Employment Rights Bill is a “rushed job” which threatens employment and growth, say small firms
Responding to the Government’s new Make Work Pay Bill, FSB said it was a rushed job, clumsy, chaotic and poorly planned which dropped 28 new measures onto small business employers all at once, leaving them scrambling to make sense of it all. FSB’s policy chair, Tina McKenzie, said: “Beyond warm words, [the Bill] lacks any real pro-growth element and will increase economic inactivity, seriously jeopardising the Government’s own 80 per cent employment target. The new Government is sending out a troubling signal to businesses and investors.” FSB said that the Chancellor has the opportunity to lead the way in adding a pro-business, pro-employment element to Make Work Pay in her upcoming Budget. FSB’s reaction was widely reported in the national media including BBC, Financial Times, Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Sun, The Telegraph, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, The Times.
Making sense of the Employment Rights Bill for SMEs
Small businesses are invited to a free, live Employment Law Changes webinar on Wednesday, 16 October at 11am, with FSB’s executive director, Craig Beaumont, head of policy research, Emelia Quist and experts from FSB Legal. The session will help to equip SME employers with knowledge about the changes and how they should prepare for them. FSB members also have access to an employment law helpline and other resources at the FSB Legal hub.
Autumn Budget is ‘first and best’ chance for the Chancellor to secure sustainable growth
FSB’s Autumn Budget proposals called for the Chancellor to introduce measures to ease employment costs, to remove barriers to accessing finance for investment, and to lift more small firms out of business rates. As reported in The Times, FSB’s policy chair, Tina McKenzie, said “A decisively pro-small business Budget is the first and best chance for the Chancellor to secure sustainable growth by the end of the Parliament. Now is the time to help entrepreneurs invest, employ, and get growth back to where it should be.”
GDP
GDP grew 0.2% in August 2024 and 0.2% in the 3 months to August 2024, according to figures released by the ONS. In August, services grew 0.1%, production grew 0.5% and construction grew 0.4%.
Scam warning issued
Companies House has issued a warning about a scam letter from 'Company Registration'. Do not visit any webpage or QR code links, and do not make any payments to the details shown. See guidance about what to do if you think you've spotted a scam pretending to be from Companies House, and examples of scam emails, letters and telephone calls.
Reducing regulation for innovation
A new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) has been set up to reduce regulatory burden of businesses hoping to bring in new products or services. The RIO, under the purview of the Department for Science, Information and Technology will “support regulators to update regulation, speeding up approvals, and ensuring different regulatory bodies work together smoothly”, according to the department.
Maximise your business growth in CPTPP
The UK’s CPTPP trade deal will come into force in December, when more than 99 per cent of current UK goods exported to CPTPP members will become tariff-free, offering commercial opportunities for UK manufacturers exporting to potential new markets. Small businesses are invited to attend an event by the Department for Business and Trade, on 22 October in Rotterdam, to learn more about this trade deal spanning 12 economies across Asia, the Americas, and now Europe. Register here.
Protecting SMEs through verification processes: focus groups
The Centre for Finance Innovation and Technology (CFIT) is inviting small business owners to take part in its research into how to protect SMEs from economic crime through enhanced verification processes. Business owners will be invited to attend online focus groups to test the solutions being developed. Sessions will last around 90 minutes and will take place in the week commencing 4 November. Small business owners can register their interest to take part by completing a short online survey, commissioned from Opium Research, by 17 October.
Support for disabled entrepreneurs: FSB gives evidence
FSB gave evidence to a Senedd inquiry into disability and employment saying that more still needs to be done to make business support for disabled entrepreneurs more accessible. FSB called for the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to resolve delays in the rollout of the Access to Work scheme. FSB’s Business Without Barriers report found that only 13 per cent of small business owners who are disabled or have a long-term health condition had used the Scheme.
Additional border checks on EU imports delayed until 2025
The Safety & Security (S&S) declarations for EU imports, originally scheduled to be implemented from 31 October, have been postponed until January 2025. Border authorities use the declarations to analyse the potential risk caused to their territory by goods crossing their border. The new deadline means the UK will continue to waive the need for such declarations on imports until the new January 2025 deadline. HMRC says it recognises that some businesses will be ready to start submitting declarations earlier and encouraged them to do so to get themselves prepared for the changes early next year.
Reducing EU trade frictions for small businesses
FSB met with business and trade officials in Europe to work on reducing trade frictions for small businesses exporting to the EU. Meetings took place with SME United, UK Government representatives in Brussels, and officials from the French, Polish and Bavarian embassies in the UK to discuss the challenges and opportunities SMEs face. FSB is continuing to campaign for a reduction on the number of checks on plant and animal product imports, as well as making travelling for business easier.
Representing small firms at Northern Ireland party conferences
FSB Northern Ireland attended the SDLP Conference in Belfast, speaking to MPs including Party Leader Claire Hanna MP, about the priorities and challenges for small businesses. This was the last of the main party conferences, this year, in Northern Ireland. FSB previously attended Sinn Fein, the DUP and UUP’s conferences.
Last chance to respond to FSB’s Small Business Index Q3 survey
FSB’s Small Business Index (SBI) survey for the third quarter of 2024 closes on 13 October. The SBI acts as a vital temperature check for the small business community across the UK, and the results form the basis for a range of policy recommendations in a number of important areas for SMEs, helping to make the case for change to the Government and other decision-makers. The survey only takes a few minutes and is open to all small business owners.
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