HLAS

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week, and to mark the occasion, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a free online learning module to help employers better understand and manage work-related stress in their teams. The new resource is part of HSE’s Working Minds campaign, which aims to help businesses take practical steps to improve workplace mental health and meet their legal obligations. Why does this matter to your business? According to HSE, around half of all work-related ill health is down to stress, depression or anxiety. That’s a significant figure, and one that many business owners are likely [...]

The government announced major changes last week to the immigration system as part of its plan to reduce net migration and encourage more home-grown skills. If you run a business, even if you don’t currently recruit from overseas, it’s worth understanding what’s changing and how it could affect your future hiring plans. Here are the key points and what they might mean for your business. Hiring from overseas will get harder If your business sponsors skilled workers from outside the UK - or you’ve considered doing so - it’s about to become more difficult and more expensive. The definition of [...]

If you’re a parent of a 16 to 19-year-old who’s staying in full-time education or training, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding families to extend their Child Benefit claim by 31 August to avoid the payments stopping altogether. Why it matters Child Benefit is worth up to £1,354.60 per year for your first child and £897 for each additional child. It’s a welcome boost for many families, but it won’t continue automatically once your child turns 16. Unless you confirm they’re still in approved education or training, payments will stop at the end of August following their 16th birthday. [...]

Just as the Bank was cutting rates, the UK government struck a limited tariff deal with the United States. This isn’t a full trade deal (despite some headlines), but it does make it easier to sell certain goods to the US - like cars, steel and aluminium. It’s a step in the right direction, especially for manufacturers, but there are still a lot of loose ends. Many businesses won’t see immediate changes, and the finer details - especially around quotas and product rules - still need to be worked out. What does this mean for business owners? You might be [...]

In the last couple of weeks, the Bank of England cut interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, and a new ‘trade deal’ was announced between the UK and the US. Let’s see what these news items can tell us about the latest developments in the economy. Split opinions At its meeting to discuss the Bank Base Rate, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5-4 to reduce it to 4.25%. Two of the opposing members voted for reducing the rate to 4.0%, while the remaining two voted for keeping the rate at 4.5%. This represents a wide [...]

Nearly 200 businesses from across the UK have received The King’s Awards for Enterprise – the UK’s most prestigious recognition for outstanding business achievement. This year, 197 firms were honoured for their success in international trade, innovation, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility. Out of the 197 winners, 176 are small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs), and 27 are micro-businesses with 10 employees or fewer. This reflects the vital role that smaller firms play in driving UK growth. It is estimated that just a 1% increase in SME productivity each year for the next 5 years would add £94 [...]

With many families finding out where their child will be starting school this September, now is a good time for working parents to start planning childcare. The government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme can save them up to £2,000 a year per child – and this could be good news for employers as well as employees. Why this matters for employers Childcare is one of the biggest financial pressures for working families. By signposting Tax-Free Childcare, employers can support staff wellbeing, reduce financial stress, and make it easier for parents to return to or stay in work. For every £8 a parent [...]

The government has now released its Impact Assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, highlighting potential economic benefits of up to £7.5 billion over the coming decade.This figure represents the high-end estimate of the Bill’s economic contribution. The central projection stands at £3.2 billion, with a more cautious lower estimate of £1.3 billion over the same 10-year period. The Bill proposes a series of reforms aimed at cutting bureaucracy and expediting decision-making across the planning system. Its objectives include enabling the delivery of 1.5 million homes and accelerating large-scale infrastructure developments — such as road and rail upgrades and new [...]

The UK government has completed its four-week consultation with businesses and stakeholders regarding possible retaliatory measures in response to tariffs imposed by the United States on various goods. The consultation received over 200 submissions. The next step will see the government reviewing the feedback to assess the potential consequences of introducing UK tariffs in retaliation. Although no final decisions have been taken, officials have made it clear that all avenues are still being considered. In parallel, discussions with the US are ongoing as part of efforts to secure a broader economic prosperity agreement. The aim of this deal is to [...]

The UK and India signed a new trade agreement last week that will reduce tariffs and open up one of the world’s fastest-growing markets to British businesses. The deal – described by the government as the most significant bilateral trade agreement since Brexit – is expected to boost trade by £25.5 billion a year by 2040. For UK exporters, key benefits include lower tariffs on whisky, gin, aerospace, electricals and medical devices, cosmetics, and food products like lamb, salmon, chocolate and biscuits. Tariffs on whisky, for example, will be halved from 150% to 75%, with further reductions planned. Indian exports [...]