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National Office Week
Government scheme could save you thousands on childcare costs
School summer holidays are fast approaching so the cost of childcare is another financial burden to factor. But if you pay for childcare or nursery fees, there’s a scheme that can save you money.
It’s a government scheme called “childcare vouchers” which can save you thousands on nursery fees or child minder costs, by allowing you to pay for it from your pre-tax salary. It works by you giving up, for example, £2,000 of salary and exchanging it for £2,000 of childcare vouchers, which can be used at most registered nurseries and childminders. While this might not sound a big deal, the impact is huge. This is because when you’re paid £2,000, actually after tax and national insurance, basic rate tax payers only actually get to keep very roughly £1,400, so by exchanging it for vouchers you’re actually £600 better off.
More on the scheme, including calculators to work out the savings, and tips on persuading your employer.
above: Childcare vouchers allow you to pay for nursery fees or child minder costs from your pre-tax salary.
Sick days are thing of the past with new government-backed gadget for employers
Lie detectors could soon be used to deter workers from pulling sickies, after trials of the technology were backed by the government last week.
Employers have given a cautious welcome to plans to use the Voice Risk Analysis (VRA) system to tell when people are lying on the phone about being too ill to work. The technology works by identifying changes in a caller’s voice. It then makes thousands of calculations before prompting the phone operator to take specific action to encourage the caller to withdraw their claim. Source
WorkLight warns companies as MySpace launches users applications
WorkLight, the Web 2.0 security specialist, has warned companies of the need to secure employee usage of social networking sites, as MySpace has joined Facebook in allowing users to develop and upload their own applications for other users to run on their online accounts.
However, as the BBC’s technology programme Click recently proved, it is perfectly possible, in just a few hours, to create an application that can appear to carry out a normal task, but quietly access private information in the background. And if you can do this on Facebook, you can almost certainly do the same for MySpace.
Social networking sites have enormous benefits on the B2B and B2C sales promotion and customer interaction front, but it is important that companies minimise the counter benefits that insecure access to these services can create. Source
New occupational health guide available
Employers should give better occupational health assistance to the two million employees who each year believe they become ill as a result of their jobs, a new guide states.
The guide provides an invaluable resource for union safety reps. Over the next year, the TUC hopes around 15,000 will use it to assess the extent of ill health in their workplaces, and work with employers to create a healthier working environment. More on the TUC’s campaign to keep people well at work
Better protection for pension funds
DWP proposals to protect pension funds that are involved in buy-outs received a positive response recently. The measures offered protection ‘against smash and grab raids by unscrupulous investors’ and required companies to contribute to pension funds, improving the financial security of schemes. Meanwhile, plans to give the Pensions Regulator the power to bolster scheme trustees would also protect the governance of schemes in members’ interests. More on the TUC’s response to DWP proposals for protecting pension funds
Equality Law for the 21st Century
The TUC has joined forces with the Equality and Diversity Forum to organise a one-day conference on equality law. The event will take place on 9 June at Congress House, and the keynote address will be given by the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities Harriet Harman. More on the new equality bill
Workers need mental health support
A new guide is intended to help employers and unions support people with mental health problems at work. TUC says every organisation in Britain is affected by mental distress and ill-health in the workplace, and at any given time one in six workers will experience depression, anxiety, or stress-related problems.
More on the TUC’s new guidance to help employers and unions support people with mental health problems at work Report on representing and supporting members with mental health problems at work (PDF)
Small businesses can relax on the new flexible working legislation
“SMEs do not need to worry about the Government’s plans to extend the flexible working legislation: there is help at hand”, said Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK, a UK-wide not-for-profit initiative to promote smarter working practices, including flexible working. SMEs do have to take a practical systematic approach, devising a plan for the implementation of flexible working in the organisation. Work Wise UK has developed various free online resources to assist organisations wishing to implement smarter working practices.
Work Wise UK can provide guidance and assistance through its website, where a guide to smarter working and an adoption ladder are available. The organisation also has a UK-wide network of advisers, and offers a framework for organisations to work to, culminating in the award of the Work Wise UK Mark of Excellence. Source
More rights for agency workers
A landmark deal to give new employment rights to 1.4 million agency workers has been warmly welcomed. Years of wrangling over the need to give agency staff the right to the same pay rates as full time staff ended with a Government announcement of equal treatment after 12 weeks of employment. This agreement achieves twin objectives of flexibility for British employers and fairness for workers. It will give people a fair deal at work without putting their jobs at risk or cutting off a valuable route into employment.
Under the agreement, Britain’s 1.4 million agency workers will be entitled to equal treatment on pay, overtime arrangements and holiday entitlement after 12 weeks in a given job, but the deal will not cover pensions or sick pay. Equal treatment will be defined to mean at least the basic working and employment conditions that would apply if agency workers had been recruited directly by an employer. Source
Corporate Manslaughter Bill — the importance of first aid
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill which recently came into effect could affect your business.
This new criminal legislation aims to make it much easier to prosecute companies for work related deaths. In the event of an accident, the responsibility will be upon the organisation to provide evidence that an effective health and safety policy exists, is properly communicated and clearly implemented. An inability to do so could be considered a breach in the duty of care owed to your staff.
The ability to provide first aid to staff who become ill or injured at work is already a legal requirement. If your business lacks the correct number of appropriately trained first aiders you could be leaving yourself at serious risk of action. Use this online calculator to ensure you are not at risk or call 0844 871 8000 and speak to an advisor, or alternatively visit HSE guidelines on first aid provision or to answer your questions about the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill.
Missed the Live Event?
If you missed the National Office Week Live Event at the Times Crème Show recently then see our fantastic scrapbook of the event! Source
Diary Dates
June 2008
Sat 7th — Derby Day
Mon 9th — Queen’s Birthday
Mon 9th – Sun 15th — Stella Artois Championship Tennis
Sun 15th — Father’s Day
Thu 19th — Royal Ascot, Ladies Day
Fri 20th — Longest Day
Mon 23rd — Wimbledon Fortnight starts
Wed 25th – Thu 26th — London Venue Expo
Sat 28th — June Round the Island Race, Cowes, Isle of Wight
Full list of diary dates
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