Our legal expert provides some useful information to help you plan any events linked into the Queen’s Jubille or Olympics

Use of Diamond Jubilee names, titles and emblem.

Issues, arrangements and time off during the Olympics and Parlaympics.

Use of Olympics and Paralympics name, symbols, mascots etc. To put it briefly, DON’T.

Restrictions on fundraising near Olympic and Paralympic sites.

Roots HR is (as far as we know) the only ‘not for personal profit’ social enterprise specialising in HR in the UK.  The service is very professionable and rates are very competitive.

They offer a free 1 hour consultancy which can be specific to an issue or a more general review of policies.

With the current climate, changes in employment law, employee rights, pensions, etc you may want to check them out.

Visit their website

Updates from our legal expert on the employment rights of parents and carers:

• Increases in maternity, paternity and adoption pay (from 6 April).
• A case concerning time off for dependants, illustrating the importance of understanding employees’ statutory rights and ensuring policies are clear and understood.
• Extension of unpaid parental leave (from March 2013).

Plus, future developments:

• Proposals for paid parental leave to be shared between parents (possibly April 2015).
• Proposal for fathers/partners to be able to take time off for antenatal appointments (possibly April 2015).

BIS has issued a “Call for evidence” on proposals to simplify dismissal procedures, and for a compensated no-fault dismissal for employers with fewer than 10 employees. Closing date 8 June.

Resources on clarifying and improving the status and rights of interns and people on work placements.

Employer’s charter updated to include sickness absence and recruitment.

The right to request time off for training is not to be extended to employers with fewer than 250 employees at least until April 2015.

Several updates from our legal expert on HMRC guidance on

• HMRC ‘fit and proper persons test’ to be extended to all tax reliefs and exemptions for charities and what all charities need to do to ensure they comply with the new fit and proper persons rules.
• Gift aid – an array of updates
• The Tainted Donation rules
• The end of donating to charities through self assessment tax returns
• Reduced inheritance tax for donors who give 10% or more of their estate to charities.
• Tax relief on charitable payments to overseas bodies.

New Act

The Charities Act 2011 came into force from 14 March. It does not change charity law, but annual accounts and other formal documents that include references to the Charities Acts 1993 or 2006 should from now include references to the 2011 act. More info here

Registration

From 1 March all supporting documents for charity registration must be sent as PDFs with the online application. More info and a rant from our legal expert.

PS: Have a look at this rather unexciting but helpful video on How to create a PDF for free

Strategy & Priorities

Details of the Charity Commission strategic priorities and risk framework for 2012-2015 – and what it will mean for individual charities.

Latest news on the Bill

The new Public Services (Social Value) Bill received Royal Assent on 8 March. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law).

Summary of the Bill

The Bill aims to strengthen the social enterprise business sector and make the concept of ‘social value’ more relevant and important in the placement and provision of public services.

Key areas

• Places a duty on the Secretary of State to publish a ‘national social enterprise strategy’ to encourage engagement in social enterprise
• Amends Section 4 of the Local Government Act 2000 so that local authorities are required to include in their sustainable community strategy proposals for promoting engagement with social enterprise in their area. They must also include a statement of the measures suggested to enable social enterprise to participate in implementing these proposals
• Requires local authorities, when entering into public procurement contracts, to give greater consideration to economic, social or environmental wellbeing during the pre-procurement stage.

The new law will require public bodies including councils, for the first time, to consider the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of an area when a service is commissioned.

Social Enterprise UK has produced a useful brief guide to the new legislation for Commissioners and Social Enterprises.

Download: Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 Guide

Statutory sick pay

Statutory sick pay is going up to £85.85 per week from 6 April – not £135.45 as I said in my “In the pipeline” article. Statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will be £135.45 as stated.

Pension auto-enrolment

Updated guidance on workplace pensions and auto-enrolment issued by the Pensions Regulator on 10 February.

VAT on agency temps – implications for staff on secondements?

Reed Employment Ltd decision on VAT, applying to VAT on charges by employment agency, may also have implications for organisations which provide their own employees to other organisations, then charge the receiving organisation for the employee’s salary and related costs.

Consolidation of charity legislation

Charities Act 2011, consolidating most existing charity legislation, comes into effect on 14 March

Review of the Charities Act

Lord Hodgson issues calls for evidence for Charities Act review.

Work-related injuries and illness only have to be reported if they cause absence or incapacitation (inability to carry out normal duties) of over 7 days, rather than over 3 days as at present (but records must still be kept for over-3-day injuries and illness). Reporting time is increased from 10 to 15 days.

Department for Education Guidance for schools, primarily about school trips but also including issues like barring abusive parents from school. HSE leaflet on tackling the myths about school trips.

HSE first aid at work leaflet.

HSE and other guidance, including a basics of h&s website for small organisations, updated guidance on h&s for homeworkers and for new and expectant mothers, revised interactive office risk assessment tool, and Royal College of Psychiatrists website for people starting or returning to work after a period of mental ill health.