LEGAL
The financial benefits of keeping your staff happy
By Katie Ash (pictured), Director and Head of Employment Law at Banner Jones Solicitors
Travel industry is sick of fake claims
In the wake of a landmark case that saw a couple jailed for making fake holiday sickness claims, Rob Dempsey, personal injury lawyer at Roythornes Solicitors, looks to put the issue in context. The recent case which saw
a couple jailed after making false insurance claims of £20,000 against a leading holiday company received significant media attention. The ruling came as
Government announced a call for evidence from the travel industry to help it understand how to tackle fake holiday sickness claims. The travel industry is pushing for new rules to heavily crack down on claims of this sort. Driving this is the
Looking after employees can result in significant benefits for a business
A new year is often difficult for both the employer and the employee as there is a lot to reflect on and plan for. It is likely that your employees will be open to new opportunities, reflecting on the benefits they receive in their current employment. As the end of the financial year looms, employers
will begin planning for the new financial year ahead and with this comes strategic reconsideration of where the budget is absorbed and where it could be used more appropriately. The new financial year provides a great opportunity
to reconsider the employee benefits you provide. The main question for a business owner is this - why invest in employee benefits? Ultimately, happy employees are productive
employees. Research by the University of Warwick found happiness in the workplace led to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy workers proved ten per cent less productive. Ensuring your employees feel motivated, appreciated
and engaged will be reflected in their attendance, presenteeism and productivity. Encouraging them to feel appreciated, valued and respected is likely to secure their commitment to the work they are doing and who they are doing it for. But how do you do this?
OFFER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Offering opportunities for development, whether a new qualification or acquiring new skills, shows the company fosters a culture that encourages individual growth. This desire to invest in the employee’s future contributes to employees feeling valued.
FLEXIBLE WORKING OPPORTUNITIES Providing a range of flexible working opportunities, from flexi-time and compressed hours to working from
home and job shares, shows you are mindful of and respect employee commitments outside the office. This will help instil employee loyalty, especially at a time of year they may have itchy feet.
AFFORD EMPLOYEES ENHANCED ANNUAL LEAVE Providing your employees with enhanced annual leave or the opportunity to purchase additional leave is likely to maintain their desire to work for you.
ALLOW PAID-VOLUNTEERING For employees that lean towards philanthropy, some employers have introduced paid voluntary work, where employees can enjoy a set number of days volunteering each year without affecting their pay.
FREE ON-SITE HEALTH AND WELLBEING SERVICES By offering the above, employers can retain health- conscious candidates who may otherwise not have time to factor in physical and wellness activity into their routine. Promoting a healthy workforce can contribute to reduced absenteeism, time wasting and mistakes that arise from work-related stress.
The above should be offered to employees in addition to a matched pension contribution. Offering your employees competitive employee benefits will not only contribute towards encouraging loyalty, it will help attract better talent and make the company more competitive when hiring. A competitive employee benefits package will help
boost morale and productivity, leading to increased staff retention and preventing high turnover of staff. If you are a business owner or an employer seeking
to revise your employee benefits package and are unsure which direction to take, seek legal help.
Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). ABTA claims there’s been more than a 500% increase in such claims since 2013. The impression that food poisoning claims are a recent phenomenon is not true. The first case law students study is that of Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 – a claim that forms the basis of the modern concept of negligence. The legislative basis for
holiday sickness claims has been on the statute books for decades and rather than closing legal loopholes, it appears the travel industry want an overhaul of consumer protection law. We’ve been here before.
The insurance industry argued for changes with road traffic injury claims. This reduced insurance companies’ outlay but not necessarily customer premiums. The same argument is being adopted with the travel industry and my concern is longstanding consumer rights may be eroded on the false promise of lower holiday prices. The overemphasis may
deter genuine claimants. Also, bringing a food poisoning claim isn’t an easy way to make a ‘quick buck’, as the onus is on the claimant to show the food caused injury. Efforts to identify fraudulent
claims without deterring genuine claimants should be welcomed. Dismantling the structure on which consumer protection is based would shift the balance too far from holidaymakers to the tour providers.
business network February 2018 61
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