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
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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