HR Updates
Making sense of the pandemic - some thoughts from Ben
Date: Thursday 17 December 2020
This has been a very unsettling year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has played havoc with everyone’s lives. That’s why Ben wanted to take a look at how the pandemic has affected people's physical…
4 Tips to Protect Your Business from Fraud: advice from FinCred IS
Date: Thursday 17 December 2020
Fraud is estimated to cost the global economy £3.89 trillion a year, and over £193 billion a year in the UK. In the last 10 years fraud losses have increased by 56%.[1] Furthermore, with only a fracti…
Take action now to ensure personal data flows freely from the EU/EEA to the UK
Date: Friday 11 December 2020
With just three weeks to go until the end of the transition period on 31 December, there is still time to prepare. You can find out what actions you may need to take by using the checker tool at gov.u…
Furlough is not just for Christmas: advice from Lawgistics
Date: Thursday 10 December 2020
Lawgistics have advised that the government has again updated their guidance with regard to furloughing employees. Furlough is only in place for companies which are being affected by coronavirus (Covi…
COVID-19: Employer support – live HMRC webinars
Date: Thursday 10 December 2020
Claims under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) are currently open for pay periods in November and December 2020. You have until 11.59pm Monday 14 December to submit claims for November. Make…
Do we have to shut our workplace after a confirmed case of COVID-19 among our workforce?
Date: Thursday 03 December 2020
Our colleagues at Xecutivesearch have brought to our attention the following article, put together by Mondaq, which outlines what is recommended should an employee be confirmed as having COVID-19. The…
Santa's Helping Hand
Date: Wednesday 02 December 2020
It’s been a challenging year for many people but, as we approach the end of it, Ben thought the industry might appreciate a little light-hearted fun in the form of a Christmas challenge and as the IAA…
MOT testing in Scotland: update
Date: Wednesday 25 November 2020
The Scottish Government has announced that 11 areas in Scotland moved into protection Level 4 from 18:00 on Friday 20 November until Friday 11 December.You can read more about the measures and which a…
Lawgistics: Furlough Claim Time Limit
Date: Wednesday 25 November 2020
If you have employees on either furlough or flexible furlough you should be aware of the new timescales for making a claim with HMRC. The claim needs to be submitted within roughly 14 days after the e…
HMRC COVID-19 Support: CJRS extension
Date: Thursday 12 November 2020
HMRC has now made the new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) guidance available on GOV.UK. To check if you’re eligible and to get ready to claim from this week, go to GOV.UK and search 'Coronavir…
Ben launches "Lucky Lotto"
Date: Thursday 12 November 2020
Ben has just launched its Lucky Lotto, giving people the chance to win a life-changing £25,000 whilst making a life-changing difference to the lives of people in the automotive industry. These are dif…
Furlough updates from Lawgistics
Date: Thursday 12 November 2020
Following the recent announcement regarding the extension of the Coronavirus furlough scheme, Lawgistics have received confirmation that neither the employer nor the employee had to have claimed under…
Extended Furlough - Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Date: Thursday 05 November 2020
With the country going into the second lockdown on 5 November 2020, and with the suspension of non-essential retail including vehicle showrooms, the government has pushed back the Job Support Scheme a…
Tips from Ben on how to deal with stress
Date: Thursday 05 November 2020
With the new lockdown having just started, it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling unsettled and worried about the future. We’ve all been experiencing lots of continual change in our daily liv…
The second lockdown and accrual of leave
Date: Thursday 05 November 2020
Under the previous furlough rules, annual leave was accruing throughout the furlough duration and could be taken during the furlough. It is extremely unlikely that the detailed guidance and regulation…
Urgent message from the Business Secretary: The way you hire from the EU is changing
Date: Friday 30 October 2020
The transition period is ending on 31 December and there will be no extension. The current rules for hiring workers from the EU will change. Time is running out and I urge you to act now to prepare fo…
Advice from Lawgistics: Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for employees who are self-isolating
Date: Thursday 29 October 2020
Lawgistics have recently had enquiries regarding Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) with particular interest relating to employees who are self-isolating. To qualify for SSP an employee must: Earn an average o…
HMRC COVID-19 Support: JRS closes and Job Support Scheme opens
Date: Thursday 29 October 2020
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme closes on 31 October and businesses will need to make any final claims on or before 30 November. The Job Support Scheme will open on 1 November, with claims openin…
Advice from Lawgistics: making redundancies during the pandemic
Date: Thursday 29 October 2020
A recent ACAS survey commissioned by YouGov has reported that 1 in 3 employers are likely to make redundancies over the next 3 months. Of the key points: 6 out of 10 large businesses said they were l…
Advice from Lawgistics: Job Support Scheme changes and template agreement
Date: Thursday 29 October 2020
On Thursday 22nd October the Chancellor made two important announcements in respect of the furlough successor, the Job Support Scheme. To qualify for a grant under this scheme, an eligible employee is…
When is a van a car?
Date: Thursday 29 October 2020
Our colleagues at Xecutive Search have forwarded details of a ruling issued by the Court of Appeal which means that some crewcab vans are to be treated as cars for benefit-in-kind purposes. Court. In …
HMRC: tax relief for WFH expenses
Date: Tuesday 20 October 2020
If you’ve asked your employees to work from home, and you’ve not reimbursed them already, your employees may be entitled to claim tax relief on additional household expenses they’ve incurred, such as …
Ben extends its services to support automotive people who face job losses
Date: Tuesday 20 October 2020
Automotive charity, Ben, is now providing support to industry people who have lost their jobs and who are at risk of losing their jobs. Ben has seen a 52% increase in requests for support from April-S…
Job Retention Bonus: clarification of the scheme from Lawgistics
Date: Tuesday 13 October 2020
Back in July 2020 the government announced that, for every employee who was on furlough at some point and was in continuous employment until the end of January 2021, a bonus of £1,000 would be paid. T…
Job Support Scheme: Lawgistics explain the sheme
Date: Tuesday 13 October 2020
A successor to the furlough scheme was much anticipated by many. It has been announced that the Job Support Scheme will come into effect immediately after the current flexible furlough scheme ends. Th…
Advice from Ben on mental health
Date: Friday 09 October 2020
Health is made up of two parts, physical health (our body) and mental health (our mind - how we think and feel). They’re linked, so if something changes in one, it affects the other. Our wellbeing - h…
ICO: Responding to the challenges of COVID-19
Date: Friday 09 October 2020
Throughout COVID-19, the ICO has been offering practical support on new data protection questions that the pandemic has asked of organisations. Whether you are a local business or a government departm…
What to do if an employee has symptoms or a confirmed case of Covid-19: advice from Lawgistics
Date: Thursday 01 October 2020
With the Test and Trace service having been heavily criticised, and large numbers of people self isolating for different reasons, Lawgistics have received many enquiries on how to keep the workplace s…
HMRC COVID-19 Support
Date: Thursday 01 October 2020
Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme that came into effect on 1 October mean that employers will need to fund 20% of furloughed employees’ usual wages for the hours they do not work and con…
COVID-19 Protective Measures: Automotive Aftermarket Sector Industry Guidance and Best Practice
Date: Friday 25 September 2020
The third edition of this guidance has just been issued with updates on the wearing of face coverings in customer-facing settings. During this unprecedented time, companies of all sizes are being chal…
NHS COVID-19 app launches across England and Wales
Date: Thursday 24 September 2020
People across England and Wales are being urged to download the NHS COVID-19 app to help control the spread of coronavirus and protect themselves and their loved ones as case numbers rise. The app was…
Chancellor outlines Winter Economy Plan
Date: Thursday 24 September 2020
Delivering a speech in Parliament, the Chancellor has announced a package of measures that will continue to protect jobs and help businesses through the uncertain months ahead as we continue to tackle…
HMRC webinars: Changes to the Job Retention Scheme
Date: Wednesday 16 September 2020
Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme from 1 September mean that employers will need to fund 10% of furloughed employees’ usual wages for the hours they do not work and continue to pay their…
Preparing for retirement: advice from Ben
Date: Wednesday 16 September 2020
More people in the UK are saving into a pension scheme than ever before, thanks to the introduction of auto enrolment in 2012. But, did you know that up to 35% of UK adults still don’t have a pension?…
HMRC COVID-19 Support: Changes to Job Retention Scheme
Date: Thursday 03 September 2020
Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) came into effect from 1 September. HMRC will now pay 70% of usual wages up to a cap of £2,187.50 per month for the hours furloughed employees do …
Self-isolating after returning to the UK: advice from Lawgistics
Date: Thursday 03 September 2020
As we should all be aware, those who visit a country or territory that is not on the UK’s travel corridor list will need to self-isolate for 14 days upon returning to the UK. With the UK’s travel corr…
Coping with grief: Support available from Ben
Date: Thursday 27 August 2020
In the lead up to National Grief Awareness Day this coming Sunday, Ben is sharing advice on how people can look after themselves and others during a bereavement, which, whether expected or a complete …
HMRC webinar: expense claims from employees working from home
Date: Thursday 27 August 2020
HMRC have organised webinars to assist employers who, over the past few months, have asked employees to work from home – sometimes providing mobile phones and internet access to help them. For more in…
COVID-19 Support: Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
Date: Thursday 20 August 2020
As part of the government’s commitment to supporting the self-employed through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, HMRC have developed a new webinar to explain the range of financial support that may…
New type approval legislation gets go ahead in UK
Date: Thursday 20 August 2020
One of the key pieces of legislation that the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has lobbied for over the past few years has been Type Approval Regulation (EU) 2018/858. This key pie…
Lateness in the workplace - advice from Lawgistics
Date: Wednesday 12 August 2020
Employers are within their rights to expect all employees to be punctual, but as we are all aware, there are times when arriving late for work cannot be avoided. However, for those employees with a te…
HMRC Job Retention Scheme updates
Date: Wednesday 12 August 2020
Job Retention Bonus Employers will be able to claim a one-off payment of £1,000 for every employee they have previously received a grant for under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), and who …
Furlough fraud and other transgressions
Date: Friday 07 August 2020
As could only be expected, HMRC is already hot on cases of the furlough scheme abuse. A businessman from Solihull was recently arrested in connection with a £495,000 furlough fraud investigation. The …
Glen Callum redefines aftermarket recruitment process for IAAF members
Date: Friday 07 August 2020
Automotive aftermarket recruitment specialist Glen Callum Associates (GCA) is redefining the recruitment process for IAAF members, with a number of new initiatives, such as recorded candidate video in…
Ben: Support for life
Date: Wednesday 05 August 2020
Ben are focussing on the need for people to build connections. Human beings all have basic needs for food and shelter, but also for a sense of belonging to a group - a need to form relationships. Rese…
COVID-19: Flexible Furlough Agreement - free templates from Lawgistics
Date: Thursday 23 July 2020
It is the suggestion of Lawgistics, the IAAF's legal helpline partner, that employers should ask employees to sign a flexible furlough agreement or to state their acceptance in writing. This will avoi…
Mitigating the cost of untaken holiday
Date: Wednesday 15 July 2020
Our colleagues at Xecutive Search have sent through some advice for businesses to help manage and void staff shortages as employees start to return to work, when the company could be facing a backlog …
Back to Business webinars from Boswells
Date: Thursday 09 July 2020
Boswell Aftermarket have produced a series of webinars to help businesses reopen workplaces: The Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown restrictions that come with it have caused immense pressure for b…
HMRC COVID-19 Update: Job Retention Bonus
Date: Thursday 09 July 2020
The Chancellor has now announced the introduction of the Job Retention Bonus. This is a one-off payment of £1,000 to employers that have used the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for each furlo…
COVID-19: financial scams and cyber security
Date: Friday 19 June 2020
Cyber fraud and security for businessesCriminals are taking advantage of Coronavirus and the package of measures to support people and businesses announced by the Government. They text, email or phone…
