New lower prices for 2022, we have reduced the prices of all our full and half-day courses, be they delivered online or face to face on your premises. They offered outstanding value before now our prices are even better. Prices No Obligation Quotes
With Covid receding demand for face-to-face training is increasing, its great to see we haven’t lost the touch – exemplary feedback on recent courses as always. Image: THUMBS UP! By Greg Carpenter under CC BY 2.0
Tough trading times means redundancies loom once again. To avoid litigation, tribunal claims and most importantly, to maintain staff motivation and goodwill it is imperative that any redundancies are handled sensitively and in keeping with legislation and good practice. Our one-day online courses provide essential knowledge for HR teams and Employee reps. Our courses for HR teams focus on process, legislation and good practice helping HR teams formulate win win strategies for all parties. Our courses for Employee reps help them to understand good practice and what they need to do to help support staff better through the turbulent times ahead
The EHRC has now published details of 28 organisations who have not published the required Gender Pay Gap reports. The EHRC have the power to take enforcement action against any employer who does not comply with their reporting duties. If any organisation fails to comply with a statutory compliance notice, the EHRC may seek a court order against them. Failing to comply with the court order is an offence, punishable with an unlimited fine if you are convicted. Concrew Training’s support on Gender Pay Gap Reporting starts at just £395+vat
Do you check with the TPS before making a sales call? if not you need GDPR/PECR training. Prices start at £395+vat. The TPS (Telephone Preference Service) allows businesses and individuals to opt out of unsolicited sales and marketing calls. Whilst the GDPR and PECR should prevent organisations making unsolicited calls registering with the TPS adds another barrier and provides a far faster way for resolution in the event of breach. All those making sales and marketing calls need to check the numbers against the TPS lists BEFORE making a sales call. Even if the number has been contacted previously it could now have been added to the barred list. There are several organisations offering barred call lists and the prices charged can be high, especially as the data needs to be updated at least every 28 days. We have no affinity with the TPS but do note that their charges for accessing the barred call list is significantly lower than some charge. If you have been making unsolicited sales calls without checking each number against the TPS lists you are probably breaching the GDPR and PECR in other respects too. Our GDPR/PECR training starts at just £395+vat – way lower than the average £150,000 fine for GDPR breaches.
Effective employee representation isn’t about moans and groans its about building a more productive business. Effective employee representation involves public speaking, presentations, canvassing opinion, presenting well thought through business cases, influencing and in some cases persuading too. Some staff may be reluctant to support business change – the help of employee reps can be an invaluable asset. Effective employee representation brings many benefits, here are 6 of them: They enable employers and employees to communicate, consult and negotiate effectively with each other. Having representatives can encourage employees to voice their views frankly and freely. can help nurture good employment relations: employee representatives can act as a useful sounding board for management on plans they have for the organisation. can be particularly effective identifying problems in the workplace and helping to diffuse potential conflict at an early stage. make discussions more effective: representatives can make well thought out recommendations that have the backing of the employees they represent and reflect the wider company interests. Raise creativity: effective representation can help employers tap into the expertise and creativity of their employees. Promote employee health and wellbeing: research has shown that one of the main causes of stress at work is a lack of control over how employees do their job. Having a say in decision making is especially important during periods of instability or rapid change Employee reps are often involved in activities that differ greatly to their normal job role. Training is imperative. Our CPD/training courses help reps learn the skills and techniques that enable them to perform these new duties better and consequently deliver improved results for the business. Many of these skills needed are highly transferable helping reps and the business alike. We also have courses that focus on specific areas and ensure employee reps understand the technicalities of the appropriate legislation as well as the skills needed to be effective in any specific duty, for example TUPE, Redundancy, Disciplinary and Grievance meetings
“The United Kingdom’s Data Protection Regime will be reformed.” Queen’s Speech – 10 May 2022 UK Data Protection Legislation faces major reforms in the coming months – what are the implications for the UK GDPR and PECR? Introduction Many of our courses, including those on data protection, GDPR and PECR, highlight within the “Breaking News” section, that Post Brexit changes are on their way. In June reported on over 28 new pieces of legislation through the current Parliament until 2022. The Data Protection Reform Bill is one of these changes and it gives the clearest indication to date on Government thinking in respect of data protection, GDPR and PECR. In a nutshell the key messages are: The Government will take advantage of the benefits of Brexit to create a world class data rights regime that will allow them to create a new pro-growth and trusted UK data protection framework that reduces burdens on businesses, boosts the economy, helps scientists to innovate and improves the lives of people in the UK. Modernisation of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), making sure it has the capabilities and powers to take stronger action against organisations who breach data rules while requiring it to be more accountable to Parliament and the public. Increasing industry participation in Smart Data Schemes, which will give citizens and small businesses more control of their data. Helping those who need health care treatments, by helping improve appropriate access to data in health and social care contexts. The reforms will create over £1 billion in business savings over ten years by reducing burdens on businesses of all sizes. A 2018 economic analysis by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Ctrl-Shift estimates that the productivity and competition benefits enabled by safe and efficient data flows would create a £27.8 billion uplift in the UK Key changes to GDPR and PECR GDPR Accountability: The Government plans to proceed with the requirement for organisations to implement Privacy Management Programmes (PMPs) in all networks and offices. Organisations will have to implement a PMP based on the ‘level’ of processing they’re engaged in & the volume and sensitivity of personal data they handle. These requirements will be subject to the same sanctions as under current laws. Data Protection Officers: The requirement to designate a Data Protection Officer (DPO) will be repealed when these reforms are implemented. There will be a new requirement to appoint a senior individual responsible for data protection. Most of the tasks of a DPO will become ‘the ultimate responsibility of a designated senior individual to oversee as part of the privacy management programme.’ Data Protection Impact Assessments: (DPIAs) Under the new PMP requirement, organisations will be required to identify and manage risks, but ‘they will be granted greater flexibility as to how to meet these requirements. There will no longer be requirements to undertake DPIAs as prescribed by the UK’s GDPR. However, organisations will be required to make sure they have ‘risk assessment tools in place for the identification, assessment and mitigation of data protection risks across the organisation.’ Organisations will be able to continue using their DPIAs (if required) but can tailor them based on the nature of their processing activities. Existing DPIAs will remain a valid way of achieving the new requirements. Record of Processing Activities: Personal data inventories will be needed as part of organisation’s PMP, covering what and where personal data is held, why it has been collected and how sensitive it is. Organisations will not have to stick to the prescribed requirements set out underArticle 30, UK GDPR. Reporting of Data Breaches: No changes will be introduced to alter the threshold for reporting a data breach. The Government will work with the Information Commissioner (ICO) to explore the feasibility of clearer guidance for organisations. Subject Access Requests: The Government plans to proceed with changing the current threshold for refusing or charging a fee for Subject Access Requests from ‘manifestly unfounded or excessive’ to ‘vexatious or excessive’. It is said this will bring it in line with the Freedom of Information regime. No re-introduction of a nominal fee for processing access requests. PECR Cookies: In the immediate term, the Government intends to permit cookies (and similar technologies) to be placed on a user’s device without explicit consent, ‘for a small number of other non-intrusive purposes. It’s anticipated this will include analytics cookies which allow organisations to measure traffic to webpages and improve offerings to users. It’s intended these changes will apply to connected technology, including apps on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, or other connected devices, as well as websites. In the future, the Government intends to move to an ‘opt-out model of consent for cookies placed by websites. The Government says its ambition is to improve the user experience and remove the need for ‘unnecessary’ cookie consent banners. It stresses an opt-out model would not apply to websites likely to be accessed by children (we’re assuming this means consent would be required) and its ambitions will be subject to an assessment that effective solutions are widely available for use. Use of ‘soft opt-in’ extended: The‘soft opt-in’ exemptionto consent (for email and SMS marketing) is set to be extended to charities and not-for-profits. PECR fines to be increased: The Government plans to proceed with proposals to increase fines under PECR. This will allow the ICO to levy fines of up to £17.5m or 4% of a business’s global turnover. This would bring fines in line with current fines under the existing regime. Currently the maximum fine under PECR is capped at £500,000. Political campaigning: The Government plans to consider whether the political communications should remain within the scope of PECR’s direct marketing rules (or be excluded). It also intends to extend the soft opt-in so that ‘political parties and elected representatives can contact individuals who have previously shown an interest in the activities of the party (for example, by attending a conference or donating) without their explicit consent, provided they have been given an opportunity …
Chatting to a junior admin assistant in a today who was in the process of ordering business supplies, for a large organisation off, a well known auction site. Nothing wrong with that I hear you say, May be not but when I asked how they knew the products they were buying were compliant with the requirements of their organisations modern slavery policy I was met with a blank face! Actions speak louder than words! All staff need to understand about the evils of Modern Slavery and policies need to be more than fancy front of house words on computer screen. Our training helps Image: “Slavery” by futuredrkate used under CC BY 2.0
as at 10 June 2022 1087 fines had been issued for breaches of the GDPR. These fines totalled Euro1,631,665,332 that is an average of over euro150,000 per fine. Fines can be issued to companies, charities, individuals in fact anyone the breaches the legislation. The smallest fine issued so far was for Euro28, the largest Euro746,000,000 some notable names who have been warned, fined or both include: Marriott International British Airways Facebook Google The Conservative Party Reed online Royal Mail Group The Ministry of Justice Virgin Media The Cabinet Office Unite the Union Saga Services Saga Personal Finance Sports Direct Papa Johns American Express Fines are also being issued for non payment of data protection fees! Our courses on GDPR and PECR help you understand legislation and good practice and consequently be better able to stay within the law
We update all of courses, each time they run, to make sure they reflect the very latest in legislation and good practice. The Queen’s speech of May 2022 set out 49 new laws and regulations to be introduced in the lifetime of this Parliament, many of these impact on our existing course offer, as above we will update courses to reflect as needed. Additionally there were some 28 new regulations mentioned. We have the expertise and capacity to train on any of the following. Please contact us for more information. Schools Bill Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill Audit Reform Bill Brexit Freedoms Bill Procurement Bill Data Reform Bill Higher Education Bill Social Housing Regulation Bill Renters Reform Bill Housing Reform Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill National Security Bill Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill Modern Slavery Bill Online Safety Bill Victims Bill Protect Duty Bill Health and Social Care Funding Regulations Delivering Healthcare Priorities Social Care and integration Mental Health Act Reform Bill Women’s Health Strategy Strengthening the Integrity of the United Kingdom Bill of Rights Securing Our Borders and Tackling Illegal Immigration Conversion Therapy Bill Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill Image Credit: “Boris Johnson chairing meeting” by Photo by Stephen Lock/ i-Images used under BY CC-ND-2.0
