2015 -
January
CONSTRUCTION - 30.01.2015
Assessing ground conditions for heavy plant
If the ground beneath a piece of plant fails, the machine may overturn or collapse. To help to avoid this, the Construction Plant-hire Association has issued guidance. Is it something you should use?
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION - 30.01.2015
EU ruling on obesity
A European Union court ruling has confirmed that obesity can, in severe cases, constitute a disability. Does this alter the responsibility you have towards overweight staff when it comes to their health and safety?
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH - 30.01.2015
Fit for Work scheme launched
If you’re looking for support on managing occupational health issues, a government initiative may provide just what you need. How does it work and should you consider using it?
CONSTRUCTION - 30.01.2015
Construction regulations changing
On 6 April 2015 the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) come into effect. What are the significant changes?
SAFE USE OF MACHINERY - 30.01.2015
HSE inspector prosecutes hospital for his burns
An NHS Trust has been prosecuted for an accident in which a patient was burned. Although the circumstances of the accident were specific to a healthcare setting, there are wider lessons to be learned. What are they?
LONE WORKERS - 30.01.2015
Lone worker found dead
It’s what every manager of lone workers dreads: that an employee will have a serious accident and no one notices. What happened in the case of a Barnet housing provider and how can you avoid finding yourself in a similar situation?
CONSULTATION - 30.01.2015
Must you involve safety representatives?
You have a member of staff who is demanding to be involved in all accident and incident investigations. He says that the law demands that he is allowed to do this. Does he have a case or can you keep him out of the loop?
WASTE - 30.01.2015
Waste separation issues
To help clarify the rules on waste separation the Environment Agency (EA) has produced new guidance material. What does it say?
ENERGY - 30.01.2015
Biomethane subsidies to be linked to output
The government has decided that from February 2015 subsidies for biomethane plants are to be linked to how much energy is being created. What are the implications?
GREENHOUSE GASES - 30.01.2015
Changes to F-gas regulations mean stricter controls
A government consultation document lays out how the UK will implement changes to the EU’s 2014 fluorinated gases legislation. How might you be affected and what steps should you take to comply with the law?
GREEN INITIATIVES - 30.01.2015
Setting targets for environmental improvements
Two organisations have announced contrasting results relating to environmental targets. Should you follow their lead and set goals? And if you do, is there anything that you need to be mindful of?
WiLDLIFE - 30.01.2015
You might own the land, but...
The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling against a multimillionaire for damaging an environmentally important woodland. It also upheld an order to pay fines and costs totalling just under £1 million. What were the circumstances of the case?
FLOODING - 30.01.2015
Oblivious to the risks
Research has identified that small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are more exposed to losses from flooding than larger firms. Might your business be one of them and, if so, what steps should you be taking to manage the risks?
WATER - 30.01.2015
Get the hose out
Your vehicles are returning to your yard covered in grime. You want to ask staff to clean them down using a pressure washer, but you’ve heard that in doing so, you could fall foul of pollution legislation. Are you right to be cautious?
DISABILITY - 30.01.2015
Obesity: is it now a disability?
According to official statistics, at least 25% of us are classed as “obese” or “severely obese”. However, the Court of Justice of the European Union has now considered whether obesity itself is a disability. What did it decide?
GRIEVANCES - 30.01.2015
Unhappy e-mail: is it a grievance?
An employee has sent you an e-mail in which they’ve listed a number of things they are “unhappy about” but it’s difficult to tell whether they are simply letting off steam or raising a formal grievance. What should you do?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 30.01.2015
Keeping politics out of the workplace
As some employees hold strong political views, with a general election looming on 7 May 2015, you don’t want them causing any problems in your workplace. So what’s the answer?
WORKING TIME - 30.01.2015
Trade union activities and working time
Employees who belong to a trade union, or who are trade union reps, may have to carry out certain activities on the union’s behalf, e.g. attend meetings. Where such activities take place, do they count towards working time or not?
EXPENSES - 30.01.2015
Financial year end: can we have your expenses?
Unfortunately, some employees take weeks to submit their expense claims. Not only is this irritating, it can wreak havoc when you’re trying to sort out your end of financial year paperwork. What’s the answer to this problem?
SOCIAL NETWORKING - 30.01.2015
The EAT’s thoughts on Twitter
In Game Retail Ltd v Laws 2014 the employee claimed that he was unfairly dismissed for posting offensive comments on Twitter. The Employment Appeal Tribunal has now heard the case. What can we learn from its ruling?
SICKNESS ABSENCE - 30.01.2015
Fit for Work advice service launched
Employers who need help dealing with health conditions and sickness absence are now able to access the advice section of the new Fit for Work service. What’s on offer?
RTI - 27.01.2015
The end of the P35 checklist
HMRC is to remove the requirement for employers to complete the end of year checklist when making their final RTI return. When does this take effect?
HMRC - 27.01.2015
HMRC to pilot agent online self serve
In the spring of 2015 HMRC will be piloting its new online service for tax agents. It will initially allow you to view a client’s PAYE liabilities and payments online. As this would be very useful, are you eligible to volunteer for the pilot?
INHERITANCE TAX - 27.01.2015
How to beat the gift with reservation of benefit rules
A client would like to gift the family home to their children to try to avoid IHT. The only problem is that the client still wants to use it which will render the gift ineffective for IHT. Is there any way around the rules?
SELF-ASSESSMENT - 27.01.2015
Non-doms and the remittance basis charge
The remittance basis charge is paid by UK resident non-doms to exclude their foreign income and capital gains from UK tax until they actually remit them to the UK. What issues do you need to consider when advising clients on this?
BENEFITS IN KIND - 27.01.2015
Trivial benefits - new exemption announced
As announced in the 2014 Autumn Statement, a new statutory exemption for trivial benefits in kind will take effect from 6 April 2015. Are you ready to advise your clients on how to take advantage of this?
PENALTIES - 21.01.2015
Avoiding late payment penalties
These days HMRC is taking a tougher line where self-assessment payments are paid late. What penalties can you expect if you don’t pay on time and is there a way to avoid them if you can’t afford to pay?
BENEFITS IN KIND - 21.01.2015
A tax-saving tip for company loans
The personal tax cost of borrowing from your company is currently quite low. However, when the time comes to repay the loan there’s a neat trick you can use to reduce it further. What is it and how does it work?
PROPERTY - 21.01.2015
Tax planning for residential landlords
A buy-to-let business can’t usually reclaim VAT on its expenses. Transferring it to your company could allow it to do so. It might also offer an opportunity for a tax-free lump sum. How can you take advantage?
BENEFITS AND EXPENSES - 21.01.2015
Benefits and expenses tax reform
Radical changes to the benefits and expenses rules have been announced. What are they and when will they come into effect?
INHERITANCE TAX - 21.01.2015
Avoiding an IHT trap with gifts and trusts
When using trusts to pass wealth to your family, you need to know about a special rule that can trigger extra inheritance tax (IHT) where you also make direct gifts. What is it and when can it apply?
CORPORATION TAX - 21.01.2015
Another tax clampdown on goodwill
Since 2002 companies have been allowed to claim a tax deduction for the cost of goodwill. However, the Autumn Statement announced a restriction. When and how will this take effect?
PROFIT EXTRACTION - 21.01.2015
Sharing your shares
A tribunal was asked to rule on whether some of the shares apparently owned by a director were actually his wife’s. What did the tribunal rule and what useful tax planning tips can shareholders take from it?
DIRECTORS’ DUTIES - 20.01.2015
Ensuring confidential information is returned
A director who is leaving has some confidential information about the company in his possession. However, he is refusing to return it because there’s “nothing in the service agreement”. What’s the legal position?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 20.01.2015
Employee rights curbed!
New regulations have been introduced that will make it much harder for your employees to issue certain tribunal claims, such as for unpaid wages and holiday pay. What do you need to know?
EMPLOYMENT STATUS - 20.01.2015
Your workers’ status under HMRC’s microscope
During a records check tax inspectors usually ask about contracted workers, e.g. self-employed drivers, consultants, etc. trying to argue that they’re actually employees. What precautions should you take to protect your company?
CONTRACTS - 20.01.2015
Acting in a “commercially reasonable manner”
You’ve spotted a clause in a proposed contract which says that both parties “must act in a commercially reasonable manner at all times”. Does this mean you’ll be prevented from putting your own business interests first?
COMPANY LAW - 20.01.2015
Recovering debts from a defunct company
You’ve just discovered that a company that owed yours money has been dissolved and the directors have done a runner. Is there any chance of getting paid and, if so, what steps are involved?
FINANCE - 20.01.2015
Avoiding problems with mortgage applications
Apparently, due to stricter lending rules, many directors are having mortgage applications rejected. So if you’re looking to move home or remortgage in the near future, what can you do to improve your chances of a “yes”?
TAX RETURNS - 20.01.2015
Time is running out to submit your tax return
A colleague has told you that because you were appointed a director in 2013/14 you must submit a tax return to HMRC. You didn’t realise that and now you only have days before the deadline. What can you do to avoid a penalty?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE CALENDARS - 19.01.2015
A knot in your virtual handkerchief
Do you tend to forget appointments with customers, or your colleagues’ birthdays? No problem: there are dozens of tools which can send you a reminder. Here are the possibilities.
HEALTH - 19.01.2015
Online tips to staying healthy
With the NHS under pressure and with visits to GPs becoming more and more difficult, we look at websites that can give you advice on staying healthy.
SOFTWARE - COMPUTER MANAGEMENT - 19.01.2015
Organise your files
Is your hard disk full of quotes, invoices, delivery notes and other documents? How can you keep track of everything, and how do you make sure that a file you delete is really gone? We tested two tools which purport to help you.
TELEPHONY - ANDROID - 19.01.2015
A new start screen for your Android?
The “launcher” contains the Android start screen and the list of apps. Each new version of Android enhances this operating system, but alternative launchers remain popular. What exactly do they offer, and which one should you choose?
SOFTWARE - VIDEO - 19.01.2015
Screencast: make your own instruction videos
Screencasts - video recordings of everything that’s happening on your computer screen - let you create practical instruction videos for your customers and colleagues. Is Icecream Screen Recorder useful?
WEB SERVICES - MISCELLANEOUS - 19.01.2015
Which premium cloud service?
More and more chargeable web and cloud services, e.g. Spotify or Office 365, are available. Which premium services are worth the price, for yourself or as a present for family or friends?
SECURITY - ANTI-MALWARE - 19.01.2015
Which virus scanner for your computer?
We all know that a good virus scanner is an essential tool for your computer. Which virus scanner should you choose for best protecting your computer? Independent tests on the Internet can help.
E-MAIL - E-MAIL USE - 19.01.2015
Less e-mail, more time
Do you lose time wading through too much e-mail? You can have more control over your e-mail traffic than you might think. How can you reduce the volume of your e-mail traffic with colleagues, customers and suppliers?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE STORAGE - 19.01.2015
Extra tools for your Dropbox
Dropbox is a useful service for making backups of your files in the cloud and for synchronising all your data on multiple devices. Here are some new tools which further expand the possibilities of Dropbox.
INTERNET CONNECTION - MOBILE INTERNET - 19.01.2015
Your smartphone or tablet as a wireless hotspot
When no Wi-Fi connection is available for your laptop, you can use the 3G or 4G connection of your smartphone or tablet to surf the Internet. How exactly do you do this?
SOFTWARE - NETWORK - 19.01.2015
Free network tools
If you have several computers at home or at work, they will probably be integrated in a local network. Here are some free tools that let you monitor and manage your network and its traffic.
H&S MANAGEMENT - 15.01.2015
What about the self-employed?
The House of Lords has voted to deregulate some areas of health and safety. What does this mean and will you be affected?
RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST - 15.01.2015
Save your breath
If your staff are exposed to dusts or fumes, buying respiratory protection may well be part of the solution. But it’s important to choose the right products and make sure they’re used effectively. Our new checklist will help.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS - 15.01.2015
Which fire extinguishers for your office kitchen?
You’ve provided a small kitchen for staff to make themselves hot food and drinks. Given its limited use, is a fire blanket or fire extinguisher necessary for this area? What are the rules?
WORK EQUIPMENT - 15.01.2015
Work equipment guide revamped
The HSE’s Approved Code of Practice on equipment safety has been revised and updated. What’s changed and are there any practical implications for employers?
FOOD SAFETY - 15.01.2015
Food allergen legislation
Since December 2014, when you prepare and serve food products, it’s necessary to provide allergy information on food which is sold unpackaged. How should you do this and what paper trail are you expected to keep?
SAFE USE OF MACHINERY - 15.01.2015
£300,000 fine for fatal reversing accident
In December 2014 Thames Water was heavily fined after an accident in which an employee was killed by an excavator. What lessons does the case highlight for those operating mobile plant?
WORKPLACE - 15.01.2015
Are you a responsible lift owner?
If there is a passenger lift on your premises it’s very likely that you will have a contract in place for servicing and repair. But there are some routine checks you need to carry out yourself. What are they?
FLEXIBLE WORKING - 13.01.2015
Accepting and rejecting flexible working trials
When an employee makes a flexible working request, you can insist on a trial period. As this nears an end, you’ll then need to decide whether to make it permanent or not. What’s the best way to communicate your decision?
DISMISSAL - 13.01.2015
Can you dismiss an alcoholic?
Apparently, 57% of employees regularly drink excessive amounts of alcohol. What if you discover that one of your own members of staff has a serious drink problem. Would this be sufficient grounds to dismiss them?
STATUTORY RATES - 13.01.2015
New statutory rates for 2015/16
The Department for Work and Pensions has published the proposed statutory payment rate increases for the 2015/16 tax year. So what’s on the cards?
PARENTAL LEAVE - 13.01.2015
Parental leave changes on 5 April 2015
As to be expected, many employers are focused on the new statutory right to shared parental leave. However, on 5 April 2015 there will be an important change to ordinary parental leave rights too. What’s happening here?
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS - 13.01.2015
When can formal disciplinary proceedings start?
You want to commence formal disciplinary proceedings against an employee who is alleged to have committed an act of misconduct. According to the Court of Appeal, when can those proceedings start?
HOLIDAYS - 13.01.2015
Carrying over holiday for honeymoons
One of your employees has asked whether they can carry some of their annual leave entitlement over into your next holiday year because they are getting married and want a long honeymoon. Are you obliged to say yes?
DISCRIMINATION - 13.01.2015
Assistance dogs in the workplace
A job applicant has informed you that due to an ongoing medical condition they have an assistance dog. You aren’t too keen on having an animal in your workplace so can you use this as grounds to reject them?
