Saturday 10th October was World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to spreading the message that it’s okay not to be okay, and to encouraging all of us to talk. But because it was a Saturday, it is possible that it may have been overlooked by some people. Sadly, there are over 6,000 calls to Samaritans…
New Coronavirus regulations have been made. If an employer has a worker who has tested positive for COVID-19 (or lives with someone who has tested positive), they are now responsible for stopping the worker from working (unless they can work from home). If they fail to do so, employers will face a fine, starting at…
The government has announced its most recent efforts in the new furlough scheme. From 1st November, the Job Support Scheme (JSS), which will replace the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, aims to protect businesses who face lower demand over the winter months due to the impact of COVID-19. The Job Support Scheme will be available for…
An employee has developed Covid-19 symptoms, what should you do? Firstly, it is worth noting that currently, most Coronavirus infections appear to be occurring as a result of social interactions rather than in the workplace. As a responsible employer you will already have a risk assessment in place that sets out the steps to be…
The recent outlook from the Office for National Statistics certainly paints a bleak picture for our jobs markets: unemployment creeping up to 4.1% of the working population, and around 700,000 fewer people on payroll compared to March this year. Trade Unions have said ‘redundancy floodgates will open’ once the furlough scheme closes on the 31st…
The end of furlough is in sight. Today marks the very visible beginning of the end for the Coronavirus Job Retention (CJR) Scheme. From today, 1st September 2020, employers have to contribute at least 10% of salary for those on the furlough scheme. This adds to the payments of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and…
The world of construction health and safety is pretty small, and if like me you’ve been lucky to have had twenty years in it, you get to know plenty of people. This week I have been able to catch up with a lot of other health and safety managers. Whilst Covid is never far from…
The Coronavirus pandemic has distracted many people away from the challenges that Brexit will bring come the end of this year, but be assured the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is still happening and EU Nationals working in the UK will be affected. From the 1st January 2020, as it stands, any EU nationals…
Furloughed employees to receive full redundancy payments from July 31st The Government has announced a new law to ensure all furloughed employees receive redundancy payments at 100% of their normal salary, rather than a reduced furlough rate. It means that employees won’t be short-changed if they are made redundant whilst furloughed under the Coronavirus Job…
Why Do We Do Site Inspections? Are you 100% confident that your employees are working safely as you read this? If they were to have an accident, could you be sure you had done all you possibly could to prevent it? Having an independent expert in construction health and safety inspecting your site, gives you…