The lastest edition of JTC Newsline – April 2020 is now available for FIS members. This issue contains detailed information on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, furloughing of staff and other tax related issues.
Following the announcement from HMRC that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims portal will open on 20 April, details have now been released on what each claimant will need to know/have before starting. Full details can be found here.
I like you have been head down this past week, trying to make sense of all that is befalling us and managing the various conflicting pressures.
Mike and I have been running Tapper Interiors now for 35 years, but this has, without doubt, been the toughest week yet – I am shell shocked.
The lack of clear guidance from Government has added to the pressure as we have desperately tried to follow advice and do the socially responsible thing, but increasingly mindful of the health and welfare of our people and their families. I think Iain summed it up well in the Telegraph yesterday when he said the ambiguity has made this feel like death by 1,000 cuts for businesses in our sector – that is certainly how I feel.
In the last 24 hours many more sites have closed, but not all – there seems to me to be little logic to this. Where safety concerns have been raised, we have seen instances where clients have reacted by threatening to impose onerous delay clauses.
I know FIS is feeding these concerns directly to Government (please send details in), but increasingly now working with members on individual cases and trying to support dialogue with clients and major contractors. The message from FIS is clear, if you cannot do it safely, don’t do it. If the necessary precautions are not being implemented on-site, concerns must be raised with client, but ultimately reported to the HSE via their whistleblowing service.
If you deem it unsafe to continue, refer to your contract and ensure that you provide the necessary notifications for delay or suspension – paper trails and communication are critical to protecting your business, but protecting our people is everything.
As a Director of Tapper Interiors, my first responsibility is to do what is reasonably practicable to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees (and other people who might be affected by our business). Get this wrong and beyond the human cost, what are the potential liabilities if we carry on regardless and people do get sick or worse?
I didn’t expect this mess when I agreed be FIS President, but I have never been more glad to be an FIS Member or proud of our organisation. They, guided by the Board and supported by our community have been a vital lifeline, helping to inform the decisions we as a business have had to make and even been that caring and supportive voice at the end of the phone. Together we are stronger.
Before this situation escalated, a theme of my Presidency was Rebuilding Construction and I want to leave you with some hope. As a sector we will pull through this and my hope is that it will present us with a new opportunity to rebuild.
I do believe a lack of clarity/understanding of our sector from our Government has intensified things, but we must also look to the contracts and behaviours and accept that the industry cannot and must not be allowed to continue in this way.
Stay safe and well, keep those in your care safe and see you on the other side!
Helen
Helen Tapper
Business Operations Director, Tapper Interiors Limited
FIS President
It is with a sad heart that we have to inform you that Jean Birch has passed away from cancer.
Many of you might know Jean, she was CEO of the Partitioning and Interiors Association (PIA) and Association of Interior Specialists (AIS) for nearly 23 years, before retiring in January 2006. She worked tirelessly for the organisation and her efforts and dedication set the foundations for the trade association we have today.
There will be a private family funeral, however it is hoped there will be a memorial service to celebrate her life later in the year for friends. If you knew Jean and would like any further information please email janeknight@thefis.org
Construction industry chiefs have voiced their anger as firms scramble to understand if building sites should stay open.
Building work is being allowed to continue despite Boris Johnson ordering people to stay in their homes on Monday night. It has fuelled anger from workers who fear their safety is at risk, and from health staff concerned about overcrowding on public transport.
Several large firms including Taylor Wimpey and Travis Perkins have decided to stop working until the lockdown is lifted, highlighting the confusion ricocheting around the industry.
Iain McIlwee, chief executive of FIS, the trade body which represents fit-out companies, said: “We’re in limbo right now. Government communications have been absolutely woeful on this one.”
He said businesses were trying to understand how to balance their responsibility to keep people safe with the need to keep staff in work.
The message to builders has been to carry on operating until they are told to stop, Mr McIlwee added.
At the highest levels of Government, disputes were raging on Tuesday over why construction work was continuing.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said he told Mr Johnson builders should not be going to building sites except for essential safety reasons.
He claimed to have been overruled by the prime minister, who said he wanted “business as usual” wherever possible.
Mr McIlwee said: “For me it’s shocking that the Government didn’t give us a namecheck on Monday.
“Ultimately construction hasn’t had the clear guidance we need. It’s death by a thousand cuts.”
One piece of advice issued by the Government was for workers on site to ensure social distancin, where they stay apart from each other to stop the virus spreading.
But for many thousands of builders, the idea of maintaining a safe distance was laughable.
One construction worker said: “What about the canteens and [toilets] on sites, with 50 guys using two toilets and six tables? They’ve obviously not got a clue.”
Photos shared on social media of builders eating side by side in cramped canteens have generated angry responses from the public.
This close proximity has led large construction firms to shut down while social distancing rules are in force.
One of the UK’s largest construction projects – the nuclear plant Hinkley Point C – said on Tuesday afternoon that it would drastically reduce the number of staff it was asking to work on site.
Builders at Hinkley Point C were one of the groups pictured on social media, working in close quarters. Meanwhile, work on fellow megaproject Crossrail has been halted for now.
Even if the Government allows construction work to continue, many smaller firms will be forced to cease operations as they are unable to get hold of essential parts.
Gutterworks, a construction firm based in Redhill, Surrey, said that it is now unable to get important tools from builders’ merchants firms such as Travis Perkins, which decided to shut up shop after Mr Johnson’s announcement on Monday night.
Hossam Abougabal, a senior construction analyst at IHS Markit, said: “In the short-term, our view is that construction projects will be severely impacted by social distancing rules and restrictions on non-essential construction work.”
Mr Abougabal said that the outlook for the construction industry is likely to suffer from global supply chain disruptions, labour shortages and site shutdowns.
He added: “All this will compound a difficult year for the sector with delays, extensions and rising building costs likely to impact project delivery.”
This stress is already being felt. Housebuilders Redrow, Berkeley, and Crest Nicholson have all scraped or scaled back their dividends as the industry reels from chaos.
Some trade organisations have suggested that the construction sector has been allowed to continue because of the country’s housing crisis.
But Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said construction sites should close.
Plumbers and electricians can now only leave the house for essential jobs, such as burst pipes.
John Giazzi, marketing manager at the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC), said: “They understand their role as key workers in protecting public health, and they’re happy to do emergency call outs.”
“They want to do the right thing but also follow the Government’s advice.”
Mr Giazzi added that more support is needed for plumbers and electricians, many of whom are sole traders.
CITB Revise Support to Employers: the 20 week grant claim processing rule is frozen, they urge employers to check their Grant Online accounts for claims which need authorising, and to sign and return any paper Grant Claim forms we have issued as quickly as possible. Heath and Safety test centre from Friday 20 March 2020 are temporarily closed they are working on alternative ways to test. All training at National Construction Colleges is cancelled. Skills and training fund will launch as planned on 01 April 2020. All spring engagements are cancelled, on-line alternatives will be issued soon. Although college provision will cease liaison with CITB Apprenticeship Offices will continue via electronic means. CITB Approved training Organisations are encouraged to relax cancellation and refund policies. CITB encourage all Site Safety Plus centres to relax cancellation and refund policies, additionally, any delegate whose SMSTS/SSSTS achievement has expired since 15 March 2020 and who hasn’t been able to renew in time due to COVID-19, will be allowed to take the refresher rather than the full course. Quality Assurance activities are reduced to electronic responses. Investigations will be risk assessed case by case as CITB’s compliance teams are committed to continuing their important work of identifying and protecting the construction industry from fraud risks relating to training delivery.
News and decisions on Skills Build and WorldSkills are yet to be made.
All Ambassador events are postponed until the end of April 2020.
CSCS latest: CSCS are asking the industry to support the following temporary measures:
Requesting employers and those responsible for site access and card checking procedures to use their discretion towards workers whose cards have expired since mid-March onward and who can provide evidence that they have been unable to sit their test or undertake the required training as a result of the closure of Test and Training centres.
This is at the employer’s discretion until the situation has stabilised.
CSCS has extended the grace period for card renewals from six months after the card expires to 12 months. This means that the card can be renewed, once the CITB Health, Safety and Environmental test has been passed, up to one year from the card’s expiry date.
Pearson Professional Centres continue to operate the HS&E test in England and Scotland. Due to social distancing measures the centres cannot run at full capacity and some are experiencing longer wait times than usual.
Testing in Pearson Professional Centres is currently suspended in Wales, this will be reviewed in line with any changes to the Government guidelines.
Please check your test confirmation email or letter for details of safety measures at the test centre including the requirement to wear face coverings, or for any changes to your scheduled appointment.
Visit CITB’s urgent messages page for further information on test centre availability across the whole of the UK.
CSCS recognise that construction workers may face delays in obtaining a card while test centres cannot run at full capacity or are required to close. Therefore, tehy are asking the industry to continue to support the following temporary measures:
Employers and those responsible for site access and card checking procedures to use their discretion towards workers whose cards have expired since March onward. But a worker must always hold the correct card for the job they do on site.
CSCS has extended the grace period for card renewals from 6 months after the card expires to 12 months. This means that the card can be renewed, once the CITB HS&E test has been passed, up to one year from the card’s expiry date. This will assist those applicants struggling to find availability to sit the test and renew their card.
