LEGAL VIEW APPRENTICESHIP LEVY
6 AUGUST 2019
IWFM UNVEILS 2019 AWARD FINALISTS
The finalists for the IWFM Awards 2019, which builds on the heritage of the BIFM
Awards, have been announced.
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management’s annual Awards put
the spotlight on individuals and organisations driving innovation and delivering
exceptional results in the profession.
The 45 finalists in 12 categories across the themes of Impact, Innovation and
People can be viewed here www.iwfmawards.org/2019-finalists/.
The winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony at London’s Grosvenor
House Hotel on Monday, 14 October. Tickets and tables are now available and can
be booked at www.iwfmawards.org
IWFM will announce further information about the people, teams, projects and
organisations that are in contention for an Award in the run up to the ceremony.
HOT WEATHER WORKING
By Kate Gardner, Health and Safety Consultant,
International Workplace
Temperature is an emotive subject – everyone is aff ected by it
in diff erent ways. It is diffi cult to keep everyone satisfi ed!
The temperature of a building – be that an offi ce, warehouse,
factory or other working environment – is aff ected not only
by the weather, but also by air fl ow from air conditioning and
fans. If diff erent people prefer diff erent levels of temperature,
or diff erent amounts of air fl ow, it is sensible to consider if
they can swap workstations.
Legally in the UK, the minimum temperature for a workplace
inside a building is 16oC (excluding cold rooms, fridges and
freezers). If the work routinely involves physical activity, the
minimum temperature is 13oC.
There is no legal maximum temperature – a large point of
contention when the country experiences a heatwave.
Indoor and outdoor comfort levels
If extremes of temperature cannot be avoided in the workplace,
employers are expected to take reasonable steps to keep
employees comfortable, both inside and outside a building.
For cold conditions, provide (at the employer’s expense):
• Warm clothing, gloves and hats.
• Heated fl oors / mats to stand on.
• Rest facilities at a warmer temperature.
• Warm drinks.
• Job rotation, so that people can warm up between tasks.
For hot conditions, provide (at the employer’s expense):
• Cool clothing that wicks sweat away from the body.
• Ventilation.
• Rest facilities at a cooler temperature.
• Cold drinks.
• Job rotation so that people can cool down between tasks.
Best practice
Obviously, what works in an offi ce won’t be applicable to a
factory and vice versa. Let’s look at some specifi c examples of
best practice for diff erent workplaces.
Offi ces
• Desk fans.
• Relax the dress code – suits can make people feel too hot.
• Avoid glare from windows directly onto desks.
Factories/warehouses
• Restrict access to cold or hot areas to essential personnel only.
• Enclose machinery that generates a lot of heat in an insulated
container if possible, to keep the rest of the workplace at a
comfortable temperature.
• Automated zoned cold room: Products are stored on shelves
below freezing. When the operator needs to collect a product,
they stand in an area kept at 4oC and input the shelf location.
The automated system then rotates the shelves to bring the
required product to the operator.
Outdoor workers
Hot outside conditions often also expose workers to high levels
of UV from the sun. Workers should protect themselves using
sunscreen, high SPF clothing, and sunglasses.
Summary – temperature essentials
• The minimum temperature for inside a standard workplace
is 16oC, or 13oC if the work is physical. There is no maximum
temperature.
• Employers must take reasonable steps to keep workers
comfortable in extremes of temperatures, such as job rotation,
hot or cold drinks and suitable clothing.
• Particular types of workplaces can use relevant best practices
to help keep workers comfortable.
The above is taken from International Workplace’s soon to be
launched series of micro ‘Need to know’ elearning resources.
www.internationalworkplace.com/dna
FAILS TO DELIVER
MORE INVESTMENT IN
WORKPLACE TRAINING
According to the findings of a new report from the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development (CIPD), the Government made an “empty
promise” when it said the apprenticeship levy would boost the amount of
money employers spend on workplace training.
Addressing employer under-investment in training – the case for a broader
training levy reveals that fewer than a third (31 per cent) of levy paying
employers say the levy will lead them to increase the amount they spend on
training. This is down from 45 per cent in July 2017, showing confidence in the
levy has dwindled since it came in.
The report, based on survey data from 2,000 employers, also shows that
nearly six in 10 (58 per cent) of levy paying employers either believe the levy
will either have no impact on the amount of money they spend on training (49
per cent), or will actually lead to a reduction in training spend (9 per cent).
The key objectives of the levy were to increase apprenticeship numbers
and boost investment in workplace training, which was in a 20-year decline
when it was introduced in April 2017. However, the report finds that the levy
has failed on both these counts. As well as not boosting skills investment
in most workplaces, the levy has meant employers have invested in fewer
apprenticeships with starts falling from 509,400 in 2015/16 to 375,800 in
2017/18.
And of further concern is that the research shows the design of the current
levy is incentivising employers to use their funds in counterproductive ways.
A fi h (22 per cent) of the 2,000 employers surveyed said they use their levy
money on training which would’ve happened regardless, 15 per cent say they
use the scheme to accredit skills which sta already have, and 14 per cent
of employers report the apprenticeship levy has had the e ect of directing
funds away from other forms of training that are more appropriate for their
organisation.
In light of the report’s findings, the CIPD is calling for the apprenticeship levy
to be replaced with a broader training levy. This would enable organisations
to fund both apprenticeships and other forms of accredited training which are
better suited to their needs.
The CIPD also wants the levy to cover all employers with a headcount of 50 or
more to double the amount raised by the levy to £5 billion, which would help to
make up the shortfall from the decline in investment over the last two decades.
A portion of the training levy fund could also be used to create a regional
skills fund to address skills challenges at a local level, such as helping smaller
non-levy paying firms to invest in skills by providing better business support.
NEWS & ANALYSIS FMJ.CO.UK
/
/www.iwfmawards.org
/dna