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Business Advice
Health & Safety
Anyone employing people must comply with health and safety law, notify the enforcing authority (the Council or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)) and provide health and safety information to their employees.
Local authorities have responsibility for the enforcement of health and safety legislation in 1.2 million business premises; in offices, shops, retail and wholesale distribution outlets, hotels, restaurants, residential care homes and throughout the leisure industry.
The Health and Safety Executive enforces the legislation in industry (factories, farms and building sites).
You can access all district and borough council services through DevOnline
Advice about the Working Time Regulations is available from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)or ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service )
Information about employing disabled people, and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is available from Equality Direct or Disability Rights Commission.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act, employers of 15 or more people now have a legal duty to make their workplace accessible to people with mental health problems. For advice and information, visit Mind Out for Mental Health, which has a 'Working Minds' Campaign Employers' Toolkit to download.
The DTI website TIGER - Tailored Interactive Guidance on Employment Rights - has information on maternity rights, paternity rights, adoption rights, and flexible working rights, including the changes from 6 April 2003.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) publishes a range of books for people managing workplace health & safety.
The Employment Relations section of the main DTI covers hours of work and part-time work, pay entitlement and the National Minimum Wage, public holidays, employment agency standards, individual employment rights, redundancy arrangements, employee consultation, trade unions and collective rights.
Advice for employers on best practice can be obtained from DTI Partnership at Work Fund , the Involvement and Participation Association (IPA) Partnership at Work and DTI Great Place to Work.