legalupdate
With effect from the
6 April 2014, the
following changes
will come into force:
Waste sector gains ‘Smart’
Apprentice of the Year at QSA Awards
One of our waste collection facilities
apprentices has fought off stiff
competition to scoop this year’s
Apprentice of the Year at the Quality
Skills Alliance (QSA) Apprenticeship
Awards, run by Cardiff and Vale
College.
Rachel Jones, 20, (centre of the picture)
was up against apprenticeships in
industries as diverse as automotive,
hairdressing, creative media and
pharmacy to be crowned with the title
of Apprentice of the Year.
Ms Jones works for LCC Wales, a
waste collection specialist based
in Aberdare, and has been doing
her qualification in sustainable
resource management through Smart
Development at Cardiff and Vale
College.
Having worked for the company for the
last four years, Ms Jones’ qualification
will enable her to take on further
responsibility within the organisation,
which includes managing the site in
the absence of the facility manager.
On receiving the award, Rachel Jones
said: “I am delighted that my hard
work has been recognised in such
a positive way. It’s the best feeling
to win an award, and even more so
when it’s doing something that I enjoy.
Learning about the waste industry
was fascinating, and the course has
definitely given me the confidence I
need in my role.
“While I am the only female at LCC
Wales, I don’t think this has prohibited
me at all when it comes to managing
a team of workers. And the continued
support from Smart was fantastic in
the advice they gave me for dealing
with interviews while I developed a
new risk assessment protocol for the
site.”
readmore online
charityupdate
Bobath
Iwona Grelak, Systems Coordinator
and Hayden Bluck, Operations Support
Administrator from HQ, enjoy some
cheeky baked goods, helping raise
both waist lines and money for charity.
As part of Smart Solutions’ ongoing
support for Bobath, Childrens Cerebral
Palsey Charity, as part of the ‘Bake for
Bobath’ week, HQ ran its own cake
sale with some challenging ice topped
Call: 08449 671 061
american muffins and cherry bakewells
amongst other contenders, all were
washed down with tea and coffee,
raising £85.
Statutory maternity, paternity and
adoption pay increase:
The rate of statutory maternity, paternity and
adoption rate will increase from £136.78
per week to £138.18 per week.
Statutory sick pay increase:
The rate of statutory sick pay increases
from £86.70 per week to £87.55 per week.
Statutory weeks redundancy pay:
The rate will increase from £450 to £464.
Increased limits on employment
tribunal awards:
The maximum compensatory award for
unfair dismissal will rise from £74,200 to
£76,574
Immigration (employment of adults
subject to immigration control)
(maximum penalty) (amendment)
order 2014 comes into force:
The draft order increases the maximum
penalty that may be imposed on an
employer that has breached s.15(2) of
the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality
Act 2006 in the employment of an adult
who is subject to immigration control. The
maximum penalty increases from £10,000
to £20,000. The order is due to come into
force on or after 6 April 2014.
Early conciliation comes into force:
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Act 2013 requires potential claimants to
lodge specified details with Acas in the
first instance. Acas will offer the parties the
opportunity to engage in conciliation with a
conciliation officer for a prescribed period.
Power of employment tribunal
to impose financial penalties on
employers:
The Employment Tribunal will have the
power to order an employer who has lost
a case to pay a financial penalty to the
Secretary of State between £100 and
£5,000. The penalty will be imposed
where the employer has breached any of
the workers’ right and the breach has one
or more aggravating features.
for more information contact
[email protected]
www.smartsolutions.co.uk