Human Resources and Health & Safety Support
The Accountsmith works alongside both Evergreen HR and You Can Do It Training. To provide you with the most up-to-date legislation when employing staff.
You may well be aware, with the Labour Government Manifesto 2024, they have made a number of pledges which will in essence, increase employee rights. Which would pose an increased risk to employers if they were to fall foul of the law. We wanted to share with you a snapshot of these proposed changes and will keep you and our website updated as things progress:
This means that employees can make a claim against an employer for unfair dismissal from Day One of the employment rather than the 2 year qualifying period as is currently the case.
Labour aims to strengthen family friendly rights by making all types of family friendly leave, including maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption, carers, parental, and bereavement leave, available from day one of employment. Additional measures include:
Making it unlawful to dismiss a person for 6 months after returning from family friendly leave, except in specific circumstances.
Clarifying and potentially strengthening carers' leave and bereavement leave rights.
Labour proposes merging the employee and worker statuses into a single status of worker, granting the full array of employment rights to all workers. This would result in 2 statuses: worker and self-employed.
Labour also plans to strengthen rights for self employed contractors by granting them the right to receive a written contract, taking action against late payments and extending health and safety protections.
Labour proposes introducing a right for all workers to disconnect outside of working hours. This initiative is inspired by similar laws in countries like Ireland and Belgium. Key aspects include:
A right not to routinely perform work outside normal working hours.
A right not to be penalised for refusing to attend to work matters outside normal working hours.
A duty to respect another person's right to disconnect
These models do not impose a blanket ban on out-of-hours contact but allow employers and workers to agree on boundaries.
Labour proposes to end ‘one sided’ flexibility and ensure all jobs provide a baseline level of security and predictability, banning exploitative zero hours contracts and ensuring everyone has the right to have a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work, based on a 12 week reference period.
As mentioned above, this is purely a snapshot and there will be more changes coming.
"Sue at Evergreen HR has always provided the support we need as and when required. Her knowledge, experience and understanding in the HR field is excellent and is always on hand to provide advice and support when required.
We have been most pleased with the service that Evergreen HR provides; straight answers to the questions you ask. When requesting advice, Sue's knowledge is a great support to our business"
The burden on employers for compliance with health & safety laws is huge in ensuring the wellbeing of their workforce, reducing workplace accidents, and preventing injuries or illnesses. Compliance is not only a legal obligation but also a moral duty, demonstrating a commitment to providing a safe work environment. Failure to adhere to these laws can result in significant legal penalties, financial losses, and reputational damage. Moreover, a safe workplace enhances employee morale, productivity, and retention. By prioritising health and safety, employers can foster a positive organizational culture, minimise risks, and protect both their employees and their business.
Did you know that 1.8 million working people suffer from a work-related illness, of which:
875,000 workers suffering work-related stress, depression or anxiety
473,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder
2,257 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures
138 workers killed in work-related accidents (2023/24)
561,000 working people sustained an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
60,645 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR (every business owner should have FULL visibility and know their obligations of RIDDOR)
35.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
£20.7 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions
The average cost to a business for stress-related illness is substantial, with absenteeism, reduced productivity, and turnover being significant contributors. In the UK, stress-related conditions account for approximately £1,300 per employee annually in lost productivity and healthcare costs.
“As a global company we are 100% committed to occupational health and safety across our international estate so it’s absolutely essential that health and safety management training hits our objectives and is delivered to a high standard. You Can Do It .Training worked with us to do exactly that. We held a number of meetings to discuss our objectives and to talk through the coordination of how the course could be delivered across the different sites and time zones, but they made it easy for us. They were accommodating, fantastic to work with and the training was delivered to an extremely high standard meeting our exact objectives. I would highly recommend them and their team.”
At the Accountsmith, we strongly believe in the importance of building long-term relationships with an enthusiasm for understanding your goals, together, helping you understand and grow your business which is why we have partnered up withEvergreen HRHR (providing HR and Health & Safety Consultancy) andYou Can Do It TrainingTraining (providing Health & Safety Training, Drugs & Alcohol Testing and a
Virtual HR Manager) to provide you with specialist support and advice in the above areas.
We have managed to secure a special rate for our loyal clients:
We will come onsite and conduct an audit HR and Health & Safety requirements and provide you with a comprehensive report outlining any problem areas and key action points. We will provide you with 4 e-learning Health & Safety modules. The current retail price for this package is £995 plus VAT. For our lovely Accountsmith clients, you will pay £795 plus VAT.
As above, and in addition, we will update your documents to ensure that they are compliant with current HR and Health & Safety legislation. We will provide you with 10 e-learning Health & Safety modules. The current retail price for this package is £1,745 plus VAT. For our lovely Accountsmith clients, you will pay £1,595 plus VAT.
And your own bespoke e-learning platform. Price available based on individual requirements.
Additionally, if you'd like to benefit from ongoing HR support with a difference, we offer a Virtual HR Management Solution which has been designed to empower businesses of all sizes, from startups to established enterprises, our cutting-edge solution is your key to streamlined, stressfree HR management.
Access your HR management tools from anywhere, anytime. Our cloud-based solution,HR Pulse, provides flexibility and security, allowing you to stay connected on the go.
Trusted by diverse sectors, our software has a track record of optimising HR processes, boosting productivity, and enhancing employee satisfaction
Stay ahead of regulation. Our software is designed with compliance in mind, keeping your HR practices aligned with the latest legal requirements.
Grow with confidence. Whether you're a small startup or a medium enterprise, our solution scales with your business needs.
Your success is our priority. Benefit from our dedicated support team, ready to assist you at every step.
"HR Pulse has all the tools required to ensure HR issues are dealt with effectively and in line with current legislation.
The folder structure for HR documentation provides transparency to all employees, allowing easy access to company policies, procedures and correspondence.
We have also introduced Birthday shout outs to our team using HR Pulse, which is a nice little touch to bring our workforce together.
Overall, I would highly recommend HR Pulse. It's provided our business with a fully comprehensive system to deal with all HR at a fraction of the cost of a full-time HR Manager".
"HR Pulse is an excellent piece of software that provides all the essential tools to manage staff effectively. The resources it offers are second to none.HR Pulse does more than just to store employee information, it also provides simple to use and interactive HR support and advice".