CEA Market Trends - View the quarterly CEA Trends Survey results in the "Members Only" area of the CEA web site: www.coneq.org.uk / Market Information.

ASL BUSINESS SUPPORT HELPLINE
NEW BENEFITS AVAILABLE

Debt Collection Service

CEA members who have signed up for the Business Support Helpline are entitled to a fast-track single debt collection service - Experiencing cash flow problems? Annoyed your customers are not paying you on time? - contact IRPC NOW. This discrete, highly confidential service is operated on a "No Collection - No Fee" basis. You can't lose! Let the Professionals deal with your "problem" customers while you get on with the important issue of running your business.

Fact Sheets

The Business Support Helpline team regularly produce fact sheets on a wide range of topical business and legal issues. Written in a practical and clear manner, these are designed to assist in the understanding of the complexities of existing and new legislation and to identify areas where help or advice is required. Fact sheets are now available - contact ASL for a comprehensive list.

FirstLAW Solicitor Service

Finding a reliable, value-for-money solicitor that specialises in the area you are looking for can prove a time-consuming and frustrating experience. IRPC have selected FirstLAW - a new and exciting law firm specialising in finding the right solicitor for you. FirstLAW are independent and impartial. They have a detailed knowledge of the UK and international legal market and will select the best lawyer to match your specific needs at the right price.

For Fact Sheet information and details of how to obtain an Advisory Card, contact:
Claire Barton at ASL on +44 (0)20 8665 5750 - or e-mail claire@admin.co.uk

Existing cardholders - ring IRPC direct on +44 (0)8707 454545

Advisory Cards are issued FREE to paid-up CEA members


ASL BUSINESS SUPPORT HELPLINE
a sample of queries dealt with .....

Q: There is an additional bank holiday next year for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Our unions have advised us that the government has said that we must give the time off. However, two bank holidays in one week will cause us production problems. Our contract states that we will allow paid time off for eight bank holidays a year. Where do we stand?

A: Whilst an additional day has been declared next year, there is no obligation in law for you to give the time off. As your contract specifically relates to eight bank holidays, you can decline to give time off for the additional day. If your contract had not been specific then you would be breaching your contract if you had not allowed it. You need to balance your operational needs against the employee relation implications should you not give the extra time off.

Q: What does the recently introduced part-time legislation mean for employers?

A: Since the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 came into place on 1 July, employers have been encouraged to check contracts, policies and procedures for differences in treatment between full and part-time workers. Where employers cannot justify less favourable treatment on objective grounds, part-timers may succeed in an Employment Tribunal claim. The regulations apply to employees, casual or agency workers, but not the self-employed. Part-timers should receive no less favourable terms of employment compared to full-timers unless this can be "objectively justified". For this to apply they both need to be under the same type of contract and doing broadly similar work. Examples of less favourable treatment include offering lower pay rates, selection for redundancy, denying access to training and offering lower holiday entitlements. If any terms are offered on a less favourable basis, the worker can challenge this by requesting a written statement within 21 days, which can be submitted to an Employment Tribunal. It is worth noting that under the regulations a worker does not need one year's continuous service to bring an unfair dismissal claim in relation to detrimental treatment.

Q: We have always purchased our company cars, but we have decided from this year to lease them. The lease will be held by the employer. How is the benefit in kind calculated?

A: The benefit in kind cash equivalent for a lease car is the same as for a company car if the lease is in the employer's name. The cash equivalent is calculated as a percentage of the list price of the car (which the lease company or manufacturer can provide) based upon the number of business miles that the employee undertakes:

Basic charge (of the manufacturer's list price) - 35%
Reduced charge for business miles undertaken in the tax year 2,501-17,999 miles - 25%
18,000 miles or more - 15%

The 2001/02 tax year is the last year for using this calculation. The new car tax regime comes into effect from April 2002 when the calculation will be based on emissions.


The Management Consulting Business School - is enrolling its next intake for an MA degree course in Management Consultancy with the Newcastle Business School, at the University of Northumbria. The course is part-time / distance learning. For further information contact staff@how2direct.net.


The National Business Angels Network (NBAN) - has recently unveiled a significant new development in the world of venture capital. The DTI has provided £1.5 million worth of funding over the next three years, which will enable the NBAN to establish a new Corporate Venturing Division. For further information e-mail: info@bestmatch.co.uk or visit www.bestmatch.co.uk.

THE WEB

Listed below are some useful web sites and those related to this issue of Newsline - many more can be found on www.coneq.org.uk -lok in Infolinx.

European National Associations:
www.cece-eu.org

PIARC Int'l Winter Road Congress:
www.piarc-sapporo2002.road.or.jp

Sustainable Technologies Initiative:
www.dti.gov.uk/sti
www.epsrc.ac.uk
www.esrc.ac.uk
www.oakdenehollins.co.uk

Corporate Venturing for SMEs:
www.bestmatch.co.uk

International Regulations and CE Marking Consultancy
www.interregs.com

Translations:
www.dictionary.com

Awards for Innovation:
www.nesta.org.uk