U.K. Edition
CISRS calls for leniency on recently expired cards
CISRS is urging employers and those responsible for site access and card checking procedures to use their discretion towards workers whose cards have expired since 1st February 2020 until the current COVID 19 restrictions are lifted.
Due to the mass closure of CISRS approved Training Providers and the suspension of HS&E tests, scaffolding operatives are currently unable to renew their cards. The scaffolders record scheme has said it is continuing to review the situation rather than set a prescriptive time extension to expired cards. Its hoped they will have more clarity soon regarding when centres can reopen. CISRS stated they expect cardholders to attend the required courses and renew their cards ASAP once training centres reopen. Although its thought a subsequent backlog is expected for workers requiring training and assessments. On this note, CISRS has stressed it is set to implement a realistic timescale to rectify the situation. Until now CISRS has been issuing a letter confirming an individual’s qualifications and asking for them to be allowed to work until they are able to renew their cards. However, to save time and administration effort they now want an industry-wide understanding that recently expired cards can be accepted during this period Both CISRS and NOCN administrative staff are working from home allowing service to continue, CISRS cards are being issued and queries responded to, CISRS said.Charity Launches Industry Workers Family Crisis Appeal
The charity that supports construction workers and their families are launching a crisis appeal so that they can respond to the needs of the workforce as a result of COVID-19
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of construction workers and their families in the UK and Ireland. In an industry where two workers take their own life every single working day and where stress, depression and anxiety account for a fifth of all work-related illness, we are already seeing a devastating impact on the people that keep our infrastructure going, build our energy plants, our homes and places of work. The charity relies heavily on event income to fund their 24/7 Helpline, but the current COVID-19 pandemic has decimated their national and regional events. So, at a time when the construction community needs their support the most, they simply don’t have the resources to be able to respond in the face of this ever-increasing cry for help. Bill Hill, CEO of the Charity said, “As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic the calls to our Construction Industry Helpline are currently increasing by over 25% a week. Many of the calls received are from self-employed tradesmen, agency staff or workers on zero hour contracts who cope from week to week. They are often only one or two paydays away from poverty. They need our help to feed their families and to pay their bills for heating and lighting.” This is a difficult time for everyone, but the charity hopes that they can count on the industry’s generosity to make sure that none of our construction workers and their families is left alone in a crisis. The charity also pledged that not one penny of the crisis fund will be diverted to charity overheads and that every penny donated will reach the people that really need it. Charity CEO, Bill Hill also urged the industry to help spread the word about their 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline and app, “Whether you’re in a position to donate or not, we are here for you. Our 24/7 helpline and app will enable anyone that needs help to access emergency financial support and mental health and wellbeing information and guidance”. Please get behind your industry’s charity and donate what you can today. DONATESelf-employed coronavirus help: Are you eligible to claim?
The eagerly anticipated government support for self-employed has been unveiled by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak.
At a press conference, the government launched the self-employed income support scheme on Thursday 27 March. The new emergency financial measures have been unveiled to support workers who are self-employed during the coronavirus outbreak. Following on from our previous post Coronavirus – what you’re entitled to and how to claim we have obtained help from the Money Advice Service to give you the low-down on the new scheme.Am I eligible?
To be eligible, you must earn more than half your income from self-employment, have submitted a tax return for 2018/19 and have:- a trading profit of less than £50,000 for 2018/19, or
- an average trading profit of less than £50,000 for the tax year 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19.
How can I claim this grant?
You do not need to contact HMRC. HMRC will check eligibility against existing information and will contact you about making an online application. It is unclear when this process will start.Look out for scams
This scheme is likely to be targeted by scammers claiming to be from HMRC. At the moment it is not clear how or when HMRC will contact you about this. But the Money Advice Service says if you’re self-employed you should have already received an email from HMRC explaining the scheme and telling you there is no reason to contact HMRC about this. If you are contacted by email, phone or text by someone claiming to be from HMRC at this time offering you the income support grant, tax refund or any other financial help, this is a scam!Don’t Put Pressure on Scaffolding Contractors, says NASC
The NASC is calling on main contractors to refrain from placing unreasonable pressure on scaffolding contractors to continue working on sites.
The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has said it recognises that the Government’s latest Covid-19 restrictions do not put a stop to construction industry activities but they believe that no contractor should feel obliged through fear of delay penalties or otherwise, to send operatives to sites that they deem unsafe. The comments were published in a statement on the trade body’s website today (30th March) It comes after the NASC advised scaffolding contractors to make risk-based assessments of every project they are currently undertaking and take note of the Site Operating Procedures – Protecting Your Workforce document issued by the Construction Leadership Council in conjunction with Build UK. NASC Managing Director Robin James said: “We have made considerable efforts to speak with scaffolding contractors of all shapes and sizes to better understand the challenges they are currently facing. “Through this engagement it has become apparent that many contractors are being unduly pressurised to continue working on sites. The NASC believes that employee health and safety should be prioritised at all times and that scaffolding contractors that choose to withdraw operatives from site should not be punished for doing so. “Additionally, the NASC repeats its call for Government to provide more detailed advice to the construction industry.”Offshore workers laid off without option for government’s coronavirus support scheme
A number of offshore workers at Bilfinger Salamis have been laid off without the option to use the government’s coronavirus support scheme
According to Energy Voice, the workers have said they have been “hung out to dry” and “abandoned” by their Aberdeen-based employer Bilfinger Salamis. The offshore services firm has terminated workers on fixed-term contracts. Some onshore staff on probation periods have been handed their notice as well, also without the coronavirus support scheme, reports Energy Voice. The firm said it had “no other option” but to serve notice to 95 employees on fixed contracts “who were allocated to projects which have been cancelled due to the low oil price”. According to the report, Bilfinger said it has placed “almost 300 unallocated offshore personnel on furlough”, while nearly 900 remain in work offshore in the UK. Earlier this month, Bilfinger Salamis UK said it employed a total of 2,500 across North-west Europe. A spokesperson for Bilfinger Salamis, told ScaffMag: “Like every business affected by the dual challenges of the declining oil price and coronavirus pandemic, we’re having to make difficult decisions about staffing levels in a rapidly changing environment in which government policies and initiatives are being updated daily. In this instance, we’d already taken the decision to place almost 300 unallocated offshore personnel on furlough, but had unfortunately felt we had no other option but to serve notice to 95 employees on fixed term contracts who were allocated to projects which have been cancelled due to the low oil price.” “As a business we understand the difficult position this puts these people in and following further guidance published by the UK Government around its Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme late on Thursday, we are now contacting these employees to offer them the furlough scheme where it is possible to do so.”CITB suspends levy payments
The CITB has suspended the issue of its levy bills, due for payment in 2020, for an initial period of three months. The bills will subsequently be issued for the full year.
The delay will provide immediate financial relief to construction employers during the coronavirus crisis, the CITB said In normal times CITB assesses and sends out levy bills each April in accordance with legal requirements. CITB levy bills are usually due for payment in May, but CITB will not seek collection on the suspended bills until August, or later if possible. Sarah Beale, CITB Chief Executive, said: “Everyone in construction is facing extreme pressure at the moment and it’s right that we provide financial relief where we can to protect employers and ensure that the industry is as prepared as possible for the economic recovery that will come when the crisis lifts. “CITB is reviewing all of its work to respond to the changing skills needs of industry. We are continuing to re-evaluate our services, funding and grants to adapt them to meet industry’s changing priority needs.” All levy bills, raised before 2020, should have been paid by this point. Employers in arrears should contact CITB to discuss payment options.TRAD UK: Why our default position is to continue Hire charges during the coronavirus crisis
TRAD UK CEO Des Moore has released a statement to ScaffMag explaining why its Hire & Sales business will continue to charge its customers during the coronavirus lockdown.
The statement comes after a number of TRAD Hire & Sales customers were left disgruntled after receiving a letter informing them ongoing hire charges would continue during these unprecedented times formulated at the request of many customers who sought clarification. Many of TRAD’s customers, as have TRAD have been directly impacted by the coronavirus and have had to temporarily close during the national lockdown, TRAD has not and does not intend to do so, they said. One scaffold business owner told us “We have kit on hire from TRAD and due to the current situation we have taken the steps to shut for a minimum of three weeks for the safety of our employees. But TRAD is going to continue to charge us hire.” Another company said: “We’ve used TRAD for years and we thought we had a great relationship with them but the message we received was if it’s on hire it’s charged. Disgusting really as this could start making things messy by scaffold companies having to charge additional hire when morally it isn’t right.” We reached out to TRAD UK’s CEO Des Moore for an explanation on making the difficult decision. He said: “As someone who values our relationships with customers and our position in the industry, I wanted to respond directly to the feedback we have had following a letter sent from Trad Hire & Sales earlier this week. “We are all facing an unprecedented situation: one that is putting a great deal of pressure on businesses of all shapes and sizes across the country, clearly we have complete empathy for those who are affected. “The construction and housebuilding sectors have been uniquely impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, as have those businesses that supply those sectors. This is largely because of the lack of clear guidance from the government, which has only recently been clarified. “The fact that this advice has not been as clear as all construction companies would like has resulted in many companies continuing to work – particularly on those projects that are deemed ‘essential’ such as public infrastructure and other crucial programmes. Others had already taken the decision to close sites down on a temporary basis, pending guidance from the CLC, Build UK and Public Health England, which is now available. “For companies like TRAD Hire & Sales, and other hire and sales companies, where we are all supplying a sector that is currently expected to remain open, there are difficult decisions to be made to ensure we can support our customers and look after our staff while staying in line with the Government’s instructions to remain open and support the sector as a whole. “Based on the advice and guidance from the Government, from Public Health England and from construction industry bodies, we plan to remain open. If the advice changes, we will review our position – but we do not expect it will, given various comments from the government this week. Indeed, one statement suggested that construction sites remaining open are part of the Coronavirus modelling programme.“We have no option but to continue charging for equipment hire as our standard default position.”“For TRAD Hire & Sales, and other companies in the construction supply chain, this means that many of our customers are still working on site. Our depots remain open for collection and return of equipment as usual, whilst adhering to safe distance guidance set out by Public Health England. “Given this situation, we have no option but to continue charging for equipment hire as our standard default position. With approximately 600 live accounts we obviously have no way of determining at this stage the extent at which our individual customers are affected. This has been a difficult decision to take, but as the construction industry remains ‘open’, we need to keep our business running as normally as we can to support you, our Employees and the sector in general. “Of course, given that not all sites are open, or accessible, we are and will continue to be as flexible as we can with our customer base. If you are experiencing a site shut-down, partial shut or temporary closure, please contact your regular TRAD H&S representative and we will work with you on an individual case-by-case basis, and evaluate our respective positions’ accordingly, as we have always done, to do the best we can to support you through this difficult period.”
Only emergency construction work should continue, says FMB
Only emergency and critical construction work should be allowed to continue and help extended to SME building firms and the self-employed in order to protect the health and livelihoods of the industry’s workforce, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
New research conducted by the federation has found that:
More than half (60%) of builders have already ceased between 76% and 100% of their work;
Of those, 80% are in the domestic repair, renovation and maintenance sector.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of builders believe that the Government is not doing enough to support them;
80% of builders would apply for the £25,000 grant, currently only available to retail, leisure and hospitality firms, if it were made available to them;
Of those 303 firms who said that they would apply, they employ a total of just under 2,000 people (1,956) and most commonly said that the grant would help them survive another two to three months.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Most FMB members have already taken the lead and ceased the majority of their work. It is almost impossible to follow Public Health England’s social distancing advice on many sites, and it would therefore be safer to close them.”
Berry added: “However, the Government must ensure that these firms don’t face a cliff-edge while doing the right thing and should ensure that grants of £25,000 are made available and that ample support is extended to the self-employed who represent 37% of construction jobs.”
Berry concluded: “No one should have to choose between feeding their family and protecting their health and yet that is the position many builders currently find themselves in. There is a clear appetite for greater Government support among builders, as demonstrated by the fact that 80% would apply if grants were available. Later today, the Chancellor must avoid any halfway house measures and ensure that he delivers equal support for the self-employed as those on PAYE. This package needs to cover the breadth of people who are self-employed not just a select few.”
Coronavirus – what you’re entitled to and how to claim
What you are entitled to and how to claim during the Coronavirus crisis
As the UK is currently on a Coronavirus lockdown and construction sites are now starting to close its gates, many workers and their families are now increasingly concerned about where its income is going to come from over the coming weeks and possibly months. With help from The Money Advice Service, we have tried to put together an easily digestible list of information and resources to help you and your family overcome this Coronavirus crisis.Health over wealth
First and foremost the health of you and your family should be your number one priority right now. If you have any symptoms of coronavirus such as a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath, it is important you follow the NHS guidelines to protect yourself and prevent the spread of the virus. If you have a persistent cough, fever or flu-like symptoms you must self-isolate yourself for seven days.If you’re employed
The government has announced it will pay your wages through the coronavirus job retention scheme if the business you work for is forced to temporarily close because of coronavirus. The scheme is available to anyone who is PAYE. Your employer will need to contact HMRC to apply. In order for you to qualify, your employer will have to re-assign your employment status as a furloughed worker’. The scheme will pay 80 percent of retained workers’ salaries, up to £2,500 a month. Your employer can top up your salary to more than this if they choose to. Wages under the scheme will be backdated to 1 March and the scheme will be open for at least three months. There is no limit on the amount of funding and the government will pay grants to support as many jobs as necessary. The first of the grants are hoped to be paid before the end of April so it could take a few weeks to get your money.But I have already been laid off!
If your boss has already informed you that your job is gone, you should contact them to see if they are now willing to take you back on and reassign you as a furloughed worker. If you have already received a redundancy payment and your employer could now take you back on, speak to your employer or the ACAS helpline for advice on what to do.‘I am not risking it’, I don’t want to work because of the virus
If you don’t want to travel or go into work because you’re worried about catching coronavirus, unfortunately, ‘you’re between a rock and a hard place’ as your rights are more limited. Your boss is required to listen to your concerns and try and find a way to work around them. You may also be able to take the time off as holiday or unpaid leave. If you are struggling to pay your bills see this guide from the Money Advice Service.What about Sick Pay?
Your rights to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) depend on your employment status and earnings. If you earn at least £118 a week (£120 from 6 April 2020), you will be able to get £94.25 per week (£95.85 from 6 April 2020) for up to 28 weeks. The government has announced SSP will be paid from the first day you are off sick if it is related to coronavirus. SSP covers you both if you’re ill and if you need to self isolate because you have been in direct contact with the virus. You will still need to provide a sick note or fit note. You no longer have to go to a doctor to get a sick note or fit note. You can get one by calling NHS 111. Some employers have more generous contractual sick pay schemes. It is worth checking your contract, staff handbook or with your employer. The government has said that it will bear the costs of SSP for smaller employers, so claiming it should not be a problem. If you do have a problem, contact the HM Revenue and Customs statutory payment dispute team on 03000 560 630 If you earn less than £118 a week If you’re employed but your earnings are too low to claim SSP, you may be able to claim Universal Credit. You can do this online. Don’t delay making a claim for benefits, even if you think you might have been affected by coronavirus. However, if you are already getting any of these benefits being replaced by Universal Credit:- Housing Benefit
- Tax Credits
- Income Support
- Employment and Support Allowance
If you’re self-employed (Updated)
The government launched the self-employed income support scheme on Thursday 27 March. To be eligible, you must earn more than half your income from self-employment, have submitted a tax return for 2018/19 and have:- a trading profit of less than £50,000 for 2018/19, or
- an average trading profit of less than £50,000 for the tax year 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19.