Taking Care of Lone Workers

According to the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), more than six million UK employees work without supervision or in isolated conditions, and a high proportion of these work in situations or locations that pose a considerable risk.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers are required to guarantee the safety of their staff. If you employ lone workers, or any of your staff may be at particular risk, maybe because they are in contact with potentially violent behaviour or they work late at night or early in the morning, then the following information may prove very useful.

Free Guide for Employers of Lone Workers

If you employ lone or vulnerable workers, you may be interested to read the free BSIA publication Lone Workers: An Employer’s Guide. This sets out your legal obligations and offers easy to follow advice.

There is also an annual exhibition, the Lone Worker Safety Expo 2015, held every November at the Olympia Conference Centre in London. This year it takes place on Tuesday 24^th November 2015.

Security Measures

Security is clearly a major consideration and there are numerous measures and products available that are specifically designed or suited to lone or vulnerable worker situations.

You should always consult a security professional who will carry out a tailored risk assessment at your premises and produce a security plan bespoke to your needs. This will usually incorporate a number of security measures, which might include:

Access Control: a system that allows only authorised personnel to access given areas.

Door Entry Systems: these give you precise control over who can enter and leave the building.

Electronic Locking Systems: whether you lock in to protect or lock out to prevent unwanted access, these systems can be combined with intruder and fire alarms and CCTV to provide a comprehensive safety net.

Panic Alarms: staff can call for urgent assistance using a panic button, either from another staff member, security or the emergency services.

Lone worker safety is a major issue. Talk to your security consultants and have them tailor you a plan to protect your valued staff. Need a recommendation? Your bookkeepers will be able to guide you in the right direction.

Petition to Halt New Tax on Share Dividends

As of April 2016, notional 10% tax credit on dividends will be abolished. Instead, a £5,000 tax-free dividend allowance will be brought in. Dividends above this level will be taxed at 7.5% on the basic rate, 32.5% on the higher rate and 38.1% on the additional rate.

The changes, announced in the Chancellor’s summer budget, have been met by much furore amongst the small business community, and a campaign has been launched with the aim of attracting the support of 100,000 business leaders via signatures on a petition. Once that figure is reached, the campaign will be considered for debate in Parliament.

70,000 Signatures Still Needed

Launched on September 10 by small business owner Serena Humphrey of financial Nottingham based training company The F Word, the petition has so far been signed by almost 30,000 people.

Serena said, “There is massive interest in scrapping the tax on dividends and helping small and medium-sized enterprises have a better chance of surviving. We’re asking the Government to reconsider the tax.”

Serena points out that pension auto-enrolment, the increase in the Minimum Wage and insurance premium tax and the new Living Wage for the over 25s will make it even more of a challenge for smaller companies to survive. “This dividend tax is an attack too far on small businesses,” she says, continuing: “Those profits have already been taxed at 20 per cent, so this 7.5 per cent tax means we’re paying 27.5 per cent tax, well above the basic rate.”

Where to Find the Petition

If you agree with Serena and would like to sign the petition you can do so by following this link: http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/106525. The deadline is 24 February 2016. The Government’s response to the campaign can also be read by following the same link.

If you are concerned as to how the new dividend taxation system will affect your business finances, don’t hesitate to discuss the matter with your bookkeepers who will be able to explain the potential effects in your particular situation.

Important Considerations for Employers of Remote Workers

The Office for National Statistics reports that 13.9 per cent of UK workers carry out their jobs remotely. That translates as 4.2 million people, and it is a figure that is on the rise.

As an employer offering remote working, you will enjoy numerous benefits, but there are a lot of considerations to take into account, from data protection and insurance to health and safety.

Data Protection

Any loss of data through a breach of security, theft or malicious attack can be deemed a breach of the Data Protection Act.

With remote workers, it can be difficult to lock down the security of your data. You will no doubt be using a cloud based network, which will need to be carefully set up and meticulously monitored to ensure its security. Of course, privacy laws will need to be considered as part of this monitoring.

One question that regularly arises is what degree of control you allow your worker when it comes to setting up and using technology. For example, would you prefer things like email set up, security settings, software configuration and device locking to be left to the member of staff, or controlled by your IT department? The latter would tend to be the safer option of course, but may mean more pressure for IT personnel.

Security

It is a good idea to pay a visit to your remote workers’ premises so you can run an audit on security measures and if necessary, make any recommendations for improvements. You’ll want to ensure physical work related articles are protected against flood or fire and of course, theft. Ideally any paperwork containing sensitive data should be kept locked away, as should any devices used to store data, such as tablets, laptops or portable drives.

It is good practice to issue written guidelines to your workers setting out rules such as storing anything sensitive in an insurance graded safe overnight or whilst not in use, and keeping paperwork in a locked, fire-resistant filing cabinet.

Health & Safety

Regardless of where they work, you are responsible for the health and safety of your employees.

If your staff work at a desk using display screen equipment (DSE) then you will need to comply with The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. These regulations stipulate that if you have provided the workstation, then you must make sure that it meets minimum requirements, and you must carry out a risk assessment. If you did not provide the workstation, then you are still required to issue advice on the safe use of any equipment and safe working practice.

If you are in any doubt over your duties as an employer of remote workers, why not have a chat with your bookkeepers? They’ll be able to inform you of the steps to take, and put you in touch with any other professional for advice on the law, security and insurance.