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This section lists general updates that we think are important for VCS organisations to know about. You can also click on the different sections to see specific areas, such as HR and Governance.
Pay Progression
The CIPD has issued a factsheet entitled Pay Progression.
The factsheet discusses the how pay progression is the "real" growth in pay, after pay increases for cost of living, the impact of pay structures on individual pay progression, methods of determining pay progression (service related increments, age-related increments, individual performance-related pay (merit pay), team performance pay, organisational performance, competency pay, skills-based pay, market rates, incidence of pay progression arrangements), controlling pay progression and other issues which may arise in the process.
The factsheet can be viewed here
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Pay Structures
The CIPD has issued a factsheet entitled Pay Structures.
The factsheet looks at the rationale for pay structures, multiple v single pay structures, types of pay structures, the incidence of pay structures and creating and revising pay structures.
The factsheet can be viewed here
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Employers' Liability Insurance
The Health and Safety Executive have updated their guidance on employers' liability insurance.
"Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. A guide for employers" discusses what employers' liability insurance is, the position on employers' liability insurance if the employer has employees abroad, how much cover will be required, telling employees about employers' liability insurance, retention of insurance certificates and what happens if an employer does not have employers' liability insurance.
The guidance can be viewed at here
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Display Screen Equipment Checklist
The HSE has issued a checklist of factors which should be considered when doing a "display screen equipment" (DSE) assessment.
The checklist will be useful for anyone responsible for the health and safety of staff using a VDU and looks at problems to look for when making an assessment and ways of reducing each risk.
The checklist can be viewed here
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Company Law Changes
As from 1st October the following changes in company law have come into effect:
Displaying the Company Name
The company's registered name must be visible to visitors at the company's registered office, any other place where the company carries on business unless the place is used primarily as living accommodation.
This changes the previous requirement that the name had to be on the outside the building, or visible from the outside during normal working hours. The location of the name still has to be visible to members of the public, and be big enough to be read with the naked eye, and so should be displayed in a reception area or similar location.
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Minimum Age for Directors
Company directors must now be at least 16 years old although they can be appointed before they reach age of 16 provided the appointment does not take effect until they are 16.
Any director who is under 16 on 1 October 2008 automatically will have ceased to be a director.
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Financial Services Compensation Scheme
The Charity Commission has issued guidance on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and on the Icelandic situation entitled “Financial Services Compensation Fund: What it means for charities".
This guidance can be seen here and here
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Gift Aid Guide
The Charity Finance Directors Group and accountancy specialists Sayer Vincent have produced 'Gift Aid made simple'. To download a copy of the leaflet (69KB) click here
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National Minimum Wage Rates from October
The national minimum wage rates are increased from 1st October to workers aged 22 and over - £5.73 per hour, workers aged 18-21 - £4.77 per hour and workers aged 16-17 - £3.53 per hour.
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Redundancy: a simplified guide
'Redundancy: a simplified guide' has been produced by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the document claims that it "provides an overview of procedures, rights and entitlements in redundancy proceedings".
To download a copy of the leaflet (195 KB) click here
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Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey
The CIPD has published the 2008 version of its annual survey on "Recruitment, retention and turnover"
It covers recruiting employees, checking candidate applications, web 2.0 and recruitment, diversity and labour turnover.
To view the survey click here
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Employee Turnover and Retention
The CIPD has updated its factsheet on employee turnover and retention.
The factsheet discusses when employee turnover becomes problematic, explains how to measure employee turnover and retention and how to cost employee turnover, sets out why people leave organisations and provides advice on improving employee retention
To view the factsheet click here
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Job Evaluation: Considerations and Risks
ACAS has issued an advisory booklet entitled Job evaluation: considerations and risks.
The booklet discusses what job evaluation is, the issues an organisation needs to consider before it undertakes a job evaluation exercise, building a job evaluation scheme and includes an appendix on job evaluation and the law
To view the booklet click here
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Teamworking
The CIPD has updated its factsheet on teamworking.
The factsheet looks at what a team is and the different types of team, discusses the benefits of teamworking, looks at the stages of team development, identifies the characteristics of effective teams, looks at team roles (personality types) and team selection, discusses team size, team leadership, team training and learning and team reward.
To view the factsheet click here
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Smoking at Work
The CIPD has updated its factsheet on smoking at work.
The factsheet looks at the legal position and discusses the effect of the new legislation, what the smoking ban means for employers, the effect of the smoking ban in Scotland and Ireland (where smoking has been banned in the workplace for some time), discusses how to develop a policy and the enforcement of the ban and outlines the penalties for failing to enforce a smoking ban.
To view the factsheet click here
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Psychological Testing
The CIPD has updated its factsheet on psychological testing.
The factsheet looks at what psychological testing is, training on test use, tests delivered online, establishing a policy on test use, selecting a psychological test, issues to be considered in test use, monitoring, psychological testing and disability and legal matters.
To view the factsheet click here
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Working Time and Leave
The CIPD has updated its factsheet on working time and leave.
The factsheet discusses hours worked (including overtime)and the UK's long hours culture, holidays (including the legal position) and special leave (including public duties, court service, trade union duties and activities, military training and service as a member of the Territorial Army, maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave and personal and domestic leave).
To view the factsheet click here
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Creating a Learning and Development Plan
A workbook about how to create a learning and development plan for a third sector organisation has been produced by sector support umbrella body NAVCA. The Get Skilled Workbook is aimed at those working with local groups.
To download the workbook (1.59MB) click here
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Charitable Incorporated Organisation
A long-awaited consultation on the new corporate form for charities created under the Charities Act 2006, the Charitable Incorporated Organisation, is now under way.
It is being run jointly by the Office of the Third Sector and the Charity Commission, it covers details of what the new form might look like and the rules a CIO will have to follow.
The consultation closes on 10th December 2008.
The Charity Commission’s guide can be found by clicking here, and the consultation details here
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Learning from Charity Commission's Regulatory Work
The Charity Commission has a new annual report bringing together the themes and wider issues arising from its regulatory work. Trends identified include lack of procedures to protect vulnerable beneficiaries, poor basic accounting and reporting causing long-term problems, and overlooking the basics of good governance.
To download a copy of the booklet (407KB) click here
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Corporate Names to be Regulated by the Companies Act
From 1 October 2008, corporate names will be regulated by Part 5 of the Companies Act 2006.
A new right is provided for third parties to complain of the choice of a company name before a new body, the Company Names Adjudicator, based at the UK IPO (Intellectual Property Office).
This new right enables an objection to be made to a company’s registered name on the basis that it is either “the same as a name associated with the applicant in which he has goodwill” or “sufficiently similar” that it would be likely to mislead when used in the UK by “suggesting a connection between the company and the applicant”.
The complaint is based upon a “name” associated with the complainant, so can apply to a wide range of rights: company names, trading names, brand names and registered trade marks.
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Governance in Children's Organisations
The National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisations has published, with help from the Governance Hub, 'Governing for Children: A beginner’s guide to governance in the children, young people and families voluntary sector'. There are focused real-life examples of particular relevance to any committee members of smaller organisations involved with children.
To download the guide (1.59MB) click here
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Joining Up for Stronger Voice for Health and Social Care Users
National Voices is a new umbrella organisation bringing together national voluntary organisations representing users of health and social care "to give them a stronger voice in policy-making".
It aims to ensure the service user is heard at the beginning of the policy-making process.
Their website can be found here
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Online advice for older people and their carers
A service that provides a single source of information on care, housing and funding for older people has been created by a coalition of Help the Aged, Counsel and Care and the Elderly Accommodation Counsel.
It is provided through the FirstStop web site which can be found here
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Health and Safety Benchmarking Tool
The Health and Safety Executive has issued a web-based benchmarking tool which employers may use to measure their health and safety performance.
There are two tools, one for employers with more than 250 staff, and one for those with fewer than this. The employer answers a number of questions and they are then presented with a personalised report outlining what aspects of health and safety they are good at, and which could be improved.
It is then possible to anonymously compare the organisation with similar employers.
The website can be found here
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Get Fit for Mobile Working
BT Business has published guidance entitled Get Fit for Mobile Working.
The guide looks at some of the health issues which may arise from using new technologies in the workplace (whether that be in an office or at home).
It looks at some of the potential issues caused by mobile working, good posture, comfortably viewing a screen, breaks and reducing stress, comfortably using hand held devices, comfortably using a laptop computer and choosing equipment.
The guidance is available in two versions.
To view the full guidance click here
To view an "at a glance" guide click here
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