Business Update November 2006

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Managing anti-social employees "Bad habits such as untidiness and a lack of personal hygiene can cause offence at work," says Dr Jaafar El-Murad, lecturer at Westminster Business School. "Too many long personal phone ...Q&A: Closing a sale Ian Cochrane (IC), associate at sales-training consultancy Gazing Performance, reveals how to close a sale.When should I be looking for buying signals?IC: Throughout the four stages of the selling ...Fire-risk assessment The introduction of new regulations in October 2006 means that the previous system of fire-safety certificates for premises has been abolished. The employer or 'responsible person' for the premises ...Business links There are various ways to network, ranging from attending regional business events and sector-specific conferences, to informal social gatherings and online discussion forums. "People think of ...Selling online "Every day you're not selling online, you're losing money," warns Janet Coombs, owner of Blue Ribbons sugarcraft centre in East Molesey, Surrey. After having a basic version created in ...10 ways to... Prepare for Christmas Whether you're gearing up for your busiest annual period or planning to shut down between Christmas and Hogmanay, there's plenty to do in the weeks to come. Planning now can prevent headaches later ...Updated Acas guide on redundancy available Employers who need to consider making redundancies will welcome an updated booklet from Acas. The booklet provides impartial guidance for employers and managers on how best to handle redundancies, ...New age-discrimination laws update Employers need to be aware of a number of issues that are still being resolved around the introduction of the new age-discrimination laws on 1 October. As reported in last month's Legal Alert ...Case law: why length of service may not mean difference in pay A recent European decision highlights yet again the pressure that employers are under to remove inequality of pay and conditions between men and women, or justify any difference they ...Case law: staff handbook provision can be contractually binding Businesses should review the wording of their Staff Handbook, and any other terms and conditions applicable to staff recruitment, or risk having the terms incorporated into an employee's contract of ...Case law: negotiations with employees may be admissible in discrimination disputes Employers must be careful what they say in discussions with workers relating to discrimination or victimisation claims, as statements may be admissible subsequently in court or at an employment ...Health and safety resource for businesses employing young workers A new online guide has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to help employers with health and safety issues for young workers, especially those new to the workplace. The online ...Health and safety starter pack for small businesses New and small businesses can now access most of the basic health and safety advice that they need to help them comply with the law and protect their workers, thanks to the Starter Pack published by ...New rules in force for working with asbestos Employers and facilities managers, together with those workers currently at greatest risk from exposure, need to be aware of the new rules and code of practice on working with asbestos in force from ...New fire-safety regime A new fire-safety regime for non-domestic premises is in force in Scotland. Fire certificates have been abolished, and existing fire certificates are no longer valid. The new regime is based on ...I'm considering suing one of my customers for a small claim... Pursuing a debt through the courts should always be a last resort. Often the threat of legal action is enough to make customers pay. But if you have explored all other means, is it worth taking a ...Case study: How networking benefits my business THE ISSUE: To generate more business by raising profile THE SOLUTION: "When I started the company in 1990, building a network was important to help grow the business. I thought about contacts I ...