Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Licence to Kill....

......much needed income for business, that is.


It wasn’t as if the government hadn't been pre-warned! The predicted and unintended consequences of the new licensing laws appear to be coming to fruition. Some high profile tourist attractions will stop selling little tourist gifts of whisky miniatures because of the unproportionately high cost of getting a liquor licence under the new laws. The Scotsman (http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Tourist-sites-pull-plug-on.5008372.jp) has reported that Historic Scotland has decided not to renew its licence for selling alcohol at 16 tourist attractions: Tormiston Mill, Corgarff Castle, Fort George, Blackhouse, St Andrews Castle, Edzell Castle, Castle Campbell, Aberdour Castle, Huntingtower, Dunstaffnage, Inchcolm Abbey, Caerlaverock Castle, Dryburgh Abbey, Jedburgh Abbey, Melrose Abbey and Linlithgow Palace.

The cost of getting a licence can be as high as £10,000 due to architect and legal fees which has caused this government agency to cut back as it has.

They are not alone - The National Trust for Scotland is doing the same at Brodick Castle on Arran, Ell Shop in Dunkeld and Priorwood Gardens in Melrose.

The tourism industry has, vociferously and on many occasions, brought this problem to the government’s attention but all in vain, it seems.

Just what we need for the much acclaimed Year of the Homecoming! What better product is Scotland known for other than whisky? It is synonymous with something like the Homecoming but visitors are going to be disappointed when they discover that the nation’s major tourist attractions don’t actually sell the stuff! Oh well, hey ho…..maybe they'll buy the tartan dollies instead huh?

I know from almost first hand experience how difficult and costly it is to get the necessary licence under the new licensing laws. David, my husband, has recently managed to successfully obtain the liquor licence for the top tourist destination he manages in Angus, Glamis Castle (http://www.glamis-castle.co.uk/). I know from discussing his experiences of their licence application that it was a complex task. I was able to help by providing background information about the legislation.

David has been at the forefront of the tourism industry’s campaign to highlight these unintended consequences to the government and I know he is not surprised about this latest development. Extremely passionate about tourism, he has unlimited energy when it comes to selling Scotland as a major tourist attraction both nationally in the UK but across the world. He has travelled the length and breadth (well just about) of the world with kilt packed neatly and weighing heavily in his suitcase to promote Scotland. Visitors to Glamis Castle come from just about every corner of the world and so it was crucial for them to be able to offer tourists not just the national product, whisky, but also the more civilised glass of wine with lunch which visitors from many other countries enjoy without getting legless or causing any problems of the type that the new licensing laws are designed to stop. Thanks to his efforts visitors will continue to enjoy the Scottish experience.

However, I suspect that it won't just be Historic Scotland venues who will be unable to fulfil visitors' expectations of the Scottish experience but also the lovely little cafes and restaurants privately owned around Scotland where one could normally enjoy a lovely lunch with a glass of fine wine!

What do you make of all this? Look forward to hearing your views...

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

More on Tips

Employers in the hospitality industry have made a last-ditch attempt to get the Government to delay introducing new laws that will make it illegal to use tips to top up the national minimum wage. The BHA is asking The Department for Business to do this as this week sees the end of a three-month consultation on the proposals.

The department reports that the initial feedback from the consultation suggests that there was “significant support” for the proposals, set to cost the industry between £7m and £73m a year.

However, the British Hospitality Association (BHA) has warned that the true yearly cost would be nearer £400m, and that the industry needed more time to absorb the impact.

“We believe the consultation paper seriously underestimates the number of people involved, and the cost to employers,” said a BHA spokesman. “There is little doubt that the legislation will go through, but we are saying this is not the right time to do it.”

Last week, the Unite union held a demonstration outside the House of Commons calling on the Government to close the loophole. A YouGov survey of nearly 2,200 consumers, commissioned by campaign group Consumer Focus, revealed that 94% believe all tips “should always go to the staff with no deductions by restaurant owners”.

Len McCluskey, Assistant General Secretary of the union Unite, said: “The Government must ensure employers give a decent living wage, with 100% of tips added on top.”

The Government is already cracking down on employers who fail to pay the minimum wage in full. This week a South Yorkshire hotelier was fined £2,500 for breaching minimum wage legislation. Ahmed Yassine, who runs the Phoenix Hotel, Rotherham, was fined after being found guilty of failing to keep required records and failing to produce appropriate documents when asked by officials from HM Revenue & Customs.

FSB Warning of new Business Laws

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the Government to delay new laws such as extending flexible working to parents of children up to age 16, which they say could cost small businesses nearly £800m a year. They are asking the Government to hold off on passing new laws on the next business law start date, because it will only put more financial pressure on already-struggling small businesses.

In a recent poll of FSB members, one in four said they believe small firms will pull the UK out of recession. However, the FSB is concerned that they will be unable to do so, or to retain or employ extra staff if they are burdened by new legislation. The FSB is calling for the Government to review the introduction of the following laws:

- Extending flexible working to parents of children up to the age of 16;
- Increasing staff holidays by four days;
- Switching gas watchdog from Corgi to Capita;
- Changes to Home Information Packs; and
- Extra Waste Control measures.

The FSB believes that a recession is no time to be making changes to existing laws, which will have such an enormous financial impact on small firms.

With two common commencement dates each year, the FSB wants to see a moratorium on new employment law until October. The FSB has urged the Government to take a “common sense approach”, and assess the economic situation and consequences this could have on small businesses before new legislation comes into effect later this year.

John Wright, National Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses said:

"The cost of new laws to small businesses this year is huge. Small businesses should be concentrating on keeping jobs, rather than spending time and money carrying out paperwork.

"The FSB demands that the Government reconsider all regulation that will cost small firms and help our small business community thrive. This is no time to hold small businesses up with extra costs and burdens. The Government should wait until October to see if the economy is in a stronger position to cope with this added pressure.

"In these tough economic times, small businesses are already battling with red tape; with the burden and confusion of existing legislation. In 2008, we saw 57 new or altered pieces of regulation affecting small companies. A similar number is expected this year. The small business sector is confident it can help pull us out of the recession. Suspending legislation that could cost small firms up to £800m will allow them to concentrate on getting the economy back on track."

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

New Rules for Maternity Leave

More good news for mums to be though I guess not for all employers! There are plans afoot to update the existing maternity laws giving mums longer maternity leave which they can take before or after the baby is born with the guarantee of returning to the same or equivalent job.

Minimum maternity leave, according to plans by the EU's committee on Gender Equality, would increase from 14 to 18 weeks across the EU. Further, women would be paid 100% of their salary with self-employed women for the first time also benefitting from the same rights.

The new rules could be in place by 2011 if agreement is reached between member states and the European Parliament.