COVID-19
APRIL UPDATE
Managing COVID-19 in the workplace now that most restrictions have been lifted – what do you need to do?Risk AssessmentThe requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their Health and Safety Risk Assessment has been removed. Employers may choose to continue to cover COVID-19 in their Risk Assessments. (Employers that specifically work with […]
BUSINESS IMMIGRATION
On 15th March, the Home Office published its Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules providing further details of several new business immigration routes including:High Potential Individual (HPI) RouteScale-up Route (New)Global Business Mobility Routes (New)In summary:High Potential IndividualsApplicants who have graduated from a “top global university” will be able to come to the UK without […]
NATIONAL LIVING/MINIMUM WAGE
AND STATUTORY RATE INCREASES
Below is a summary of the changes to the National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage and the statutory rates that take effect in April. REMINDER – INCREASE IN NATIONAL INSURANCE AND DIVIDEND TAXFollowing the Autumn 2021 Budget, National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will rise on 6 April 2022 as part of the Government’s funding of the NHS […]
MAINTAINING AGING
PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Performing non-routine maintenance operations when the work involves aging plant and equipment can be even more dangerous, particularly when the equipment hasn’t been effectively maintained.Over time, equipment can become unsafe, putting employees and contractors at risk of serious, and even fatal, injuries. There are various reasons why plant and equipment might deteriorate over time:In many […]
LEGISLATION UPDATE:
PPE REGULATIONS
The PPE Regulations were introduced in 1992 and set out the legal requirements for employers with regard to:Provision of PPE;Compatibility of PPE (i.e. with other PPE/Clothing/Glasses, etc.);Assessment of PPE;Maintenance and replacement of PPE;Accommodation of PPE;Information, instruction, and training;Use of PPE;Reporting loss or defect;Exemptions.On 6th April 2022, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 […]
The “Living with Covid” Plan:
How Does This Affect Employers?
The Prime Minister has announced an end to all remaining Covid restrictions in England. The Government has replaced this with a “Living with Covid” plan. This plan applies to England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules.The BBC News website helpfully bullet pointed the plan as below. We have highlighted in bold, those provisions […]
Company Sick Pay Scheme –
Withdrawing the Benefit for the Unvaccinated
You may have noticed that a number of large organisations (Ikea/Morrisons/Next) have recently hit the headlines by announcing a decision to restrict Company Sick Pay Schemes to only those employees who have been fully vaccinated. If employees are not vaccinated, they will only receive Statutory Sick Pay.Before you rush to introduce such a measure for […]
FURTHER CHANGES TO SELF-ISOLATION REQUIREMENTS
England Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has announced today that the self-isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19 is being cut to five full days in England.From Monday 17th January 2022 people will be able to leave isolation after negative lateral flow tests on days five and six. He explained that with a second […]
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Welcome to 2022 and our first Information Update of the year, let us start by wishing you a Happy New Year and hope that things look more positive than last year. So, what does 2022 have in store for us?Covid-19 UpdatesThe first week of the new year has brought about a flurry of changes to […]
CHANGES IN SELF ISOLATION GUIDANCE AND RETURN OF THE SSP REBATE SCHEME
Self-Isolation GuidanceThe latest guidance from the government has said that people infected with Covid in England can now come out of self-isolation after 7, rather than 10, days if they can provide negative lateral flow test results on day six and day seven.Two lateral flow tests are needed – the first no earlier than day […]
