by Clair Mooney | 27 Mar, 2025 | Employment
Holiday entitlement is often confusing, and with new changes introduced in January 2024, it’s more important than ever for employers to fully understand the rules.
FIS Associate Member Citation, has created a free guide for FIS members, written by HR and Employment Law experts, to provide practical advice to help businesses:
- Understand the latest legal changes
- Calculate holiday entitlement for full-time and part-time staff
- Handle accrued leave correctly
- Know when holidays can be carried forward
Whether you’re a small business or managing a large team, this guide will help you stay on top of holiday leave and avoid costly mistakes.
FIS members can download the free guide here: https://tinyurl.com/489ja7ee
If you’d like to chat about how Citation can help with the HR and Health & Safety side of your business, just give them a call on 0345 844 1111, or fill in their call-back form, and they’ll get right back to you. Remember to quote ‘The Finishes and Interiors Sector’ when enquiring to access preferential rates.
by Oscar Venus | 13 Mar, 2025 | Contractual and Legal, Employment
The Government has tabled amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, described as the “biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation“, following a series of consultations. There are 28 reforms set out in the Bill designed to increase protections for workers, and the amendments which the Government claims will support economic growth include:
- Zero hours contracts and agency workers – Employers will have to offer guaranteed hours to agency workers and provide reasonable notice for shifts and compensation for short-notice cancellations or changes.
- Collective redundancy – The maximum period of the protective award will increase from 90 to 180 days, with further guidance to be published for employers.
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – SSP, which will become a ‘day one’ right for all workers, will be calculated at 80% of normal weekly earnings for individuals earning less than the Lower Earnings Limit.
- Umbrella companies – Workers will be able to access comparable rights and protections when working through an umbrella company as they would when taken on directly.
- Industrial relations – Information requirements for industrial action ballots will be simplified, e-balloting will be introduced, and the notice period for strikes will be reduced to 10 days.
The Bill has now passed in the House of Commons and will move to the House of Lords, and the Government has confirmed that further detail on many of the policies will be provided through regulations after the Bill has received Royal Assent, which is expected to be this summer.
by Clair Mooney | 11 Mar, 2025 | Employment
Major changes to UK Employment Law are on the horizon, and businesses need to take action. The Employment Rights Bill, published on 10 October, introduces significant reforms that will affect employment rights, working conditions, and employer responsibilities.
Our Associate Service Provider Member Citation’s free expert-written guide helps businesses understand:
- New day-one rights
- Updated standards for workers
- Changes to trade unions
- Practical steps to prepare and stay compliant
FIS members can download their free copy here: https://tinyurl.com/sz7fhd54
If you’d like to chat about how Citation can help with the HR and Health & Safety side of your business, just give them a call on 0345 844 1111, or fill in their call-back form, and they’ll get right back to you. Remember to quote ‘The Finishes and Interiors Sector’ when enquiring to access preferential rates.
by Clair Mooney | 18 Feb, 2025 | Employment
Recruitment challenges are at an all-time high, with businesses facing talent shortages, rising competition, and changing workforce expectations. To help employers overcome these obstacles, our Associate Service Provider Member Citation has developed an expert-written Recruitment & Retention Guide packed with practical strategies and legal insights.
This guide includes:
- Where to advertise your vacancy
- Job interview question examples
- How to develop a proper induction process
- Tips to keep your people happy and engaged
Whether you’re hiring now or planning for the future, this resource is essential for staying ahead in today’s job market. Download your free copy here: https://tinyurl.com/4zta5e3v
If you’d like to chat about how Citation can help with the HR and Health & Safety side of your business, just give them a call on 0345 844 1111, or fill in their call-back form, and they’ll get right back to you. Remember to quote ‘The Finishes and Interiors Sector’ when enquiring to access preferential rates.
by Oscar Venus | 14 Feb, 2025 | Contractual and Legal, Employment, Market data
Through construction umbrella body Build UK, FIS, is supporting thecampaign by Family Business UK which is calling on the Chancellor to reconsider the changes to inheritance tax announced in the Autumn Budget, and we would encourage affected members to complete a short survey to help demonstrate the significant impact of the changes on businesses and the wider economy.
With an estimated 4.8 million family‐owned businesses in the UK, the changes to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief will affect businesses across the country and starve the economy of investment. 81% of construction SMEs are family‐run and by working with Family Business UK we can demonstrate the significant economic contributions that these businesses make and how the changes will not provide the expected tax revenue. The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete, and the deadline for responses is 2 March.
by Clair Mooney | 14 Feb, 2025 | Drylining, Employment, Skills
Construction training provider, The Skills Centre has launched a cutting-edge apprenticeship scheme specialising in drylining.
Designed in collaboration with employers and endorsed by FIS, this specialist training programme will launch in March at The Skills Centre’s new green skills training facility in Edgware, run in partnership with Ballymore, Places for London and Barnet Council. The programme will then expand to The Skills Centre’s Build East facility at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and into a new custom facility in Essex later this year.
With demand for new housing, the need to upgrade buildings across the UK to help optimise space and deliver net-zero emissions by 2050, demand for interior systems, insulation and retrofit skills is surging. Yet, the industry faces a critical shortage of trained professionals. Our new interior systems and drylining apprenticeship will help bridge this gap by equipping learners with some of the essential skills required to meet these targets. An estimated 3.4 million properties in London alone require retrofitting, and with 78% of construction employers reporting retrofit skills shortages, this training is timely and essential.
The drylining apprenticeship training will cover:
- Partition Walls
- MF Ceilings
- Grid Ceilings
- Shaft Walls
- Metsec Installation
- Rainscreen Cladding
- Passive Fire Protection
Apprentices will gain additional qualifications in:
- NVQ L2 Interior Systems
- PASMA
- CSCS
- SSSTS (if eligible)
This apprenticeship is open to those seeking to build a successful career within the construction sector, providing the skills, knowledge, and behaviours necessary to establish a strong foundation in the industry.
Supporting employer recruitment: To assist employers with recruitment, The Skills Centre offers 8-week interior systems bootcamps for new entrants. These bootcamps provide a mix of classroom and practical training, including CSCS Green Card, and allow employers to meet pre-screened candidates and conduct two-week trial placements before committing to an apprenticeship hire. This provides companies with access to a pipeline of engaged, local candidates equipped with the relevant skills to excel in the apprenticeship programme from day 1.
Jon Howlin, CEO of The Skills Centre, said:
“Recruiting quality candidates has been a significant challenge for many in the construction industry. Our apprenticeship and bootcamp programmes are designed to alleviate this by providing a vital pipeline of skilled, local talent ready to meet the industry’s evolving demands.
“The Skills Centre is committed to collaborating with employers and construction companies to ensure that local people have access to opportunities in the industry and that our partners receive the skilled workforce they need for their projects.”
While the Interior Systems Apprenticeship is a new addition to The Skills Centre’s delivery, they have been providing apprenticeships in Groundwork, Formwork, Steel Fixing and Highways Maintenance for several years, and recently received a Good overall grade from OFSTED with Outstanding marks for Adult Education Provisions.
FIS CEO Iain McIlwee added:
“Employers want people, people want jobs that allow them to earn and develop and government want a productive workforce, yet we seem to make it complicated and consistently fail to meet the expectations of each other.
“It is refreshing to be working so closely with The Skills Centre to rethink the way that we put it all together and deliver a programme that can work for everyone. Flexible, practical and quality provision, tailored to employer need in an environment that supports the individuals is what this is all about. Plugging in the Bootcamps makes sense too, it means employers and individuals can start the process, help people get productive early and ensure that we are investing in the people that want to and will be able to carve a career out in our industry with full knowledge of what that is before the serious investment starts. The next 5 years is going to see major reform of the apprenticeship model and this is a fabulous way to kick that off in the finishes and interiors sector”.
The Skills Centre are working with a number of employers to support both the Bootcamp and the Apprenticeship, including Measom, one of the leading Drywall Contractors in the UK and an integral part of the construction industry.
Rikki Wild, Training Manager at Measom said,
“Creating clear and accessible entry points into the dry lining industry is crucial for its long-term success, and this programme achieves just that. By combining intensive bootcamps with structured apprenticeships, we are offering a comprehensive pathway for new talent to enter the sector, providing them with the essential skills and knowledge from the very start. At Measom, we recognise the great value of practical, employer-led training that ensures apprentices are fully prepared and confident when working on-site. This initiative plays a key role in helping employers like us develop a highly skilled, adaptable, and sustainable workforce, which is vital to meeting the future needs and challenges of the industry.”
To learn more about this apprenticeship opportunity or to apply, visit https://theskillscentre.co.uk/courses-services/interior-systems-installer-dry-lining-apprenticeships.
