New limits for compensation awards by employment tribunals have been announced and will take effect from 1 February 2013. Steeles Law trainee solicitor Laura Tanguay and Professional Support Lawyer Elizabeth Stevens report.
On 1 February 2013, the maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal will rise from £72,300 to £74,200 and the maximum amount of a statutory week’s pay, used to calculate statutory redundancy pay (among other things), will rise from £430 to £450.
The figures reflect an RPI increase of 2.6% in the year to September 2012.
Summary of changes:
Maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal: increasing from £72,300 to £74,200
Maximum limit on a week’s pay: increasing from £430 to £450
Minimum basic award for certain unfair dismissals (dismissals for reasons of trade union membership or activities, health and safety duties, pension scheme trustee duties or acting as an employee representative): increasing from £5,300 to £5,500
Maximum basic award or statutory redundancy payment: increasing from £12,900 to £13,500
These new rates will apply in instances where the effective date of termination falls on or after 1 February 2013.
For any employment enquiries please contact the Steeles Law employment team on employment@steeleslaw.co.uk or 01603 598000.
Great Yarmouth based market-leading energy production technology services company Proserv has bolstered its rapidly-evolving global footprint and specialist integrated services after acquiring major US company, Total Instrumentation & Controls (TIC).
The acquisition of Houston-based TIC, which specialises in advanced process and control systems equipment and has a second manufacturing facility in Lafayette (LA), also significantly increases Proserv’s talent pool by more than 300 people to over 1600 with the entire American-based workforce joining forces with the company under the Proserv mantle.
TIC provides a broad range of installation and maintenance services to equipment manufacturing, drilling, production and pipeline companies. Specialising in blow-out prevention (BOP) stacking and installation services for offshore applications, the company manufactures drilling and production control systems and supplies ancillary subsea components such as remote terminal units (RTUs) and topside umbilical termination units (TUTUs).
The deal reinforces Proserv’s position as a leading player in the drilling and production controls market and provides the company with enhanced capabilities to expand its offering into the BOP subsea controls and services sector.
David Lamont, Proserv’s chief executive officer, said: “The acquisition of TIC is completely in line with our ambitious growth strategy – investing in companies and complementary world-class technologies that strengthen our suite of innovative products and services.
“This is a significant development for Proserv as TIC is a leading independent contractor to subsea BOP manufacturers, meaning the deal will create a greater strong-hold for Proserv in the Gulf of Mexico market, enhancing our integrated capabilities. In turn, this will allow us to cross-sell Proserv products and services through TIC’s customer base, creating considerably more capacity to develop our international business.
“Existing product lines, such as our Gilmore Valve range, are complemented by TIC’s service offering and will enable us to provide the offshore and land based drilling sector with a more comprehensive drilling controls solution.
“We are thrilled to welcome the TIC team to Proserv. They bring a broad range of technical skills and experience, but most importantly they share our core values and ambition to be the provider of choice to our customers and together, as one company, we are even stronger.”
Steve Lykins, chief operating officer at TIC, said: “We are delighted to become part of the Proserv family and believe it will create a unique opportunity to grow our business to benefit our customers and our people.
“TIC has been a leading expert in process control and safety shutdown systems and services for over 20 years and through Proserv’s global footprint and world-class portfolio of services, we can look to strengthen our service capabilities and accelerate our international expansion.”
Proserv is a market-leading company specialising in exploration & production, drilling, and infrastructure technical solutions and services to the global energy industry. The company operates worldwide from 30 sites in 6 geographical regions namely North UK & Africa, South UK & Europe, Scandinavia, the Americas, Middle East & North Africa and the Far East & Australia.
Proserv has experienced exceptional growth over the past 12 months particularly in the subsea services sector. Earlier this year, more than 300 members of Weatherford staff joined Proserv when the company’s subsea controls subsidiaries were acquired in May.
After 2 years of searching in the final part of 2012 The RedCat Partnership has finally found a suitable provider of eLearning the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
The CIEH is one of the most respected awarding bodies that provide training and we are excited to be able to increase our portfolio;
NB we are still delivering face to face training but see eLearning as a valuable addition to the courses we offer- and eLearning has enabled us to blend the traditional face to face courses- reducing time & cost to clients
What is eLearning?
eLearning is another way of studying – you are no longer tied down to fixed dates and times. eLearning increases flexibility and you can complete your study at a date and time to suit you; it is therefore more convienient. Clients can chose for the staff still to undertake the training at work or at home
Some of the advantages of CIEH eLearning:
– Learning is self-paced – you chose your pace and you can go back over the modules covered
– Learning is self directed
– The eLearning incorporates different delivery methods – it is varied and engaging
-The content is fresh and modern
– It does not require physical attendance
-You have the support of one of the RedCat team to help you should you need any assistance
-We can also provide a course book if we believe this is beneficial (e.g. for Level 2 Food Safety)
-There are instant reports and training records
-There are revision questions and activities
-There is an end test with a record of completion that you can print off
What eLearning courses are available?
Level 1 – induction level:
-Level 1 Food Safety
-Level 1 Health and Safety
-Introduction to First Aid
-Introduction to Environmental Awareness
Level 2 – suitable for all employees:
– Level 2 Food Safety
– Level 2 Health and Safety
– Level 2 COSHH (Hazardous Substances)
– Level 2 Principles of Manual Handling
-Level 2 Fire Safety
Interested in a course?
– What to do : Call us to discuss your training options
– Booking: We will require a booking form to be completed and then we will invoice you (payment by BACS is required)
– Cost: This depends on the package selected: see individual course flyers & the quantity booked
– After booking: You will receive and email with your ‘log in’ details. After logging in for the first time you will need to change your password and remember to exit correctly from each module – you are free to progress at your own pace! To check requirements and the view a demo vist www.cieh-elearning.com
– Support: The RedCat team are on hand to help at any (reasonable) time.
Steeles Law Head of Planning & Environment David Merson looks at the Coalition’s proposals to revise the Judicial Review process.
Chris Grayling, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, has today issued a consultation paper entitled ‘Judicial Review: proposals for reform’.
The paper sets out the reforms the Coalition propose to make in three key areas of the Judicial Review process namely: (i) the time limits within which Judicial Review proceedings must be brought; (ii) the procedure for applying for permission to bring Judicial Review proceedings; and (iii) the fees charged in Judicial Review proceedings.
In respect of the first, the paper identifies two categories of case to which the proposed shorter time limit might be appropriate one of which is planning decisions although on the Coalition’s own figures this is certainly not an area responsible for the bulk of Judicial Review applications.
In coming up with its proposal the Coalition seeks to draw parallels with the statutory appeals process in planning. This is however unhelpful because Judicial Review deals with procedural failings which may not always be apparent at the time of the decision and certainly will not have been considered in any detail in the preceding considerations as opposed to the appeals process which deals with merits which will have previously been considered at the pre-application stage, at the determination stage and at the appeal stage before the matter ever reaches the court. This means that on the one hand one is looking at issues that are only just emerging from investigation and inter party exchanges including discovery and Freedom of Information requests as opposed to ones that have been argued and honed down very clearly in a number of different arenas.
In addition, the reduced time limit will not provide for sufficient time to deal with either the pre-action protocol requirements introduced to try and bring about a consensual resolution without the need to resort to the court or the funding issues that so very often arise when third party challenges are in contemplation.
Despite what the Coalition believes it is thought likely that this proposal will lead to more proceedings being issued if only to protect positions while the protocol ‘Letter before action’ and funding issues are addressed.
In addition there may be scope for other avenues of challenge.
For one, the judicial discretion to extend the time limit in limited exceptional cases may fall foul of European requirements of certainty particularly in Environmental Law cases.
It is also noted that the proposed time limit is shorter than that allowed for challenging decisions of the European Institutions and may therefore be susceptible to challenge particularly in relation to those challenges which are based in Environmental Law on for example access to justice under the Aarhus Convention or failures to apply or properly apply European Directives dealing with Habits and Protected Species.
In respect of the second limb of reform the Coalition proposes changes to the procedure for permission to restrict the number of opportunities available. In cases where the claimant has been refused permission on the papers, and the matter is one which has been the subject of a prior judicial hearing, the claimant’s right to ask for an oral renewal of the application for permission would be removed and any appeal to the Court of Appeal would also be on the papers only.
Finally, in respect of the third limb of reform, the Coalition proposes that the applicant should pay a fee for an oral renewal of an application for permission to be set at the same level as for a full hearing of the Judicial Review (currently £215 but under current general proposals rising to £235). Where the application for permission is successful it is proposed that the further fee for a full Judicial Review hearing would be waived but it should be noted that the Coalition will consider the scope for adjusting fees further over time so that they reflect the full costs of providing the service.
The deadline for consultation responses is 24 January 2013 which can be submitted on-line, by e-mail or by post and full details of the proposals and consultation can be found here.
If you require further information or advice on any issues raised in this article or any other planning & environmental matter please contact David Merson on 020 7421 1720 or dmerson@steeleslaw.co.uk
At yesterday’s Norwich Business Breakfast, GGS ran a ‘Spot the Difference’ competition for everyone attending.
Seen here, Caroline Williams, CEO of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, draws the first prize winner, accompanied by Photography Director of GGS, Peter Griffin ABIPP.
The first prize is £250 worth of professional photography, to help the winner kick start their 2013 marketing campaign, along with a bottle of bubbly, which was won by Owen Morgan of The Space.
There were also two lucky runners up, each winning £100 worth of professional photography. These were won by Alex Thorpe of Towergate and Andrew Hirst of Word Perfect.
Steeles Law has launched its new website – take a look at: https://www.steeleslaw.co.uk/ to find out more about our services, our people and tokeep up-to-date with our news, events and publications.
Creative design agency TMS Media has won three major exhibition contracts in the last month, together worth nearly a quarter of a million pounds.
One deal is to design, install and project manage exhibition stands for a national pharmaceutical company at 10 conferences across the UK over the next two years. The others are both supporting the regional energy industry.
“It’s the biggest ever batch of exhibition business I can recall,” said Jimmy Hartwell, exhibitions manager for TMS Media.
“Clients tell us we always go the extra mile and I’m delighted with that reputation. We believe in attention to detail and on-site one-to-one support for all our clients and exhibitors, drawing on information and knowledge gleaned over many years.”
TMS will project manage and coordinate an exhibition stand for 18 regional energy companies at Offshore Europe 2013 in Aberdeen next September, one of the world’s leading oil and gas events. Working for NSea (the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance), the project aims to give the East of England Energy Zone the highest possible profile in an arena expected to attract around 48,000 international visitors.
Next March, TMS will also project manage the two-day SNS2013 Conference, Exhibition and Gala Night for EEEGR (East of England Energy Group) at the Norfolk Showground. It includes the installation and co-ordination of 80 booths for exhibitors – the biggest ever showcase of its kind by EEEGR.
Working for the pharmaceutical company will involve TMS in creating various stands at major events like the British Renal Society Conference and the British Society for Haematology Scientific Conference. The new contract follows four years of successful exhibition work with the same company.
Based at the Gapton Hall estate, TMS Media has been providing design, publicity, website and other marketing services for more than 20 years.
On the 29 November, the Norwich Highways Agency Committee reviewed the results of the public consultation on the creation of a southbound (uphill) bus lane on Grapes Hill.Approval was given forthe scheme to proceed.
Work is planned to start on the bus lane in April 2013, but this will be dependent on other schemes on the network.
The creation of a bus lane will reduce journey times for buses using this route by several minutes.
To read more about the Grapes Hill bus lane, and the Better Bus Area project click here.
Corporate solicitor Edward O’Rourke is to take over the helm at ‘regional heavyweight’ law firm Ashton KCJ in January 2013. He succeeds Simon Smith who will leave after a highly successful decade during which, first as Managing Partner and then as CEO, he brought the firm through two mergers to the strong regional player it is today.
Mr O’Rourke was elected to the role by the firm’s partners who at the same time elected Mark Merriam as Chair of the Partnership Board and agreed upon a new internal management structure. Both the CEO and Chair appointments are for a minimum term of three years.
Mr O’Rourke, 44, is the ideal candidate to maintain and develop the progressive agenda started by Mr Smith. He came into the law having previously run service sector businesses. He was described in this year’s Legal 500 directory as “personable yet professional, and willing to take the commercial view” – essential qualities for a law firm CEO. He currently heads Ashton KCJ’s Corporate and Commercial team, a role which will be taken on by Geoff Hazlewood when Mr O’Rourke takes over as CEO from 1st January. Mr O’Rourke has worked in East Anglia since 1998 and lives in Norwich.
Mr Smith says: “We have had a very positive first year since our merger in October 2011, including recruiting excellent new legal talent, retaining this year’s home-grown trainees when they qualified, gaining accolades from Legal 500 and Chambers that I had envisaged taking until at least next year to obtain, and recently winning a national award for our new website.
Ed has all the hallmarks of an excellent CEO and I’m supremely confident in his ability to steer Ashton KCJ successfully through the next phase of its development. From a personal perspective I’m delighted to be handing the mantle on to a very capable younger man and moving on to some other professional and personal challenges – at 57 I need to start them now while I am still young enough to give of my best!”.
Mr O’Rourke adds: “The legal profession is facing exciting but challenging times. Simon has brought Ashton KCJ to a point where we are ideally poised to capitalise on the opportunities available. We have a full regional presence in our core geographic market, complemented by niche areas of expertise in franchising law and French legal services, and an acknowledged position as regional market leader for personal and medical injury work. My job is to ensure that we continue to develop the services, and the means of delivering them, which our clients require, and consistently attract top legal and managerial talent to make this happen. I’m lucky to be stepping into the CEO role supported by an excellent team and I’m hugely looking forward to the opportunities ahead”.
Photographed from left to right: Simon Smith and Edward O’Rourke.
Chair of the National Self-Build Association Ted Stevens paid a visit to Lucas Hickman Smith today to discuss the next steps of our drive to promote an increase in self-build in Norfolk.
Over the last three years NaSBA has been working with the government on a range of measures to make it easier for people in the UK to build or commission their own homes, culminating in the inclusion of a ‘self-build clause’ in the National Planning Policy Framework published in April this year. The clause places local authorities under a new duty to assess the demand for self-build land in their area, then make plans to meet that demand. NaSBA has just published guidance for local authorities and developers on the new policies and how they are being implemented across the country.
Local authorities in the west and south-west of England have been the quickest to rise to the self-build challenge, with the east of England apparently lagging behind. Earlier this year, with this in mind, we published a discussion paper, ‘Self-Build Norfolk’, setting out the potential benefits of self-build to local housing-delivery and small businesses in the area – builders, materials suppliers, and maybe even architects (!)
The paper is available at www.selfbuildnorfolk.co.uk, where you can also find details of how to express your support for Self-Build Norfolk to your local council.
Flagship is a high-performing housing association with over 22,000 homes across East Anglia.
Based in Norwich, we employ just over 500 staff across Norfolk and Suffolk and are building up to 200 new homes every year.
We are a strong business with excellent financial and operating results. But we want to do so much more to position our company successfully for the future, in an increasingly tough operating environment.
Our purpose is ‘to create places where people want to live’.
We have ambitious business objectives – to achieve 100% customer satisfaction and sector-leading operational costs, and we are looking for two non-executive directors with successful entrepreneurial/commercial backgrounds to join our board team.
You will share our vision – to be an exemplary company – share our passion for continuous improvement, and bring new ideas, creativity and thinking to improve our performance and service delivery to our existing and future customers.
If you have the strategic vision and ambition to help us meet our aspirations, we’d love to hear from you.
After two years of development and a rigorous period of testing the Social Impact Measurement Toolbox from The Guild Social Economy Services CIC is now in production and available.
Aimed at small to medium sized organisations, this ‘consultant in a box’ takes into account your starting point and the extent of changes that might occur, shows how to provide the most useful/robust information to those who need it and makes the most of what you already do. It also prepares you to do more, ending with an Action Plan for you to put in place to measure the social impact of the work that you do.
What you can expect from the Toolbox:
Six carefully designed sections that help you and your organisation think about social impact measurement, with the option to start at the beginning and work your way through all the materials or begin where it is appropriate for you.
Help to build a robust impact measurement plan from the foundations upward, rather than jumping in with a complex tool or framework from the start. (Our Guide to Getting Started in Social Impact Measurement can help you select which well-known tools and approaches suit you best – but that’s the next stage once you’ve laid the foundations!)
The opportunity to identify and deal with any gaps or to check if you are collecting information you don’t currently use.
Development of your organisation’s approach to social impact measurement – but at the same time build your team’s communication, skills and knowledge around impact measurement too.
“I am really impressed with the Toolbox which appears simple to use and clear to understand” Louise Forey, Community Development Officer – Severn Vale Housing Society
Each Toolbox costs £120.00 plus carriage, packing and VAT. Further information and details of how to place an order can be found on the Social Impact Measurement page of The Guild website or call us on 01603 482220.