2015 -
November
GREEN PRODUCTS - 30.11.2015
It’s all a bit plastic
Plastic companies and distributors are being urged to make more accurate use of a particular standard on biodegradability following a growing number of misleading marketing claims. What’s to know?
WASTE - 30.11.2015
Waste director pays the price
As a case heard in October 2015 shows, if you ignore the conditions of an environmental permit, you’re not only at risk of being fined. Why did a scrap business end up in court and what were the penalties?
TECHNOLOGY - 30.11.2015
Small steps to big data
Big data is reportedly the solution to everything these days - including reduced environmental impacts. But how can you use data to your advantage without getting too technical?
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - POLICY - 30.11.2015
ISO 14001:2015 policy statement
In September 2015 the BS EN ISO 14001 standard was revised. To help you comply with the new requirements, use our new sample environmental policy statement. What’s covered?
GREEN PRODUCTS - 30.11.2015
Can you trust a green rating?
Since the Volkswagen scandal broke, the green credentials of many products have come into question. What’s happening?
SUSTAINABILITY - 30.11.2015
Avoid the timber roll of shame
Environmental organisation World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has named and shamed firms that are not being transparent when it comes to sourcing timber products. Is there anything in this?
CARBON REDUCTION - 30.11.2015
Scrapping the carbon commitment
The government has launched a consultation on the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme and any future business regulation of energy use. What does it say and what might happen next?
E-MAIL - E-MAIL SOFTWARE - 30.11.2015
E-mail tools: miscellaneous
Most e-mail clients have lots of functions but they can be complemented with separate e-mail tools adding extra features. Here are some e-mail tools which aren’t strictly necessary but which can come in handy.
WEB SERVICES - MISCELLANEOUS - 30.11.2015
Make your own business cards
Business cards play an important role in developing your professional network. There are lots of web services which can help you design cards online and subsequently print them yourself or have them delivered.
BUSINESS - WEB SERVICES - 30.11.2015
Time tracking made easy
Do you calculate invoices on an hourly basis or do you operate an hourly rate? If so it will be necessary to keep track of everything you do. An online tool such as Toggl makes this task a lot easier than, e.g., Excel. How does it work?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE STORAGE - 30.11.2015
Less OneDrive storage space?
OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, is being downgraded. Some changes have already been introduced, others are due in 2016. Should you start looking for an alternative?
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS - 30.11.2015
Clean up Windows
If Windows has been running on your computer for a long time, it will pay to remove old software and superfluous files a couple of times a year. How do you do this in Windows 7, 8 or 10?
COMPUTER - PRINTING - 30.11.2015
Mobile printing
Many users still turn to their desktop computer or laptop as soon as they need to print something. Did you know that you can also send print jobs directly from your smartphone or tablet?
WEB SERVICES - SMARTPHONE - 30.11.2015
Tell your friends where you are
Thanks to its integrated GPS your smartphone can tell where you are at any time. This feature may also be convenient to let family and friends know where you are. How does it work?
LEISURE - PHOTOGRAPHY - 30.11.2015
Send your smartphone photos to the cloud
People are taking more digital photos than ever, mostly thanks to their handy smartphone cameras. But what are the best services for storing these countless photos online?
PERSONAL WEBSITE - WEBSITE PROMOTION - 30.11.2015
Have a website that works!
A supermarket where you only see people pushing an empty trolley isn’t likely to survive for long. The same applies to your website: having visitors is not enough. How can you make them take action?
SOFTWARE - COMPUTER MANAGEMENT - 30.11.2015
Show it on your screen
Would you like to show something, e.g. a design, to someone on your computer screen? When you’re not in the same room, this isn’t possible. Fortunately, there are tools which allow you to share your desktop with others.
BUSINESS - CONSUMER - 30.11.2015
Lower cost flights
A recent relaunch of two sites in the airline business got us thinking about that area. We look at what’s new and how comparison sites are performing.
DEALING WITH HMRC - 27.11.2015
HMRC error? Claim interest
You might be surprised to learn that when HMRC makes an error and your business suffers as a result, it is possible to claim interest. But how do you go about making a claim?
INPUT VAT - FEES - 27.11.2015
Claiming VAT on acquisition deal fees
The VAT on professional fees incurred on corporate acquisitions can be substantial. How can you maximise your VAT recovery by having the correct structures in place?
VAT GROUPS - 27.11.2015
Form a VAT group making no taxable supplies?
You probably know that a group of businesses can make intercompany taxable supplies. But could they form a VAT group if the only supplies outside the group were exempt from VAT?
HMRC POWERS - 27.11.2015
HMRC powers under scrutiny
HMRC is undertaking a review of its powers and an assessment of how the penalty system is working. Should you be bothered by this development?
WORKING AT HEIGHT - 20.11.2015
A DIY solution for fixed access
Staff and contractors need to routinely access areas at a height of two metres from the ground. You’ve had the idea of using an old portable ladder and fixing it to the equipment. Does it comply?
ENFORCEMENT - 20.11.2015
Clear guidance on sentencing
New guidelines identify appropriate penalties for those found guilty of health and safety offences. What impact are these likely to have?
EMPLOYEES’ DUTIES - 20.11.2015
Employees have a duty of care too
In October 2015 a care worker was prosecuted alongside her employer for the scalding of a resident in her care. What caused the accident and why did the HSE take the unusual step of charging a junior employee?
CONSTRUCTION - 20.11.2015
Apprentice was killed when “bombing”
A company has been prosecuted in connection with the death of a 16-year-old apprentice who fell from a scaffold whilst throwing waste into a skip. What were the consequences for the firm and where did it go wrong?
ELECTRICITY - 20.11.2015
New electrical guidance from the HSE
In October 2015 the HSE published a revised version of its electrical guidance. Who is the document aimed at and are there any major changes you must take into account?
CONTRACTORS - 20.11.2015
Accreditation isn’t given away
Contractors are likely to find it tougher than ever to pass a Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) accreditation process. Why has it become more difficult and is this necessarily a bad thing?
CONSTRUCTION - 20.11.2015
How to appoint a principal designer
Your company is planning an extension for which you have obtained outline planning permission. One of your jobs is to appoint a principal designer (PD) but your architect doesn’t want the role. What do you do?
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION - 19.11.2015
£115,000 for employee with cancer
The tribunal has ordered that an employer must pay an employee who was suffering from throat cancer over £115,000 in compensation. What did the employer do wrong?
SICKNESS ABSENCE - 19.11.2015
Off sick but OK on social media
You’ve been advised that an employee who’s currently off sick has posted some photos on a social media account. They suggest that, rather than being poorly, this individual is actually quite well. What should your next move be?
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS - 19.11.2015
The same sanction for all involved?
Let’s suppose that two of your employees were involved in a misconduct incident, e.g. a fight, and you’ve commenced disciplinary proceedings. Must you impose the same disciplinary sanction on both individuals?
PAY - 19.11.2015
When one employee asks for a pay rise
An employee has approached you for a pay rise and brought up some valid points. Therefore, you’re happy to agree a modest increase. But is it OK to give one employee a rise and overlook the others, or is that unlawful?
CONTRACTS - 19.11.2015
When issuing a company credit card...
As one of your employees regularly incurs business-related expenses, you’re going to issue them with their own company credit card. To protect your position, what rules should be placed on its use?
RECRUITMENT - 19.11.2015
The “name blind” recruitment drive
The government says it’s backing name blind recruitment as too many job applicants are rejected on their names alone. So will you soon have to hire from a pool of anonymous candidates?
PENSIONS - 16.11.2015
Family companies and auto-enrolment
You might be the only director of your company or perhaps your spouse and other family members help control it. Whatever the situation you need to consider if auto-enrolment applies. What’s the position for your family company?
INHERITANCE TAX - 16.11.2015
No cash to pay the IHT bill - no problem!
In these days of high property prices, if you’re administering an estate you can easily find yourself not having enough cash available to pay the inheritance tax (IHT) bill and not be able to obtain probate. How can you get around this?
CAPITAL ALLOWANCES - 16.11.2015
Optimising the allocation of capital expenditure
Where, after December 2015, you purchase plant or equipment, a restricted annual investment allowance (AIA) might apply. So how should you allocate it to obtain tax relief in the shortest possible time?
LOANS - 16.11.2015
Write off a director’s loan
Your company has paid so-called s.455 tax because a director shareholder owes it money. The director can’t afford and isn’t expected to repay the loan. He’s now resigned. Can your company obtain a s.455 tax refund?
HMRC - 16.11.2015
Business records checks to go
HMRC has decided to scrap its controversial business records checks. What implications might this have for your business?
VAT - 16.11.2015
Taking advantage of the general margin scheme
As a general rule, registered businesses can reclaim the VAT paid on purchases and must charge it on the price of items they sell. However, different rules can apply if the items were second hand. What’s the position?
SOFTWARE - VIDEO - 16.11.2015
Make the most of VLC
The “open source” media player VLC is a very versatile tool to play films and other videos. By installing a couple of add-ons you can extend its possibilities even further.
COMPUTER - HARDWARE - 16.11.2015
A new laptop or a hybrid?
A wide range of new or renewed laptop hybrids were launched recently by Microsoft, Dell and Apple amongst others. What are the improvements and how useful are these devices?
SOFTWARE - ANDROID - 16.11.2015
The latest Android flavour: Marshmallow
Android version 6.0 (aka Marshmallow) was released at the end of September. What’s new in this version of Android, and what are the differences with the new iOS 9?
SOFTWARE - BROWSER - 16.11.2015
Plug all the leaks in your browser
Your browser is probably your most frequently used program, as well as your gateway to the Internet. As a result, it is also the channel through which most attacks can enter. How do you best protect it?
HOLIDAY - BREAKS - 16.11.2015
Time to plan a winter holiday
Whether you want to head to the slopes, find some sun or do something completely different, there’s a website somewhere that can help. Let’s look.
SECURITY - ONLINE STORAGE - 16.11.2015
Your own private cloud
Storage in the cloud via services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive, is very convenient. Did you know that can you also create your own “private cloud”, for example because you would like to protect your privacy?
E-MAIL - E-MAIL SOFTWARE - 16.11.2015
Mail Pilot, version 2
Mail Pilot, a popular e-mail app for iPhone, iPad and Mac, was completely revamped recently. What has changed and is this new version 2 really worth installing?
WEB SERVICES - TASK MANAGEMENT - 16.11.2015
Task management via your smartphone
There are lots of Web tools which let you follow up your projects from within your Internet browser. Some of them also offer a mobile app so that you can keep posted when on the road.
WEB SERVICES - VIDEO - 16.11.2015
Tips for your YouTube channel
You already know the advantages of having a YouTube channel for your business. It’s completely free and can dramatically boost your brand familiarity and sales. Especially if you apply the following tips…
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE COLLABORATION - 16.11.2015
Slack: communicate more efficiently with your team
Are you part of a large team or do you often collaborate with your fellow workers? The new communication platform Slack helps you to do this fast, efficiently and in real time.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE OFFICE - 16.11.2015
iWork revamped
After a very long trial period, Apple’s iWork for iCloud has finally come out of the beta phase. What does this online office suite have to offer and what are its new features?
COST CUTTING - 16.11.2015
Is outsourcing the right option?
Whilst outsourcing a particular business function may look like a good option, the risks can easily outweigh the benefits if you’re not careful. How can you be sure it’s the right way to solve a problem?
COMPANY LAW - 16.11.2015
Paying off a departing director shareholder
One of your fellow director shareholders wants to leave the company and sell their shares. The trouble is that on their own neither the other shareholders nor the company has the cash to buy them out. What are your options?
VAT - 16.11.2015
Reclaiming VAT on staff expenses
Where a director or member of staff puts in an expenses claim, it might include purchases on which VAT was paid. When can this be reclaimed and what paperwork is required?
DISCRIMINATION - 16.11.2015
Employee’s rude gestures cost £7,500
A small company has been ordered to pay a former customer £7,500 after one of its employees made a series of rude gestures towards him. Why did the employee’s behaviour land the company in hot water?
INVESTMENTS - 16.11.2015
Investment advice: any ongoing duty of care?
Having taken advice from a financial advisor you’ve decided to invest in a particular product. Do they have an ongoing duty to check whether your chosen investment product remains suitable for your needs?
PENSIONS - 16.11.2015
A tax break that lowers the cost of auto-enrolment
When auto-enrolment is in full swing it will add up to 3% to your staff wages bill in pension payments. The good news is that you can use a tried and tested tax break to reduce the cost. How does it work?
FINANCE - 16.11.2015
Invoice financing ban removed
New rules will prevent one business from blocking another using its invoices as collateral to raise finance. When and how might this affect your company?
CONSTRUCTION - 13.11.2015
Lack of support led to wall collapse
A company, its managing director and a project manager have all pleaded guilty to health and safety charges in relation to a fatal accident. Why did it occur and how could it have been avoided?
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH - 13.11.2015
HSE statistics for 2014/15
The HSE has calculated that in 2014/15 more than a million people were made ill by their work and the cost to the UK economy in 2013/14 was £14.3 billion. What can be learned from these figures?
WORKPLACE - 13.11.2015
Basic requirements overlooked
Most of the safety requirements relating to warehouses and stores are fairly straightforward. As a September 2015 case shows, when the solutions are obvious excuses won’t wash. What happened?
CONSTRUCTION - 13.11.2015
Fake construction qualifications
A BBC investigation has discovered that the integrity of some construction health and safety qualifications has been undermined. What’s the full story?
HEATING - 13.11.2015
Safety rules for oil-fired boilers
As your boiler is oil fired you can avoid the strict safety regime which applies to gas appliances. But do you have a free rein on the maintenance and management of your boiler or are there rules to follow?
FIRE SAFETY - 13.11.2015
How to prevent false fire alarms
False fire alarms can be extremely costly. Not only is there potential downtime, you could also incur charges from the fire and rescue service. So what can you do to keep your alarm system functioning as it should?
PPE RISK ASSESSMENT - 13.11.2015
Personal protective equipment assessment
To comply with the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 you must assess the suitability of any footwear, gloves, masks, etc. before you issue them. Use our form to record your assessment.
CONTRACTS - 09.11.2015
Staff parties and drunken promises
During the annual staff party a manager had one too many and ended up promising an employee a promotion. Are you contractually bound by what he stated whilst under the influence of alcohol?
TIME OFF WORK - 09.11.2015
Time off for cosmetic dental work
An employee wants to improve their smile by having some cosmetic dental work done. Do they have any right to time off for this purpose and is the position on routine dental appointments any different?
DISCRIMINATION - 09.11.2015
Women’s work, age and sex discrimination
Two female employees have successfully claimed age and sex-related discrimination after their employer subjected them to unfair criticism. Where did this employer go wrong?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 09.11.2015
A total ban on cakes, biscuits and chocolates!
It’s been suggested that employers should ban all cakes, biscuits and chocolates from their workplaces to protect their employees’ health and wellbeing. Is this really your responsibility or a suggestion too far?
WORK AND PARENTS - 09.11.2015
Parental leave - but they don’t live with the child!
A male employee has made an application for two weeks’ ordinary parental leave (OPL). However, you recall him saying that he doesn’t live in the same household as his child. On that basis does he qualify for OPL?
SICKNESS ABSENCE - 09.11.2015
Off sick and not answering the telephone
When an employee is signed off sick you’ve every right to make reasonable contact by telephone. But suppose your attempts to reach them have gone unanswered. What should your next move be?
MINIMUM WAGE - 09.11.2015
More minimum wage enforcement
The government is set to roll out a number of new enforcement measures to ensure that all employers pay the national minimum wage and the national living wage. What’s on the cards?
PAYROLL - 05.11.2015
Taxing benefits through your payroll
From April 2016 employers will have the statutory option to tax benefits in kind through the payroll. What are the advantages of doing this and what’s the registration deadline?
COMPANY SECRETARIAL - 05.11.2015
Controlling share transactions
Financial controllers are frequently asked to help manage the company’s share transactions in support of the company secretary. How can you maintain the necessary documentation accurately?
TREASURY - 05.11.2015
Bank account framework
Your company or group has accumulated a number of active and dormant bank accounts over time and you would like to simplify and structure your cash management. Could a bank account framework help you to do this?
TAX - TRAVEL EXPENSES - 05.11.2015
Euro savings
As you’re looking to expand your overseas business, you’ll be spending more time on the continent dealing with customers. Are there any ways to save money on those trips?
TAX - 05.11.2015
On your (motor) bike
One of your directors wants to buy a second-hand car - and he’s set his heart on a BMW 520. Can you convince him to take a more frugal option, or even a motorbike? And are any potential savings worth it?
