Practical workshop announced to help businesses with employment law

26 November 2009

Email article : Print article : More articles like this

With employment legislation small firms' costliest bureaucratic burden at a staggering £2.4 billion per year, help is available in a free practical employment law workshop being run by the Knutsford-based FPB and Mace and Jones solicitors.

In addition to providing practical support and guidance, the breakfast workshop will outline both recent and imminent changes to employment legislation.

According to the FPB's recent ‘cost of compliance' survey, employment law outranked health and safety (£2.1 billion per year) and tax (£1.8 billion) as the most onerous administrative chore faced by small business owners, who spend an average of 37 hours per month wading through red tape.

The survey found that smaller-business employers spend £259m per year on work associated with dismissals and redundancy. They spend a further £391m on absence control and management, £237m on maternity, £333m on disciplinary issues, and £1,175m on holidays and any other remaining aspects of employment legislation.

At £272 million small firms in the North West face the third-highest annual bill in the UK for dealing with employment law after companies in the South East and central London. Matt Goodman, the FPB's Policy Representative, urged firms to sign up to the workshop.

"Cash flow is the lifeblood of all businesses and firms in the North West continue to struggle because of the unstable economic climate, yet employment red tape remains one of the costliest barriers they face," said Mr Goodman. "The Forum of Private Business is lobbying the Government to create a regulatory environment suited to stability and growth, but it also important to provide business owners with the best guidance possible."

"Through our partnership with Mace and Jones we are committed to working with small businesses on our doorstep in order to arm them with advice, information and support via our practical employment law workshop."

The FPB is also supporting small businesses via its newly-updated Employment Guide, which contains guidance on every aspect of employment, and practical help on complying with the law.

In addition, earlier this year, the FPB launched www.smallbusinesschannel.co.uk to provide entrepreneurs with free, concise, video-based information on business-related issues including employment law.

The site's content includes advice on employment legislation from the FPB's employment adviser and non-executive director, Jane Caven, of Northwich-based consultancy Sagegreen.

The workshop is being held at the Cottons Hotel and Spa, Manchester Road, Knutsford, on Thursday, 3rd December from 8.30am to 10am.

The speakers will be Mace and Jones' Sue Ensall and Anne Greenwood. Both are employment solicitors with a wealth of experience advising employers on all aspects of employment law and how to apply it in a practical and pragmatic way.

To book a place call Sue Jordan at the FPB on 01565 626 010. Alternatively, email your name, business name and telephone number to sue.jordan@fpb.org

Email:
eNewsletter archive

Practical workshop announced to help businesses with employment law

Related articles