2018 -
August
PURCHASING - 31.08.2018
Bulk buy or not?
You’ve heard that some companies have tried to prevent over-ordering equipment for the office by suspending buying for a month every year. How does this work and is it a good idea?
IT - 31.08.2018
E-mail excess
You returned from your summer holiday to be met by several hundred unread and very unwelcome e-mails. What can you do to avoid this happening the next time you go away for any period of time?
TAX - EXPENSES - 31.08.2018
What’s the real limit of tax-free homeworking payments?
If you or one of your employees work from home, your company can provide tax and NI-free help in different ways. At first sight they appear very limited, but there’s more to the rules than meets the eye. What do they actually allow?
UTILITIES - 31.08.2018
Water costs - every drop counts
If you weren’t worried about water scarcity before the long hot summer, you should be now. What advice is out there to help you cut back on consumption and save costs?
VAT - 31.08.2018
VAT - the hidden price of buying a commercial property
You’re relocating your business to a new premises. The purchase contract shows VAT added to the price which could land you with extra costs. Can you avoid paying this and what are the consequences if you can’t?
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - 31.08.2018
New trade marks rules
The Trade Marks Regulations 2018 will come into force on 14 January 2019. They make changes to the registration of UK trade marks and remove a legal protection. What’s happening?
PERSONNEL - 31.08.2018
£83,000 for director who “tried to steal company”
A finance director who was sacked after being accused of trying to steal a company has won his claim for unfair dismissal. The tribunal has now awarded him compensation of over £83,000. Why did the employer lose the case?
DSE - 28.08.2018
Do smartphones count as DSE?
A report indicates that smartphones are covered by the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. What’s to know?
ACCIDENT STATISTICS - 28.08.2018
Fatal injuries in 2017/18
The HSE has published its annual report summarising workplace fatal injuries recorded over the last year. What do the results tell us about workplace risks and accident trends?
CONTRACTOR SELECTION - 28.08.2018
Tough examination of your arrangements
If you’re planning to go through a Safety Schemes in Procurement application, expect to be asked to produce evidence of how you manage safety risks and more. What will you need to have in place?
LEGIONELLA - 28.08.2018
Resident died after contracting deadly disease
A BUPA company has been fined £3 million following the death of an elderly resident who contracted Legionnaires’ disease. How did this happen and how can you minimise the risk of legionella bacteria growing in your water system?
ACCIDENT REPORTING - 28.08.2018
Changing your mind about a report
You have completed a RIDDOR report following an accident but now further information has come to light. Are you able to change the contents after it’s been submitted? If so, how do you go about this?
PUBLIC SAFETY - 28.08.2018
Works on site created a public hazard
A case heard in May 2018 illustrates the need for clear and effective management of risks on your site which could affect third parties. What happened and why was the director prosecuted?
FIRE - 28.08.2018
What’s fire stopping?
You’ve been told by your fire risk assessor that there are gaps in “compartment” walls and floors throughout your premises which require “fire stopping”. What do they mean by this and how should you go about fixing the problem?
ANTI-AVOIDANCE - 27.08.2018
Deadline closing in fast
Clients with a requirement to correct in relation to offshore avoidance are running out of time to do so. When is the deadline, and what do you need to do?
SHARE INCENTIVES - 27.08.2018
Setting up and administering an all-employee share plan
Your client is a medium-sized company with excellent growth prospects, but the directors have concerns about the current level of staff turnover and motivation. How might using a particular tax-advantaged share scheme help this?
INHERITANCE TAX - 27.08.2018
How to preserve business property relief on retirement
Business property relief can make a huge difference to the amount of tax your clients’ heirs have to pay. Sole traders and partners approaching retirement might not appreciate this fully, and a nasty tax bill can appear ovenight. How can you help?
CORPORATION TAX - 27.08.2018
Partitioning a property company free of tax
A company holds and lets residential properties. It is owned by two siblings, but one of them is looking to buy half of the properties and go it alone. Will this incur any tax charges and, if so, how can your advice reduce them?
IN THIS ISSUE - TRADING LOSSES - 27.08.2018
Tax planning with trading losses
When your self-employed clients incur a loss, there may be several options available to relieve it, though there are restrictions in place which mean that the default option to carry forward the loss is wasteful. So what are the various options, when will each be most beneficial, and why might it sometimes be worth using income losses to offset capital gains?
CONSORTIUM RELIEF - 27.08.2018
Securing loss relief for a joint venture
Your client has an idea for a new product, but it’s outside their company’s normal area of expertise. They are bringing in outside help by way of a joint venture but are still concerned about the risk. What can you advise them about loss relief for these projects?
HMRC POWERS - 27.08.2018
COP9 - what you really need to know
The government’s continuing crackdown on evasion and fraud has seen an increase in enquiries under COP9. The procedure is entirely different to other (non-fraud) enquiries. What can you advise your clients if they are issued with one?
DATA PROTECTION - 24.08.2018
Employee photos on websites and the GDPR
You would like to create a “meet the team” section on your website which has photos of all key staff and a description of their job role. Where do you stand on this legally now that the GDPR is in force?
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS - 24.08.2018
Requests to reschedule a disciplinary hearing
An employee who is subject to disciplinary proceedings has asked you to reschedule their disciplinary hearing. Is this something that you are legally obliged to agree to or can you reject their request?
CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL - 24.08.2018
Employee denied company vehicle wins £10,000
An employee who resigned after he was refused access to a company vehicle has won his claim for constructive dismissal. Does this mean that your employees have the right to demand a company vehicle?
CONTRACTS - 24.08.2018
Accepting contractual variations
You want to vary the terms of an employee’s contract but aren’t sure how they are going to react. If they continue to work without protest, can you take this as a sign that they’ve accepted the change?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 24.08.2018
Should you ban “love” at work?
It’s been reported that staff at Gatwick Airport have been banned from calling customers “love” and “darling”. Should you introduce a similar rule in your workplace?
TIME OFF - 24.08.2018
Right to time off for public duties extended
On 1 October 2018 the statutory right to time off work to undertake public duties will be extended. Who will this right apply to and is the right to time off and pay for this reason unlimited?
MINIMUM WAGE - 24.08.2018
The NMW and workers who sleep at work
The Court of Appeal has considered whether a worker who sleeps-in at work and is only woken to carry out a specific task is entitled to receive the national minimum wage (NMW) for their entire shift. What did it decide?
ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENTS - 21.08.2018
Responding to an environmental incident
Having a procedure in place for your business stating what will be done in the event of an environmental incident makes it more likely that staff will respond effectively in an emergency. Our document can help you achieve this.
WASTE - 21.08.2018
Crackdown on waste criminals
The Environment Secretary has announced plans to fight organised waste crime. What are the details?
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS - 21.08.2018
Required when working near water
The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales have proposed amendments to the environmental permitting regime in relation to flood-risk activities. What might change and how could you be affected?
GREEN INITIATIVE - 21.08.2018
A future with less plastic waste
The waste industry has put forward a new way of categorising plastic products in response to the government’s target to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. What does it recommend and what are the likely implications?
VEHICLES - 21.08.2018
First Scottish low-emission zone
Glasgow’s low emission zone (LEZ) has been agreed, but will not be fully in place until the end of 2022. How will this affect road users in the city and is this a sign of things to come in the UK’s other urban areas?
WORKPLACE - 21.08.2018
A deep green clean
The European Commission has adopted new ecolabel criteria for cleaning services. This encourages manufacturers to produce goods and services that are more environmentally friendly. Should you take notice of this?
STAFF HANDBOOKS - 20.08.2018
The use and content of disciplinary procedures
A disciplinary procedure is often viewed by employers as an essential element of a staff handbook. But why is such a procedure necessary, should it have contractual status and what should it contain?
UNFAIR DISMISSAL - 20.08.2018
Who can claim unfair dismissal?
It’s been confirmed that there’s no statutory notice period extension in gross misconduct cases. How does this affect an employee’s right to claim unfair dismissal?
FIXED-TERM CONTRACTS - 20.08.2018
Don’t get in a fix over equal treatment rights
Fixed-term employees have the statutory right not to be treated less favourably than comparable permanent employees. How does this right work in practice and what do you need to do to stay on the right side of the law?
APPRAISALS - 20.08.2018
How relevant is the traditional appraisal system?
The appraisal system for many organisations has fallen out of favour. But what has taken its place and how can businesses like yours ensure that performance management is effective and not a waste of time.
EMPLOYMENT STATUS - 20.08.2018
Plumber engaged as a contractor was a “worker”
The Supreme Court has upheld the judgments of the employment tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal that a plumber was a “worker” and not a self-employed contractor. What are the implications of this decision?
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION - 20.08.2018
New protection for trade secrets
New statutory provisions governing trade secrets took effect on 9 June 2018. What do you need to know about them from an employment law perspective?
REDUNDANCY - 20.08.2018
What alternatives are there to redundancy?
If your business is feeling the pinch and having to contemplate staff redundancies, you should first consider whether it’s worth pursuing one or more alternatives to redundancy. What are they and what are the legal implications of pursuing them?
