Experts in Business

Holiday Entitlement…

On returning to work in the New Year, many will be reaching for the travel brochures to plan their next holiday getaway. Now would be a good time to ensure that your employees’ (or your own) holiday entitlement has been correctly calculated, especially as many employees’ entitlement may need to be increased due to a [...]

Continue reading...

Fit note to replace sick note

To decrease absenteeism in the workplace the government have developed a new fit note which will focus on what tasks workers can perform as opposed to the traditional sick note which concentrates on the tasks employees cannot do. The note, which is expected to be introduced by 2010, allows GPs to say whether patients are [...]

Continue reading...

A clear vision for driving business forward

An EU directive is looking into harmonising rules concerning driving licences. In addition to ensuring an HGV driver in Spain is not too young to drive his lorry legally in Germany, the directive is focusing on safety issues such as eyesight tests. Specialist HR advisor,Sheila Hudson, from the HR Dept looks at how such issues [...]

Continue reading...

Are you up to date with recent changes to maternity leave entitlement?

Employers of expectant mothers whose babies were due on or after October 5 this year, found out that it is not just her that is starting out on a new journey. As a result of a ruling made by the High Court last year, October 5 marked the due date of changes that employers should [...]

Continue reading...

Minimum hassle for the Minimum Wage

Legal compliance is a cause of anxiety for many small business owners, and the rules relating to the National Minimum Wage is a classic example. Refusal to pay the national minimum wage is a criminal offence which could result in a fine or even a prison sentence. The National Minimum Wage applies to almost all workers. [...]

Continue reading...

Points based immigration system

As of the 27th November employers who wish to bring non-European Economic Area skilled and/or temporary workers into the UK will need to be a licensed sponsor. Sponsors will be responsible for providing all migrants with certificates of sponsorship and ensuring that their sponsor obligations are fulfilled. To obtain a sponsorship licence you must be: • A [...]

Continue reading...

Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008

On the 16th October 2008 the Health & Safety (Offences) Act 2008 received Royal Assent and will come into force on the 1st April 2009. This new piece of legislation has been in the pipeline for a while, and will give further back up to the Corporate Manslaughter Act, to ensure companies provide a safe place [...]

Continue reading...