The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has put in place changes designed to make the mandatory reporting of workplace injuries simpler for businesses. The changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, which took effect from 1 October, are intended to clarify reporting requirements while ensuring that the data collected… Read more…

Hundreds of British food and drink firms are set to benefit from a new exports action plan that aims to deliver a £500 million boost to the UK economy. The Food and Drink International Action Plan will be delivered by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra),… Read more…

More than 1.6 million people have started saving for retirement under the government’s auto-enrolment initiative. The rollout of automatic enrolment of eligible employees into qualifying workplace pension schemes began on 1 October 2012 with the largest employers. All employers will be brought on board by 2018, giving up to 11 million people the chance to… Read more…

Legislation is on its way that will cut the costs of every business and charity employer by hundreds of pounds next year. The National Insurance Contributions Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons on 14 October, will cut national insurance contributions by £2,000 for up to 1.25 million employers. Around 450,000 businesses –… Read more…

The UK’s small businesses will step into the spotlight for a special day celebrating what they have to offer next month. The country’s Small Business Saturday, which will take place on 7 December, is inspired by a similar US initiative that generated $5.5 billion in sales in 2012. The event is supported by the government… Read more…

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has put the estimated tax gap – the difference between tax due and what is actually collected – at £35 billion for 2011-12. The figure, announced on 11 October, represents seven per cent of tax due and continues a consistent downward trend in the size of the gap over the… Read more…

UK food and drink businesses are being urged to tap into a growing international market for their products and boost their turnover by up to 20 per cent. A week-long, government-backed focus on the sector, which began on 23 September, included two webinars, one featuring successful British exporters Hawkshead Relish and Typhoo Tea sharing their… Read more…

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published guidance to help businesses put in place appropriate arrangements following changes to first aid regulations. Amended Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 that took effect from 1 October 2013 remove the requirement for the HSE to approve first aid training and qualifications. The HSE’s Andy McGrory,… Read more…

Businesses and individuals affected by insolvency are set to benefit from moves to bring insolvency rules into the 21st century. In a consultation document published on 26 September, the Insolvency Service proposes streamlining 24 different rules and regulations and harmonising processes, such as meetings of creditors, which apply across different insolvency procedures, to make them… Read more…

Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced plans for reforms to make sure directors face “the strongest possible consequences” if they act improperly. Dr Cable said on 16 September that he planned to introduce legislation, before the current Parliament ended, to bring in proposals including: strengthening rules to give investors and creditors the confidence that rogue… Read more…