January 2021 News and Blogs

An extra bank holiday to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 has been announced. The May Bank Holiday Weekend will be moved to Thursday 2 June 2022 and there will be an additional Bank Holiday on Friday 3 June 2022. For more information on June 2022 Bank Holiday, please visit the GOV.UK website.

Following the UK’s exit from Europe on 31 December 2020 HMRC have published a UK Transition edition of the Employer Bulletin. This contains a roundup of information and support previously published to continue supporting businesses. In this edition, you can find out about the: New rules for trading with Europe New rules for business travellers Cash Declarations New rules on social security coordination Getting more information and sending feedback For further information please visit the...

The First Minister has announced that alert level 4 lockdown restrictions will remain in place in Wales for the next 3 weeks to allow the NHS to recover. The Restrictions Business Fund Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) and Discretionary based grants for non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism (NERHLT) sectors has been extended to provide a single top up payment to cover the period between the 25 January and end of March 2021 for businesses affected by...

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has specific guidance on when you should make a RIDDOR report (under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) of COVID-19. You must only make a report under RIDDOR, relating to coronavirus, when: an unintended incident at work has led to someone’s possible or actual exposure to coronavirus, this must be reported as a dangerous occurrence a worker has been diagnosed as having COVID-19 and there is...

Taking place between 8 –14 February 2021, Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships, and the value they bring to employers and learners in Wales. Apprenticeships allow businesses to recruit new talent, hungry to learn, to fills skills gaps cost-effectively and enable learners, of any age, to increase their skills levels. Bringing together apprentices, training providers, parents and employers, Apprenticeship Week highlights the work being done across the whole apprenticeship community to promote...

The Sport Freelancer Fund is designed to help freelancers in the field of sport and physical activity recuperate losses which they have experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is for freelancers whose work directly delivers activity to participants (e.g. personal trainers, instructor/practitioners and paid coaches) who have lost at least £2,500 of income due to the pandemic. Freelancers who meet eligibility criteria will receive £2,500 to recuperate their losses. You should...

5 February 2021 is Welsh Language Music Day and celebrates all forms of Welsh Language music. Whether you’re into indie, rock, punk, funk, folk, electronica, hip hop or anything else, there’s incredible music being made in the Welsh language for you to discover. How your business can get involved: join the conversation by using #dyddmiwsigcymru follow us on Facebook and Twitter share this page and spread the news to all of your friends For further...

You can still do voluntary work under Welsh Government guidelines – but must do so from home if practicable. Find out more about alert level 4 restrictions in the Welsh Government FAQs. You can find and register volunteering opportunities to support with the Coronavirus pandemic by visiting the Volunteering Wales website. If you are looking for more local volunteering opportunities you can contact your local County Voluntary Council (CVC).

If you didn’t submit your December furlough claim by the deadline of 14 January, HMRC may still accept it if you have a reasonable excuse for not claiming by the deadline, such as you were self-isolating or had an unexpected stay in hospital that prevented you from completing it. If your reason means you can claim late, please do so as soon as you’re able to, and note that reasonable excuses only apply to late...

The eCommerce Directive no longer applies to the UK, now that the transition period is over. Rules relating to online activities in European Economic Area (EEA) countries, may newly apply to UK online service providers who operate in the EEA, now that the transition period is over. If you are a provider of online services, you should take steps in response to these changes. Guidance, outlining what has changed and what checks you need to...