2013 -
September
FIRST AID - 30.09.2013
“Off the peg” first aid training
The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 (as amended) come into force on 1 October. How is this going to affect first aid training?
SAFE USE OF MACHINERY - 30.09.2013
Test case - employer’s liability for poor ergonomics
Legislation governing the safe use of equipment is primarily aimed at preventing catastrophic injuries from machinery. But a recent case considered whether the regulations also covered ergonomics issues. What was the outcome?
LEGISLATION UPDATE - 30.09.2013
What new legislation will 1 October 2013 bring?
October and April see the most signifcant amendments to health and safety legislation. So what’s happening this time around and how might you be affected by the changes?
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION - 30.09.2013
Which mask?
If your staff are exposed to dusts, fumes and vapours, you’ll probably need to supply respiratory protection to control the risk. What types are available and how do you choose between them?
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS - 30.09.2013
HSE abandons unique management model
The HSE has departed from its favoured model for health and safety management, first published in 1991, and moved to an apparently simpler version. What’s the full story?
CONTRACTORS - 30.09.2013
Dealing with poor site safety performance
You’re having construction work carried out on your premises. During a recent review of the work site, you weren’t happy with the building contractor’s health and safety practices. What’s your next move?
FIRE SAFETY - 30.09.2013
A lesson in learning from your mistakes
A judge recently concluded that a £7 million bakery fire could have been prevented if the client and its suppliers had responded more effectively to an earlier incident. What happened?
PESTS AND RODENTS - 30.09.2013
New rules for pest control
A pest infestation can damage buildings, bring your business to a halt and cost thousands if left untreated. But new regulations are making it harder, and more expensive, to control everything from insects to rats. What’s happening?
ENERGY SAVING - 30.09.2013
As green as it says it is
Embellishing green claims about products remains an everyday occurrence, so how can you be certain that what manufacturers say about their products is true? Could a new directory published by the Carbon Trust help?
PAPER SAVING - 30.09.2013
Is it that hard to cut paper usage?
A new paper-efficiency scorecard has shown that even the environmental regulators find it difficult to manage paper use sustainably. What did they get wrong and how can you do better?
MICRO-GENERATION - 30.09.2013
Anaerobic digestion goes from strength to strength
The market for anaerobic digestion (AD) has almost doubled in the last year, and Defra has just issued a document outlining how the government plans to support schemes in the coming years. So is it time to think again about AD?
FLORA AND FAUNA - 30.09.2013
Knotweed not funny
Recent reports indicate that outbreaks of Japanese knotweed are causing major problems for home and business premises owners. What’s the story?
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY - 30.09.2013
How to avoid being prosecuted
Having your site visited by an inspector from the Environment Agency can be daunting. However, if you know what they’re trying to achieve and how to keep them happy, it can be more relaxed. What’s to know?
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS - 30.09.2013
Prove you’re environmentally sound with a new standard
Thanks to the introduction of a new standard, you can now have your efforts to grow in a sustainable and environmentally sound way independently audited and verified under the revised BS 8900. How does it work and is it worth doing?
APPRENTICESHIPS - 19.09.2013
Do you want to create an apprenticeship?
The government is going to great lengths to encourage employers to take on apprentices. If you’re interested in going down this route, what should be your first steps and where do you go from there?
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS - 19.09.2013
Dealing with a reluctant witness
Let’s suppose that an employee has complained about the conduct of another member of staff towards them. However, they are reluctant to face them at a disciplinary hearing. How should you deal with this situation?
TRIBUNALS - 19.09.2013
Legal challenge to tribunal fees
Within days of the new tribunal fees system going live, Unison challenged its legality in the courts. Why has it launched this legal action and will it successfully see off the pro-employer charging regime?
GROSS MISCONDUCT - 19.09.2013
Have you explained the risks of accessing porn?
Apparently, computers in the Houses of Parliament have been used to access pornographic websites 300,000 times in the past year - that’s 820 hits a day. How can you prevent your employees from doing something similar?
WORK AND PARENTS - 19.09.2013
How to prepare for a teachers’ strike
You’ve probably heard that teachers all over the country are threatening strike action. Assuming that they do shout “all out”, are you obliged to grant an employee who is a parent or a carer of a child any paid or unpaid time off?
EMPLOYMENT STATUS - 19.09.2013
Employee shareholder on promotion
It’s been suggested that employers could offer the new employee-shareholder contract to any existing employee who is promoted. Although this is perfectly possible, why is it a terrible idea?
SICKNESS ABSENCE - 19.09.2013
Sickness absence caused by disability-related illness
In a recent case, the employee alleged that her employer, HMRC, operated a discriminatory sickness absence procedure because it failed to take account of any time off caused by her disability. Was she right or wrong?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE CHAT - 18.09.2013
Chatting with audio and image
“Skyping” has become a household word when it comes to videochatting. However, if you want more options, such as videoconferences with multiple users simultaneously, there are other services besides Skype. Which are best?
SOFTWARE - APPS - 18.09.2013
Identification apps
There are plenty of useful apps that can make your smartphone even smarter - especially those that “recognise” things or help you to identify what you see or hear.
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS - 18.09.2013
“Refresh” your Windows 8 computer
Is your Windows 8 computer or laptop gradually becoming slower? Or do certain functions no longer work properly? You can “refresh” your Windows 8 installation without having to reinstall it. How?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE COMMUNITIES - 18.09.2013
How well does your Facebook Page score?
Do you have a separate Facebook page for your business, products or company event? Well, there are new statistics for such pages: they tell you how popular your page is with your customers.
E-MAIL - E-MAIL USE - 18.09.2013
E-mailing large files
Attachments can be up to 10MB large in classic e-mail applications and 25MB in webmail. In practice, however, this often proves too limited. How can you send very large attachments easily and free of charge?
TELEPHONY - SMARTPHONES - 18.09.2013
Smartphone cameras: smarter than you think
You may not be aware of this, but thanks to your smartphone you constantly have a camera to hand which lets you do more useful things than taking “ordinary” snapshots. Here are some examples.
LEISURE - TELEVISION - 18.09.2013
Watching TV with Google
Google TV, Google’s digital TV platform, has been available in Europe for a while now. What equipment do you need, what does Google TV have to offer and how useful is it in the UK?
PERSONAL WEBSITE - SITE DESIGN - 18.09.2013
Protection against spammers
Data forms on websites are often protected against “spambots” by means of “captcha” codes. However, there are some alternative methods around. Here are three examples.
HEALTH AND FITNESS - 18.09.2013
Useful sites with a female focus
Many female-focused sites tend to highlight fashion, relationships and advice on slimming. We decided to look at a few that” were more balanced and useful.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE OFFICE - 18.09.2013
Presentations “in the cloud”
There are various user-friendly presentation tools that can be used as an alternative to PowerPoint. We have reviewed a number of them in previously; here are three less well known cloud tools.
SECURITY - PRIVACY - 18.09.2013
Trackless surfing
Advertisers are constantly trying to track you when you surf the Internet, applying all kinds of methods. Most modern browsers can block tracking cookies, but anti-tracking tools offer a safer solution. How do they work?
DISMISSAL - 18.09.2013
Heat of the moment dismissals
A few weeks ago, the Chief Executive of AOL fired another director in “the heat of the moment”. Those parties have now settled their differences, but what would be the legal position if a similar thing happened in your company?
CARS - 18.09.2013
The HMRC APP that really saves you tax
If you or your employees drive on company business you might be able to make use of HMRC’s tax and NI-free approved passenger payments (APPs). What are they worth and when can you pay them?
TAX - 18.09.2013
The tax breaks for new employee shareholders
The long awaited employee-shareholder contracts became a reality on 1 September. Larger companies are expected to be the main users, but can smaller and family-owned companies also make use of the tax breaks?
DIRECTORS’ LIABILITY - 18.09.2013
Bribery Act: three directors charged
The Serious Fraud Office recently charged three directors under the Bribery Act 2010. Is this, the first prosecution of its kind, a sign of things to come?
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - 18.09.2013
Who owns those business cards?
Whilst carrying out their role, a director will collect a large bundle of business cards from potential contacts or clients. If that director then leaves, perhaps to go to a rival company, do they have the right to keep and use them?
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - 18.09.2013
Paying for legal advice by instalments
A fellow director has been approached by a law firm that’s offering legal advice to small companies for a “low cost fixed monthly fee”. Is this something you should seriously consider or dismiss altogether?
PENSIONS - 16.09.2013
How to pay for auto-enrolment tax efficiently
You and your employees might already be paying auto-enrolment (AE) pension contributions, but these are set to increase steadily over the next few years. How can you use the tax system to lower the cost?
CARS - 16.09.2013
Tax breaks for a classic set of wheels
One of our subscribers recently slashed her tax bill by opting for a more beautiful and lovingly restored classic company car instead of a more run of the mill modern equivalent. When and how can tax savings be made?
TAX RETURNS - 16.09.2013
The truth about HMRC’s amnesty
HMRC is offering a special deal to anyone with overdue tax returns, but only if contact is made by 15 October. What’s the full story?
PROPERTY - 16.09.2013
Loopholes for residential landlords
Earlier this year HMRC took steps to curtail tax deductions for some landlords who partly furnish their properties. But we’ve found a couple of alternative ways by which you can still legitimately receive tax relief. What are they?
CAPITAL ALLOWANCES - 16.09.2013
New deadline for capital allowances elections
A new deadline will soon apply to claims for tax deductions on fixtures included in a building when it’s sold. Miss it and as a seller you might receive less for your property or, as a buyer, lose out on tax allowances. What’s to know?
CAPITAL GAINS TAX - 16.09.2013
Are you losing out on your CGT losses?
Where you sell an asset at a loss, for example shares, you can claim an equal deduction from any capital gains you make, but only if you follow the correct procedure. What steps are needed to ensure you don’t miss out on loss relief?
INSURANCE - 13.09.2013
New guidance for employers clarifies insurance rules
When the government sought to ascertain why health and safety was perceived as a major burden by businesses, it found that many of the problems were linked to the insurance industry. How has the sector responded?
SAFE USE OF MACHINERY - 13.09.2013
Pillar drill precautions
Accidents involving pillar drills occur on a frequent basis. So if you have this type of equipment, what do you need to do to avoid accidents and keep out of trouble?
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH - 13.09.2013
Controlling dust from construction work
The HSE has recently issued revised guidance on the management of construction dusts. As this is a high priority enforcement activity, you can certainly anticipate that inspectors will refer to it. What does it say?
H&S MANAGEMENT - 13.09.2013
Off the hook for safety
According to the Forum of Private Business, from October “sweeping changes” to safety laws will significantly reduce the burden on employers. Is this really going to happen?
WORKPLACE TRANSPORT - 13.09.2013
Vehicle rolled on to tracks
A recent case considered whether UPS Ltd was liable for the derailment of a train which occurred when a visitor’s car rolled on to the line from its depot. What was the outcome and what is there to learn about liability for traffic routes?
WORK AT HEIGHT - 13.09.2013
Employee fell eleven metres from cherry picker
A council recently found itself in court in connection with an accident that an employee was lucky to survive. What happened and what’s to be learned if you use similar equipment?
HARASSMENT - 12.09.2013
Can you forget all about workplace harassment?
On 1 October 2013, the statutory provisions contained in the Equality Act 2010 relating to third party harassment will be repealed. Does this mean that you can forget all about workplace harassment after that date?
TERMINATION - 12.09.2013
Ex-employees: have you cut off all IT access?
In a recent criminal case, the employee involved had managed to swindle his ex-employer out of nearly £12,000. Although he got his comeuppance, this could have all been avoided. What should the employer have done?
ACAS - 12.09.2013
Acas’ new 24-hour helpline
Acas recently launched a brand new 24-hour advice service called Helpline Online. It claims to provide users with free, instant assistance on employment law issues. However, there’s just one problem...
POOR PERFORMANCE - 12.09.2013
Tackling a new employee who isn’t fitting in
You recently hired a new employee who impressed you at interview. However, although it’s still early days, he doesn’t seem to be gelling with his colleagues. Should you put this down to teething troubles or step in?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 12.09.2013
Do they have the right to see your HR advice?
Let’s suppose that following a dispute with a disgruntled employee you sought legal advice from an HR advisor. Does the employee have any right to see this or is it covered by “legal privilege”?
HOLIDAY PAY - 12.09.2013
Holiday pay and “average weekly earnings”
John Lewis recently shelled out £40 million in backdated holiday pay because, for six years, it has been basing these payments on “basic pay” rather than an employee’s “average weekly earnings”. Will you have to do the same?
VAT - 05.09.2013
How to collect VAT before you’re registered
If you’ve applied to register a new or existing business for VAT, but you’re waiting for your registration number, when should you charge VAT to your customers and what’s the procedure for collecting it?
PROPERTY - 05.09.2013
CGT-free property transfers
The Upper Tribunal has chipped into the argument on whether property rental counts as a business or an investment. Why might its decision be an important one for landlords looking to reduce their tax bills?
PROFIT EXTRACTION - 05.09.2013
Interim or final dividends - is HMRC bothered which?
HMRC makes a big issue in its instruction manuals about the difference between interim and final dividends. But in practice does it really matter and should you be taking steps to amend your procedures?
PENSIONS - 05.09.2013
Protecting your pension fund from 55% tax charges
From April 2014 the maximum amount of pension fund that can qualify for tax-free status will be reduced. But as with previous reductions you’ll have a chance to protect your existing fund. What steps are required for this?
EXPENSES - 05.09.2013
How to gain from tax-free travel expenses
Five years ago HMRC introduced flat rate tax-free allowances that employers could pay their staff when they travel on business. The rates haven’t increased since. Is there still room for you to gain from these?
BENEFITS - 05.09.2013
Why do motorcycles make a tax-efficient perk?
Company cars aren’t usually a suitable perk for junior staff, partly because they are costly in terms of tax. However, motorbikes can make a low cost benefit for your workers. How do the facts and figures stack up?
INVESTIGATIONS - 05.09.2013
Nationwide tax investigations
HMRC is cranking up the pressure on businesses by launching seven new investigation task forces. Who’s being targeted this time?
