New pension and retirement rules will stop small firms employing

A small business support organisation is warning that recent changes to pensions and retirement rules will hamper job creation among smaller firms.  The Forum of Private Business is arguing that the Government’s decision to force companies into providing pensions for employees and remove the Default Retirement Age (DRA) will deal a double blow to smaller employers.  The Forum believes making businesses of all sizes provide pension provisions from 2012 – even if they only employ a single person – will add cost and create extra administrative burdens when small businesses can least afford it.

The move, which was announced this week, is likely to lead to a drop in the number of permanent jobs being provided by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and an increase in the use of temporary staff and self-employed labour.  Additionally, the Forum is arguing that the Government’s intention to remove an employers’ ability to retire workers as part of its abolition of the DRA will act as an extra disincentive for small employers to recruit.

In response to a recent consultation on the issue, the Forum warned that the removal of important retirement options, which could be effective from as early as April 2011, could leave business owners open to accusations of age discrimination, lead to an increase in employment tribunal cases, and hamper small firms’ ability to plan for the future.

Forum spokesman Phil McCabe said:- “The Government has stated repeatedly that it wants the private sector to pull the UK out of the economic doldrums by driving job creation.  Yet by abolishing the DRA and forcing even the smallest of businesses to provide pensions for their staff, it is creating a huge incentive for firms to avoid providing proper, permanent jobs due to the risks and costs involved.  Instead, they will increasingly be forced to use temporary staff and self-employed labour in order to remain competitive. We appreciate that the Government needs to tackle the pensions shortfall and reduce the costs associated with an ageing population, but it is unfair and counter-productive that businesses struggling to emerge from one of the worst recessions in living memory should be expected to foot the bill.”

Forum member Tracy Hoather, of Cheshire courier firm Sameday Plc, described the new pensions ruling as a fresh ‘tax on jobs’ and pointed out that employers already paid towards their workers’ retirement through their National Insurance Contributions.

Mrs Hoather also said losing the option to retire older workers would make employing people even more risky and expensive than it is already.  She said:- “You can have problem employees at any age and getting rid of bad eggs is a nightmare.  The difference is now those over 60 will claim age discrimination every time, even though it is nothing to do with their age but their attitude and capability.  The Government wants companies to take over the role of social security payments - they want us to allow staff to dictate how often and when they'll work. In a service business competing with people who don't employ staff but use sub-contracted owner-drivers, I dread to think how much this is going to cost us above what the market rate is for the job we do.”

The Forum recently responded to a consultation concerning the abolition of the DRA.  The Forum pointed out that if Schedule 6 of the Age Regulations – which gives an employer the option of retiring staff at 65 – is removed, workers will have the right to work on indefinitely.

As a result, businesses will only be able to use the capability dismissal process to terminate the employment of a worker whose age is detrimentally affecting his or her performance. But many smaller business owners would be reluctant to do this, the Forum believes, as the process would be seen as demeaning, could affect workplace morale and would not provide a dignified end to a career.  In addition, the capability dismissal process is very time consuming and costly, which would disproportionately affect SMEs due to their more limited resources and finances.

Calling for Schedule 6 to be retained, the Forum also argued that its removal would lead to an increase in the number of employment cases being taken to tribunal as without retirement as a reason for dismissal, the boundaries between legitimate reasons for dismissal and unfair dismissal would become blurred. Small to medium-sized enterprises which wanted to dismiss an older employee would also have to obtain a medical opinion, adding to the costs involved.

Finally, the Forum pointed out that businesses have not been given enough time to plan for the abolition of the DRA, which will affect business owners from April 2011, and called for the DRA to be phased out more slowly.

LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK 2010

THE Liverpool Music Week, the UK’s biggest indoor winter music festival has announced the final wave of acts who will be performing at this year’s festival.

LMW which kicked off Friday, 29 October 2010, will be taking over the city hosting an array of free and ticketed events featuring some of the biggest acts on the circuit including Leftfield, Chase & Status, The Drums, Liars, Dan Le Sac & Scroobius Pip, Miles Kane, CAST, Villagers, Darwin Deez and Hadouken and showcasing some of the freshest acts who will be our stars of tomorrow including Efterklang, Los Campesinos, Egyptian Hip Hop, James Yuill, Field Music, Ragz, Sleigh Bells, !!! Chk Chk, Bicycle Thieves, Picture Book, Stealing Sheep, Fly With Vampires, Bicycle Thieves, The Big House which is Candie Payne’s new project which includes former Zuton Paul Malloy. And one of the most highly anticipated shows of this year’s LMW agenda a performance from The Venus Fury whose members include 2 former members of the Dead 60’s (Charlie Turner & Bryan Johnson), Boyan Chowdhury from the Zuton’s and Iriana Mancini from Manchester band Mancini! The LMW iphone app will be available from the app store from Saturday 30th October, giving all the latest gig listings and info/directions for all of this year’s shows.

Liverpool Music Week began in 2003 and over the last 8 years has gone onto become a nationally recognised event and highlight of the music calendar. Resulting in Liverpool Music Week becoming the UK’s biggest indoor winter music festival, a musical showcase that features big name acts and gives a performance platform for fresh emerging talent, a number of which have gone on to reach nationwide success. Last year’s event attracted a record breaking 65,000 people to the city and is a combination of free and ticketed shows.

EVENTS STILL TO BE HELD....

Thursday, 4 November 2010 at the CHAPEL CLUB - With O Children, David’s Lyre, The Loud, Owls* In Association with Indo Silver Club

Friday,  5 November 2010 - Club Electric Sheep Presents: The Big House - With Misery Guts, By The Sea, The Moguls, Dan Wilson

Monday, 8 November 2010 - Lazy Genius Presents: Club Lazy Genius - With we walk in Straight Lines, Police Squad, Fo-Neticks, The Zenemans

Tuesday, 9 November 2010 - Dave Monks Presents:- Picture Book with the Tea Street Band + More

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 - Definitive Presents: Cattle & Cane - With Secret Circuits, Jo Bywater, The Temps

Thursday, 11 November 2010 - MILES KANE - With Bicycle Thieves, The Venus Fury, Eva Peterson, Nick Ellis

Friday, 12 November 2010 - SLEIGH BELLS - With Shadow Cabinet, Binary Toad, Pariah Quay In Association With Samizdat

Sunday, 14 November 2010 - Lazy Genius Presents:
The Lucid Dream - With Supercannes + More

Monday, 15 November 2010 - LOS CAMPESINOS! - With Dire Wolfe, Gofaster>>, Married To The Sea, The Long Finger Bandits

SPECIAL EVENTS:-

Thursday, 11 November 2010 - The Pool & LMW Presents CAST - Live BBC Radio Merseyside Performance Space... Free Entry / Age: 14+ / Doors: 7pm

Sunday, 7 November 2010 - EFTERKLANG - 02 Academy Liverpool (Main Room) - £10.00+BF / Age: 14+ / Doors: 8.00pm

Saturday, 13 November 2010 - LIARS - Static Gallery - £12.00 + BF / Age 18+ / Doors: 7.30pm

Tuesday, 22 February 2011 - BEARDYMAN* Please note date change, - 02 Academy Liverpool - £10.00+BF / Age: 14+ / Doors: 7.30pm

*** LMW Closing Event *** Thursday, 25 November - LEFTFIELDLiverpool University (Mountford Hall) - £24+BF / Age: 14+ / Doors: 7.00pm

Tickets available from:- ticketline.co.uk  Tel:- 0844 888 4401. More acts to be announced over the coming months. Mojo Shows: 18+ (ID Required)

For more information logo onto:- liverpoolmusicweek.com.