Due to the increasing burden of employment legislation and the proliferation of ‘no win no fee’ solicitors, dealing with employment issues is becoming increasingly difficult, time consuming and costly.

Whether you’re a small business and can’t afford a full time HR professional or if you’re a larger firm and just want to keep up to date with legislation, this service can help you. Best of all it’s free - it’s part of your Chamber membership.

The service offers unlimited access to a 24 hour, seven day Human Resource and Health & Safety advice line and over 150 downloadable policies, forms, documents, letters, templates and fact sheets.

All chamber members are entitled to Chamber HR. Chamber HR is a complementary service to the existing Chamber Legal Expenses Scheme. When you subscribe, you will receive proactive advice through Chamber HR but also reactive insurance to cover the cost of representation and awards in respect of Employment Tribunal claims.

Michael Hobbs, of the Catholic Blind Institute, said: “We were very impressed with the service. I needed some advice on a HR problem and was contacted within 15 minutes of the initial enquiry. The helpline staff were informed, knowledgeable and gave very helpful advice. I would recommend this to other members as it is an excellent service and it is free!!”

Chamber HR offers:

. unlimited access to a 24/7 HR advice line
. a compliant contract of employment
. a compliant employee handbook
. a compliant health & safety policy
. web access to over 150 downloadable policies, procedures, templates, letters and fact sheets
. preferential rates for bespoke HR and health & safety consultancy.

The Chamber HR website also includes monthly tips including Disciplinary Resignations, Injuries and Sickness Payments and Home and Lone Working

To access the service call the Chamber HR advice line on 02920 349614 or visit their website.

Liverpool Chamber’s new e-newsletter service is sponsored by Custom House. Sign up (via the above link) to up to get all the business news that matters as well as what’s happening at the Chamber.

Custom House are a leading global provider of foreign exchange services and payment solutions to businesses and individuals. Whether you’re making payments, receiving funds, or working to establishing a stable payment relationship with foreign businesses partners, they can provide custom solutions for your business needs.

Contact Ian Meyer on 07932 024 893 to find out more.

Read the Custom House weekly money market update by clicking on ‘more’.

Read the rest of this entry »

With energy bills having doubled over the past twelve months, there is both a powerful financial and environmental need to switch on to energy efficiency and drive down those harmful carbon emissions.

UK workplaces generate over 66 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year from the energy and resources they consume, yet there is plenty employees and employers can do. Getting started on reducing your energy consumption can cost you nothing and here’s six simple steps you could take to reduce your overall energy costs.

1. Government research shows that up to 20% of business energy is wasted. Companies spending in excess of £50,000 per year will qualify for a free energy efficiency survey from the Carbon Trust.

2. Lighting in a typical office costs about £3 per square metre annually. Energy efficiency could help you cut your annual lighting bills by two thirds. Energy efficient lighting solutions combined with timers, sensors and controls can help you make dramatic bottom line savings.

3. Heating costs rise by about 8% for each degree celsius of overheating. Check thermostat settings regularly. The recommended heating level for shops, restaurants and offices is 19 degrees Celsius.

4. Measure how much energy you’re using so that you can see what impact any energy saving measures have on your business. ‘Smart metering’ - the modern monitoring technology - is now highly affordable to all sizes of business - giving you instant access to quality, timely data that will give you a full picture of your energy consumption.

5. Switch off equipment when it’s not in use. According to the Carbon Trust, an average office wastes £6,000 each year by leaving equipment on over weekends and bank holidays. Just getting your employees to turn off their monitors when they go home can make a big difference.

6. Make the most of natural light. It’s free and it won’t damage the environment. So keep your windows clear and make the most of the daylight.

The Chamber UtilitiesT service can offer organisations all the help they need to become more energy efficient through smart metering monitoring solutions and Carbon Trust services. For further details contact Chamber UtilitiesT on 0845 120 2423, or visit their website.

Read the Utility Auditing Energy Brief for February 2007 by clicking ‘more’.

Read the rest of this entry »