites asking you to provide a valid e-mail address, or when signing up for newsletters. Where do you get free disposable addresses?
Looking for a new job this year? The Internet job market is booming, we find the best sites around.
Windows Media Player and iTunes are beyond doubt the most popular programs for playing and managing music on computers. Here are some useful plug-ins to make these two players even better.
Tabbed browsing is no longer the privilege of Firefox users, it is now possible in Internet Explorer 7 as well. How do you use tabs efficiently in both browsers? Here are some practical tips.
Efficient updates with Microsoft Update
It is becoming increasingly important to keep your system up-to-date. This has been possible via Windows Update for quite a while. But there’s an Office Update as well, and now even a Microsoft Update. What are the differences?
If you’re looking for a job (see our advice on the front page) and need some extra training, or want to improve your promotion prospects, then finding the right course is vital. We look at the best places for training courses and advice.
VOIPing without software or hardware
A new service, JAJAH, enables you to make telephone calls via the Internet free of charge or at a very low cost, and you don’t even need to install extra software or hardware. How does it work?
Windows Defender: how good is it?
After two years of beta testing, the definitive version of Windows Defender has arrived. How does this free anti-spyware software compare with established values such as Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy?
Dealing with inappropriate use
Some employees have complained about the distraction caused by personal mobile phones used during working hours. As a result, you’ve decided to introduce a mobile phone policy. What are the key areas that it should cover?
Temp to perm - a fees headache
You’ve been using an agency temp and would now like to appoint her as a permanent member of staff. You’ve heard about the dreaded temp-to-perm fees. What do the regulations say on the matter?
An important and valued client is refusing to have one of your workers back on their site. How should you deal with the situation? Can you just dismiss him because there’s no longer a job?
What must a “step 1 letter” contain?
The statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedure (DDP) applies where you are contemplating dismissing an employee, for example for misconduct. To comply with the DDP, what details does the step 1 letter need to contain?
You want to amend your contracts by introducing new restrictive covenants. What if your staff don’t agree? Would any subsequent dismissal be fair even if the covenants were unenforceable?
Make sure your policy covers all the bases
With the recent expansion in discrimination legislation, it’s important that your equal opportunities policy reflects the changes. How should you structure your policy for it to be fully inclusive?
From April 2007, those with caring responsibilities will have the legal right to ask to work flexibly. So just how extensive is the definition of “carer”?
A colleague has suggested a good way of improving safety performance is to post your accident statistics on a notice board. You’re not convinced about the idea, as it seems a bit pointless. Is there any reason to do it?
There appears to be an ever-increasing demand for technology on the move. Be it satellite navigation, MP3 players or a BlackBerry, a car wouldn’t be the same without them. But is this actually a safety issue?
You’ve decided to undertake some health and safety training yourself as opposed to employing external help. What basic ground rules will get your message across without wasting time and ensuring what you do is effective?
It’s an annual problem - how far do you go with gritting or snow clearance and what are the liability issues following an accident?
The smoking ban will be implemented across the UK in 2007. In preparation, the government have already released the draft bill. What does it include and when and how should you prepare for the ban?
The HSE have recently prosecuted a photo processing company after three of its staff suffered allergic contact dermatitis. How did it happen and how can you avoid similar action being taken?
You want to carry out some manual handling training, but in your experience most courses involve carrying empty boxes and don’t relate to your operations. Is this OK, and if not, what should your training cover?
The F-Gas Regulations came in to force in the middle of 2006. But what is an F-Gas, where would you find one and why are these Regulations a potential issue for your business?
You’ve submitted a planning application to your local authority for a building project. In response, they’ve asked for an Environmental Impact Assessment before they’ll issue planning permission. Is this normal and what’s involved?
OK, so you know bonfire night has passed, but rubbish keeps accumulating and you want to get rid of it. A bonfire would be the answer but you’ve been told that it’s illegal to have one other than on November 5. But is this really the case?
You’re sure your building is losing heat as a result of poor insulation. You’ve heard about a new spray foam system which you think will do the trick. What does it involve and could it be a worthwhile investment?
You seem to have odd bits of wood lying around your site that more often than not end up in the general waste skip. It’s clear that this isn’t ideal, but you’re not sure what else you can do. What are your options?
A fencing company have recently been prosecuted for failing to meet its obligations under packaging laws. What offence had they committed and how can you avoid a similar experience?
In the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report he announced an increase in Landfill Tax. But is there any way you can get some of this tax back?