Protect

To access these services please visit the protection page on the Chamber website or call our membership team on 01223 237414.

CHAMBER FOUR SERVICES

As a Chamber member you have unlimited access to four services - HR, Legal, Health & Safety and Tax. This includes: 5 Advice Lines – HR, legal, health & safety, tax and VAT 3 Document Libraries – HR, Legal, Health & Safety that contains almost 800 templated documents £1,000,000 Legal Expenses Insurance – includes employment cover and Tax Enquiry cover

Visit https://chambercambs.questcover.com/login or call the helpline on 01455 852037. If you don’t know your log-in details to access this service, please give the team a call on 01223 237414.

THE LATEST HOT TOPICS ARE:

TRANSPORT DISRUPTION

Does an employer have to pay employees for working hours missed because of transport disruption?

Be aware that there may be various issues and it may not be as simple as employees not being able to get in to work. How does it effect a hybrid working model? Can employees take annual leave? What if there are childcare issues? What if your business had to close for the day. Employers would be within their rights to refuse to pay an employee who does not get in to work, but that may not be the best course of action. The employer needs robust policies to cover all these eventualities

TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION

Do you know that you could be accused of transgender discrimination if you refuse to address a transgender person by their chosen pronoun?

You need to ensure you understand the current situation and ensure you have a well drafted policy in place that complies with current case law. Failure to have correct policy in place and to ensure your staff understand correct behaviour can lead to claims of discrimination and unfair dismissal.

COST OF LIVING SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYEES

Does an employer have a duty of care to their employees to support them during the cost-of-living crisis?

Be aware that failure to support employees could open an employer to claims of negligence, failure to uphold employee health & safety or protection of employee’s mental health. Employers should ensure they have appropriate policies in place and consider offering an employee assistance scheme.

IS REDUNDANCY THE ONLY OPTION?

Do you need to reduce your business costs? Are you considering redundancy as the only viable option?

Be aware that losing skilled workers could cause you serious issues in the near future, especially with the current challenges in recruitment. Also, the staff you let go may well end up working for a competitor! There are several options to redundancy so why not find out what they are by speaking to our advisors. If you have any questions, concerns or problems regarding any of these matters please call the Chamber HR advice line on 01455 852037 or visit https://chambercambs.questcover.com/login