Clearview North April 2014 - Issue 149 | Page 88

BUSINESSNEWS BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL WELCOMES NEW H&W SERVICE The British Safety Council has welcomed the launch of the Government’s Health and Work Service, which will offer noncompulsory medical assessments and treatment plans to those sick and off work for more than four weeks. This scheme will apply to England, Wales and Scotland. At present, staff who are off work for more than four weeks are considered to be long-term sick and entitled to Statutory Sick Pay of almost £90 per week from their employers. This will not change. Under the scheme, employers or GPs will be able to refer employees for a work-focused occupational health assessment. This is intended to identify the issues preventing an employee from returning to work and draw up a plan for them, their GP and their employer, recommending how the employee can be helped back to work more quickly. This may include fitness for work advice, medical care, working from home or retraining. The scheme, which it is estimated will save companies up to £70m a year in reduced sickness pay and related costs, is not compulsory. Workers will be allowed to refuse to be assessed or to follow any course of action or treatment recommended. Alex Botha (pictured), chief executive of the British Safety Council, said: “This latest initiative is a valuable contribution in helping to address the issues preventing employees returning to work. It is important to remember that prevention is better than cure. So the focus should remain on preventing sickness absence in the first place. The British Safety Council will continue to play its part in gathering the evidence concerning the real cost of injury and ill health at work and the benefits to business that result from putting place sensible and proportionate measures to manage risks to health and safety.” “The benefits to the business of managing occupational health and wellbeing effectively can be shown in various ways including a reduction in sickness absence per employee, reducing lost production time, savings in insurance premiums, lower labour turnover and reduced liability and reduced legal costs. We published a guide to assist businesses in doing this in 2013 called ‘The business case of OSH interventions’. Businesses can witness the ‘Power of the Chamber’ at IFB 2014 in Liverpool Liverpool Chamber of Commerce has held a launch event to promote its high profile two day seminar – ‘The Power of the Chamber Global Network’ - at the International Festival for Business. Twenty local businesses were invited to the lunchtime event at the Hard Day’s Night to enjoy pancakes and find out more about the chamber’s flagship event. Andy Snell, Director of International Trade, said: “This is just a part of our journey to assist businesses to connect with high growth markets and increase exports, through video conferences, seminars prior to IFB and our EU funded new exporter programme and ultimately Trade Missions after IFB when businesses are ready.“ “Businesses in Wirral, Sefton and Liverpool have great products, services and stories to tell and we want to work with them to connect to new markets. “Overseas representatives from South East Asia, Latin America, Europe and USA have 88 APR 2014 ‘Businesses in Wirrel, Sefton and Liverpool have great products, services and stories to tell’ confirmed their attendance at the event in July ready to continue the conversations already established during video conferences leading up to the festival, with the aim of developing sustained and profitable partnerships.“ The two day event, which will be held on 15th - 16th July at the new Rum Warehouse in Stanley Dock, will be a high profile event for 300 delegate’s showcasing representatives from overseas chambers and trade associations from across the world’s high growth markets. The event will culminate in a gala dinner back at the Rum Warehouse, giving attendees an opportunity to continue to network. Businesses are being urged not to wait for the festival but to ‘Get Fit for IFB’ taking part in awareness sessions and video conferences with overseas representatives, Barclays and UKTi are also holding clinics to advise on funding, market trends to ensure success in overseas markets. Full details of the events can be found at: www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk. Tickets for the conference cost £75+VAT and tickets for the gala dinner cost £120+VAT. To book, contact Rich Daly, International Festival of Business 2014 Events Project Manager on 0151 227 1234 (ext 2201) or email:Richard. [email protected] To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com