Step two of the UK Government’s roadmap out of lockdown including the re-opening of non-essential retail premises, starts today – 12th April 2021. Hopefully, retail owners and managers will have everything in place to protect their employees and customers. The government haven’t issued any new advice as yet, however, the guidance for those outlets regarded…
You can find the latest furlough scheme updates here: 8 April 2021 For periods of Furlough starting on or after 1 May 2021, the eligibility dates are changing. You can only claim for employees who were employed on or before 2 March 2021. The Furlough contributions that businesses are required to make are increasing from…
The Department of Health and Social Care have today (18 March 2021) issued a press release setting out future shielding guidance to those categorised as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV). Following the roadmap out of the national restrictions published by the Government, it is currently intended that from the 1 April 2021, at the earliest, those…
CITB SMSTS exams have changed The exam is in two parts: Part A of the question paper is 18 multiple choice questions, each worth 1 mark. Part B of the question paper is 7 questions, each worth 2 marks. The exam is now 35 minutes long and for the last 15 minutes, delegates will be allowed…
This question now being asked of us by some of our customers is to clarify when they will be able to return to work as “normal”. The government’s roadmap sets out four key steps on the way to this. Step one is where we are now, with schools and education resuming on site. If things…
The HSE website advises that a method statement should set out “in a logical sequence exactly how a job is to be carried out in a way that secures health and safety and includes all the control measures.” “Never mind the quality, feel the width.” A phrase used to persuade you that quantity is more…
IR35 will be coming into force on the 6th April 2021, but are you ready? We’ve put together a quick guide to help you understand what is changing, how you can assess your relationship with self-employed workers and what options you have as an employer. If you rely upon self-employed workers, labour-only subcontractors, or an…
Are you being asked to disclose employees’ records, including criminal records, to your Clients? It is now common practice for Clients and Principal Contractors to insist that their supply chain carry out some of the legal tasks that they used to do themselves. For instance, drug and alcohol testing and site safety inspections are obligations…
Q: What is the one thing you need to do to ensure your employees work safely? A: Make it easier for them to work safely than not. When you sit down to carry out a risk assessment, no doubt you spend time thinking about the possible hazards, likely harm and who might be affected. After…
With accruing holidays and the significant resourcing and financial issues these are starting to create…have you thought about an Easter shutdown? The pandemonium of the COVID virus in 2020 wreaked havoc with the way in which employees usually take holiday. Options for leave were severely limited due to lockdown restrictions, and workers were reticent about…