The Why of Net Zero with guest: Hypervine
Net Zero Home | Events Event description The Support Series, focuses on the support available from members to facilitate Scottish businesses’ Net Zero journey. We are delighted that some of these members will be joining us to share their own experience, learnings and the know-how they have gathered to date. This session, we were joined by […]
COVID Member’s Briefing 08/07/2022
With Covid numbers on the rise again here is a reminder of the Scottish Government’s guidance if someone tests positive for covid or has covid symptoms: Coronavirus (COVID-19) | NHS inform So, it’s recommended rather than mandated that people stay at home for 5 days from testing or the day symptoms started, and stay off […]
COVID Member’s Briefing
Changes to COVID-19 rules and regulations 02/05/2022 Members should be aware that the rules surrounding COVID, and in particular around self-isolation have changed. Similarly, testing for the general population has ended. Government advice for those with COVID symptoms is to stay at home and avoid contact with others. This has reduced from a legal […]
Member’s Briefing – Ensure your Section 1 Statements are compliant
Return to the Office Refresher – Ensure your Section 1 Statements are compliant All employees and workers (with any length of service) commencing work from 6th April 2020 must be issued with a written statement outlining their employment particulars. This is referred to commonly as a ‘section 1 statement’ as the legislation which requires […]
Back to the office update – January 2022
This week will mark a positive step towards Covid-19 restrictions being relaxed in the workplace. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, announced that Scotland will be taking a more relaxed approach towards working from home, in favour of hybrid working. This decision was made following a decline in Covid-19 cases throughout Scotland in the last week. From […]
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scottish Government Update On COVID Information
COVID-19: Scotland’s move to beyond level 0 (employment implications) The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/277) came into force on 9 August 2021, revoking Scotland’s protection levels system and allowing all businesses and venues (including those required to remain closed at level 0) to open, with no curfews, gathering limits or physical […]
Self-Isolation Exemptions for Essential Business
Changes are being made to self-isolation rules for close contacts of COVID cases, allowing essential staff in critical roles to return to work to maintain lifeline services and critical national infrastructure. It will be possible to apply to exempt those who work in critical roles where staff shortages are in danger of putting essential services, […]
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scotland’s move to level 0
No doubt you will already be aware that, yesterday, the First Minister confirmed that all parts of Scotland will move to Level 0 on 19 July, but with certain modifications to the original indicative plans as a result of the challenges posed by the Delta variant. A summary of the main changes which are likely […]
Coronavirus (COVID-19): right to work checks
The Home Office has announced that the adjustments to right to work checks introduced during the pandemic have been extended until 31 August 2021. Home Office guidance has been updated and can be found here. From 1 September employers must revert to face to face and physical document checks as set out in legislation and guidance. […]
Updated Manufacturing Sector Guidance (28th June 2021)
The Scottish Government has updated their coronavirus manufacturing sector guidance, and a link to the updated Guidance and Operational Checklist can be found here. The following sections have been updated: Overview, Where We Are Now, Ventilation, Information for People on the Shielding List, Working from Home, Test & Protect, Vaccination, Outbreak Management, Enhanced Hygiene, Face Coverings, […]
Latest on COVID-19 Testing
With restrictions easing and infection rates a concern in many areas, COVID-19 testing is more important than ever, The Scottish Government has provided the latest guidance on the need for testing: Lateral Flow Kits Free lateral flow kits are now available to everyone in Scotland for twice-weekly asymptomatic testing, and these will be available for pick […]
Member’s Briefing – Returning to work safely
With today’s significant easing of restrictions, the Scottish Government has developed a toolkit to support businesses returning and reopening. Please find attached the Helping your business to reopen safely toolkit. This contains links to posters and digital assets that can be used to promote the latest guidance and regulations to employees and customers. They should […]
Scottish Engineering Breakfast Catch Up Webinar
During these strange and isolating times, it is easy to feel anxious or upset. With the world weathering the coronavirus storm, it has never been more important to savour some more upbeat moments in our working day. So please join our Zoom link for our Scottish Engineering Breakfast Catch Up on the morning of Friday […]
Job Retention Compensation Scheme
As briefed the portal to lodge claims opened on Monday. We wanted to draw your attention to the ‘What can be claimed’ section of the revised guidance. Previously the guidelines contained reference to ‘past overtime’ which could form part of the claim whether discretionary or not and the broad interpretation was that ‘guaranteed […]
Can You Offer PPE To Help?
Many of you may be aware of the ongoing generosity of Scottish businesses in the donation of PPE equipment to the NHS, and a member in Central Scotland has been in touch to share how their offer to donate available PPE has been warmly received by the NHS Board they contacted. Wider supply chain efforts […]
Holiday Amendment Regs
Holiday Amendment Regs The Working Time (Coronavirus)(Amendment) Regulations 2020 The government has announced it will permit workers to carry over up to four weeks annual leave into the next two leave years (EU leave). The additional 1.6 weeks statutory leave are not covered by these Regulations although this can be carried over for up to […]
Furlough Leave Letter Template
The Government has announced a mechanism whereby, where companies or employers are considering redundancy or other job losses, the Government will provide up to 80% of their wage, capped at a rate of £2500. As yet, we don’t have all of the details of the scheme. Members’ will be updated as these become available. At […]
Coronavirus – What should employers do?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently declared the outbreak of coronavirus which originated in Wuhan, China as a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’. Steps are being taken at points of entry to the UK and beyond to identify and potentially quarantine people who may be a risk. There are lots of sensationalist […]
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IR35 – Change in Tax Implications for Employing Contractors through Personal Service Companies
In April 2020 the Government is changing the IR35 regulations, which will mirror the changes to Public Sector rules in 2017. In essence, the change will provide new rules surrounding ‘off payroll’ workers. This change relates to contractors who contract through an intermediary – this can be an umbrella company (who are the ‘de facto’ […]
Help – my employee has disappeared!
One of our common queries is what to do if an employee simply stops coming into work, and stops contacting us; this could be during a period of absence, or just simply ‘ghosting’ us, In days gone by, employers might simply have deemed the employee to have resigned, despite the only indication being their non-attendance. […]
Working with a Recognised Trade Union
In the UK, employees and employers make their own individual employment agreements with each other and collective employment ‘rights’ are not legally enforceable unless a collective agreement is specifically incorporated into an employee’s contract. This is in contrast to the law in many other EU member states. The legal right to conduct collective bargaining is […]
Improving Workplace Resource Flexibility
There are very few businesses where work is constant – with no significant feasts or famine, and even fewer businesses where the annual workload can be planned and executed with sufficient and foresight such that variations in workload can be reflected in variations in resources. Whilst increases in workload, temporary or longer term present challenges, […]
Apprentices – Risk and Reward
For many reasons, investing in an apprentice programme is not just of commercial and business benefit, but speaks of a business interested in managing its own long term needs, and willing to invest in people who may be their future employees – or may well contribute the health of the sector in other companies. Investing […]
