HLAS

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has pledged her support to the Invest in Women Taskforce, a new initiative aimed at increasing funding for female-founded businesses. The Taskforce aims to create a £250 million investment pool, making it one of the largest of its kind worldwide. This move follows the Rose Review, which highlighted a £250 billion economic boost if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men. Despite women making up over half the UK’s population, they currently own only 21% of businesses. Speaking about the initiative, the Chancellor commented that she doesn’t take her [...]

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has recently reminded individuals to check their National Insurance (NI) record to ensure they are not missing out on valuable State Pension entitlements due to gaps in their contributions. This issue mainly affects parents, particularly women, who claimed Child Benefit before 2000. During that period, Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was introduced to reduce the number of NI qualifying years required to receive the full basic State Pension. However, if you didn’t provide your NI number when claiming Child Benefit, your record may not show the HRP you were eligible for, potentially reducing your current State [...]

The government has announced a delay to the start of the Procurement Act 2023, moving the commencement date to February 2025. The Procurement Act aims to simplify and improve transparency in public sector procurement and open opportunities for small businesses. While the Act’s goals remain unchanged, the government has decided to develop a new National Procurement Policy Statement before the Act comes into force. In short, Labour don’t like the Policy Statement that the Conservatives previously wrote and want to write their own. How could this affect businesses? For businesses that had hoped to start capitalising on the simplified procurement [...]

The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics, released last week, show that inflation for the year to August 2024 held steady at 2.2%. The largest upward pressure on the rate came from an increase in airfares compared to last year. However, this was balanced by decreases in the cost of motor fuels, as well as in restaurants and hotels. The Bank of England met last Thursday to review the base interest rate and opted to keep it at 5%. While inflation remains slightly above the Bank’s target, this aligns with their projections of a rise towards the [...]

Amazon has announced the conclusion of its hybrid work policy, requiring corporate employees to return to the office five days a week from January. Previously, staff had the option to work from home two days per week. The decision appears to have been made to enhance collaboration and streamline operations. Last year, Amazon limited its full remote work policy, which had been implemented during the pandemic, prompting staff protests. This latest move is also expected to be unpopular with many employees. Amazon’s stance contrasts with the forthcoming UK Employment Rights Bill, anticipated next month, which is likely to make flexible [...]

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have announced a new Memorandum of Understanding, outlining their collaboration to enhance the UK's cyber resilience. Key Objectives of the Memorandum The primary goal of this agreement is to improve protection for organisations and businesses across the country against criminal activities involving data theft and ransomware attacks. By working more closely together, the ICO and NCA aim to bolster the UK's defences against these cyber threats. Key Provisions The Memorandum specifies that the ICO will actively encourage organisations to report cyber crime to the NCA as soon as possible. [...]

Businesses providing security services and holding SIA licences need to be aware of changes affecting door supervisor and security guard licences. Starting from 1st April 2025, anyone renewing these licences must complete a mandatory 'refresher' qualification. The refresher training will be available from 1st October 2024. Key requirements: Before taking the refresher training, employees and others must have a valid Emergency First Aid at Work qualification (or equivalent). This qualification must be presented to their training provider when they are registered for the course. Options for Door Supervisors: For employees that hold door supervisor licences there are two options: Renew [...]

On Monday, 9th September, the newly established Labour Market Advisory Board, appointed by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall MP, held its inaugural meeting. This board is a distinguished collective of experts from business, industrial relations, and academia, assembled to address what is being termed the "greatest employment challenge for a generation." What’s the Big Issue? The UK is grappling with a notable employment crisis. It is the only G7 country whose employment and inactivity rates have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Currently, nearly 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness, impacting not just individuals [...]

Business Finance Week 2024 will run from 24 September to 2 October and includes a variety of national and regional in-person events and webinars. Business Finance Week is hosted by British Business Bank along with their various partners and can help smaller businesses learn about the various finance options that are available to help them. Events are being held to cover aspects of finance related to starting your business, innovating, and working capital. For a full list of the events available and to register, see: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/news-and-events/events/business-finance-week

The Risk Reduction Through Design Awards 2024/25, sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF), are now open for nominations. These awards are designed to recognise UK employers who have successfully minimised workplace risks, particularly those associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Focus on Musculoskeletal Disorders MSDs, which encompass injuries affecting the back, joints, and limbs, remain a major concern across various industries. The awards aim to celebrate companies that have made effective design changes to their work environments or processes, leading to significant reductions in musculoskeletal risks. This could involve [...]