Citation - working with St John Ambulance and St Andrew's First Aid

31st August 2011

Health and safety advice specialists, Citation plc, have announced business collaboration with the UK’s two leading first aid charities, St John Ambulance and St Andrew’s First Aid.

Clients of Wilmslow based Citation will receive a preferential rate for all health and safety and first aid training courses provided in England by St John Ambulance and in Scotland by St Andrew’s First Aid.

Both first aid organisations supply training courses in the workplace and at schools. They also provide professionally trained and equipped volunteers at events across the country such as concerts and football matches as well as provide emergency support to local ambulance services in times of crisis.

Training courses include fire marshal, moving and handling principles, IOSH working safely and a suite of first aid courses at 250 venues throughout the UK.

Alastair Hall, head of health and safety at Citation plc said “We are delighted to work in collaboration with St John Ambulance and our health and safety consultants have, and continue to recommend first aid training where they identify a requirement within the workplace, passing on best practice to over 6,500 clients nationally“

Operating across the UK since 1995, Citation provides professional advice and compliance packages to business clients, mainly SME’s with between 6 and 200 employees. Independently endorsed at the highest level its market leading services provide guaranteed protection in the high risk areas of employment law and health & safety regulations.

thebusinessdesk.com reports  on the relationship, to read the full article click here

For more information about Citation and the services it provides, visit the Citation website at http://www.citation.co.uk or call 0845 844 1111.

 

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Do you know what the Default Retirement Age means for you and your business?

22nd August 2011

The UK default retirement age of 65, which was introduced by the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, has been repealed with effect from 6th April 2011.

Under the ‘planned retirement’ process, employers had to give at least six months’ notice of an intention to retire an employee, therefore, your opportunity to notify an employee that you intend for them to retire under the default retirement ended on the 5th April 2011.

Andrea O'Hare Head of Personnel & Employment Law at Citation commented “Forcing employees to leave their employment (i.e. dismissing them) just because they have reached a set age is generally an unlawful act of age discrimination unless the employer can show that such a measure is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’, and that the retirement age can be ‘objectively justified’”.

There is much debate throughout the UK about the retirement age. Many views are in favour of the decision to abolish how long people can stay employed but on the other hand, if people are ‘unfit’ to work in the eyes of the employer, it is going to be a difficult situation if the correct procedures aren’t followed. Businesses put themselves at risk of unfair dismissal and age discrimination claims, so it is important to know exactly where you and your business stand and put the correct procedures in place.

Persuading an employment tribunal that you have an “objective justification” for dismissing your employees at a set age will be a high hurdle to jump. For further advice regarding retirement, please contact Citation to discuss this further.

Operating throughout the UK since 1995, Citation provides professional advice and compliance packages to business clients. Independently endorsed at the highest level its market leading services provide guaranteed protection in the high risk areas of employment law and health & safety regulations.

For more information about Citation and the services it provides, visit the Citation website at http://www.citation.co.uk/employmentlaw or call 0845 844 1111.

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Employers - are you up to speed with the new Agency Worker Regulations which come into force on 1st October

16th August 2011

Temporary and contract workers play an important role in providing flexibility for UK businesses and from the 1st October 2011, agency workers will be entitled to the same basic pay and benefits as permanent employees after 12 weeks in the same assignment.

Employers should be thinking about their use of agency workers and clearly understand why they are using them. Employers also need to ensure they have appropriate systems and processes in place to track the use of agency workers and be aware when they are accruing rights.

The main feature of the Agency Worker Regulations is to enable agency workers to the same basic working and employment conditions as if they had been recruited directly by the end-user client such as;

• The same basic pay as permanent employees including areas such as some bonus schemes
• Contractual overtime and shift allowances
• Holiday allowances
• Accessing the staff canteen
• Childcare

Agency workers who are also supplied by ‘umbrella’ companies and act as an employer to agency contractors are also protected however, self employed are not protected by the new regulations, providing they are genuinely operating in business on their own account.

The cost of using temporary workers will inevitably increase, and many employers are considering using casual workers instead to create their own in house ‘bank’ of labour they can call on. However, this can lead to a risk that over reliance on certain casual workers could result in a pattern of work where it could be argued they are actually employees.

Some hirers may try to structure the placements for fewer than 12 weeks to deliberately break the qualifying period and avoid this protection accruing. This is prohibited and can attract a fine of up to £5000.

We encourage all businesses to look at their use of agency workers and understand what is required of them.

For more information about Citation and the services they provide, visit the Citation website at http://www.citation.co.uk or call 0845 844 1111.

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A lack of Fire Safety puts care homes at risk

1st August 2011

Many care homes based in London have recently been issued with enforcement notices by the Fire Authorities for not having key fire safety precautions in place, for example no fire escape plans, no fire safety training for staff and no marked fire exits.

This highlights the importance to care home providers that fire safety is integral in keeping all staff and residents out of harm's way. Avoiding such fire safety measures increases the risk of unwanted dangers and bad publicity for care homes.

With the majority of people being elderly, ill or immobile, it is vital that care homes have competent people to implement an effective fire management system including a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. These should reduce the risk of fires occurring in care homes and the possibility of a fire spreading should an unfortunate event occur.

Alastair Hall, Head of Health & Safety at Citation plc states;
“As general practice, care homes must have fire precautions and emergency procedures in place. There must be available competent people to deal with fire safety to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the staff, visitors and residents. A fire risk assessment must be completed in order to ensure that fire preventative and protective measures are sufficient, in place and all staff know what to do in the event of a fire.”

Operating throughout the UK since 1995, Citation provides professional advice on Health and Safety and Employment Law to business clients. Independently endorsed at the highest level, its market leading services provide guaranteed protection in the high risk areas of Employment Law and Health and Safety regulations.

For more information about Citation and the services they provide, visit the Citation website at http://www.citation.co.uk or call 0845 844 1111.

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