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    <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk</link>
    <description>News and updates from Premlierline Direct</description>
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    <ttl>15</ttl>


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        <title>120,000 rooms come back on market</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Hoteliers in London have been handed back 120,000 room nights by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).Hundreds of thousands of nights were originally reserved for officials, sponsors and the media when the London Games was originally announced, but the organising body has now given the surplus rooms back to the hotels.These will now be available for the general public to hire and firms will need to make sure that their hotel insurance policies are fully up to scratch to deal with the influx of visitors this summer.To encourage as many people as possible to book rooms, the hospitality industry is keen to shake off the public perception that services will be overpriced.Channel 4 recently claimed that its investigation found some prices were 120 per cent more expensive during the event.However, London &amp; Partners, the official promotional body for the capital, said that it is working hard to bring customers to the city this summer and insists that prices will be fair.Head of communications at London &amp; Partners Chloe Couchman told Caterer and Hotelkeeper: &quot;We are banging the drum via the media and the travel agents that hotel bedrooms are available at all levels at reasonable prices.&quot;I think London hotels have learnt from previous Olympic host cities and the Royal Wedding that it doesn&#39;t pay to charge excessive prices.&quot;Robert Flinter, general manager of the Apex City of London hotel, agreed with Ms Couchman&#39;s sentiment.&quot;It would be foolish of us to do so for what would be a short-term gain that could damage long-term relationships,&quot; he told the magazine.The Olympics begins on July 25th with the women&#39;s football in Cardiff, two days before the opening ceremony on July 27th and finishes on August 12th with the closing ceremony.]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/120000_rooms_come_back_on_market</link>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:01:05 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006554">Hotel insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="66" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/120+000+rooms+come+back+on+market_873_801284049_0_0_14027890_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>ABI identifies flood risk areas</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has identified the areas of the country that are most at risk of flooding.Using the latest Environment Agency flood data against the 573 parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales, the ABI found that In 92 constituencies there are 1,000 or more homes at high flood risk.&#39;Significant&#39; flood risk is defined as a greater than one in 75 chance of flood in any given year and Boston and Skegness has the most homes in this category, with 7,550 in peril.Boston and Skegness is closely followed by the Vale of Clwyd (7,339), Folkestone and Hythe (7,196) and Windsor (7,125).In the face of these figures, the ABI is concerned that with the Statement of Principles accord insurers have with the government coming to an end in June 2013, as many as 200,000 high-risk properties could see problems in securing flood insurance after then.The Statement of Principles was agreed in 2008 between the government and the ABI and it compels insurers to offer insurance to existing customers where they are at significant risk, as long as a plan is in place to reduce that risk within five years.ABI&#39;s director general Otto Thoresen says that insurers want to be able to offer peace of mind to customers, but it is up to the government to ensure that this can happen.Mr Thoresen said: &quot;We are running out of time to make sure that people in high risk areas are properly protected from the devastation flooding can cause and the ball is now in the government&#39;s court.&quot;Insurers want to make sure that every home has access to affordable insurance, should the worst happen, and we&#39;re concerned that those people most at risk will lose out unless the government considers a safety net.&quot;Business insurance customers in the most at-risk areas should check their own insurance policies to make sure they are covered.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/ABI_identifies_flood_risk_areas</link>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:58:04 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="99" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/abi+identifies+flood+risk+areas_873_801282517_0_0_7006278_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Just 5% use mediation to solve disputes</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Businesses are costing themselves time, money and effort because they are failing to make use of mediation as an option when it comes to dealing with employee disputes.A study by employment relations consultants Acas found that just one in 20 employers have used mediation to solve a workplace dispute.However, despite only five per cent using the service, the study found that 64 per cent had heard of mediation, 74 per cent agreed that mediation is a good tool for resolving disputes at work and 50 per cent agreed that mediation produces &#39;win-win&#39; solutions that leave both parties satisfied.Andrew Wareing, director of the Acas service responsible for resolving disputes between individuals and their employers, said: &quot;Workplace conflict can damage an organisation&#39;s effectiveness.&quot;Mediation helps resolve disputes quickly and effectively, minimising distress and cost as well as preserving workplace relationships.&quot;This view is also taken by the government, which recently announced two new pilot schemes to try to reduce the amount of workplace disputes that end up in court.The two pilot schemes, one based in Cambridge and the other in Manchester, will run for 12 months and, if successful, the government will consider extending the project to other parts of Great Britain.In 2010-2011, there were 218,000 tribunal claims, up 44 per cent on 2008-09, with each business spending nearly &pound;4,000 on average per claim.Secretary of state for business, Dr Vince Cable, said: &quot;Tribunals should be a last resort for workplace problems, which is why we want disputes to be solved in other ways.&quot;Firms that opt for commercial legal protection cover as part of a comprehensive business insurance policy can help protect themselves should mediation fail.This type of insurance provides help towards a company&#39;s legal expenses when dealing with employment disputes and compensation awards, and legal defence.]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Just_5pc_use_mediation_to_solve_disputes</link>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:58:05 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="66" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/just+5+use+mediation+to+solve+disputes_873_801281605_0_0_7916_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Employers agree with law shake up</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Employers have largely signalled their agreement with government plans to shake up employment law.Government figures reveal that there were 218,000 tribunal claims in 2010-11, up 44 per cent on 2008-09 and it wants to see this figure being reduced.In a survey of 600 UK employers conducted by law firm Eversheds, 79 per cent said they believed that introducing employment tribunal fees would help reduce tribunal litigation.Nearly two thirds of respondents supported the proposed fee structure for the Employment Appeal Tribunal and three quarters thought that it would not deter them from appealing.A shortening of the 90-day redundancy consultation period is also on the cards and 75 per cent of respondents said they agree with this proposal.Currently, if an employer is considering making 20 or more employees redundant at one establishment within a 90-day period, they must consult with employee representatives.They must also notify the appropriate Redundancy Payments Office before any termination notices are sent to employees.In the survey, moving to a 30-day period was the most popular suggestion among respondents.Geoffrey Mead, partner at Eversheds, said: &quot;The results show strong support for a shortening of the 90-day redundancy consultation period and strong agreement that this will ultimately reduce employment tribunal litigation.&quot;A recurring theme is a concern that a 90 day minimum can stretch out unnecessarily the uncertainty for employees and inject excessive delay at a time when employers may need to act with urgency to sustain a business.&quot;When facing tribunal action, commercial legal protection &ndash; an optional extra on a business insurance policy - can provide help towards a company&#39;s legal expenses when dealing with employment disputes and compensation awards, as well as legal defence.The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is launching a new pilot scheme to try to reduce the amount of workplace disputes that end up in court.This will see Cambridge and Manchester becoming the first &quot;regional mediation networks&quot;.]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Employers_agree_with_law_shake_up</link>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:58:52 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/employers+agree+with+law+shake+up_873_801279534_0_0_7002654_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Businesses still looking to recruit</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Many businesses are still expecting to recruit staff over the coming months, despite low levels of confidence among businesses.The Recruitment and Employment Confederation&#39;s (REC) &#39;JobsOutlook&#39; report indicates that 63 per cent of employers are expecting to increase their workforce and another 31 per cent are planning to retain their current staff levels in the short-term.Over the year, 59 per cent expect to take on more permanent staff, with 39 per cent planning on retaining their current workforce.This is despite the Federation of Small Businesses&#39; &#39;Voice of Small Business Index&#39; having plummeted to -24.5 at the end of 2011 - a drop of 15.2 in the final quarter - and 13 per cent of businesses expecting the economic situation to get worse at the start of 2012.The figures put confidence levels among small business owners at their lowest since 2010.However, the REC says that some businesses are defying the bleak economic outlook.Roger Tweedy, the REC&#39;s director of research, said: &quot;There has been a significant dip in employer optimism that is likely to be linked to continuing economic concerns over the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone.&quot;Most employers have retrenched to a much more cautious &#39;wait and see&#39; approach. However &hellip; a significant number of businesses still plan to take on new staff during the course of the year.&quot;Firms looking to recruit staff will need to ensure that their business insurance policies cover these new workers.They will also need to be aware of new regulations if they are planning on taking on temporary workers.The Agency Worker Regulations came into force on 1st October 2011 and entitles agency workers to the same rights as if they were ordinary members of staff.Furthermore, after 12 weeks with the same firm, the new rules also mean that agency workers are then entitled to the same pay, holidays, night work, breaks and working hours as permanent employees.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Businesses_still_looking_to_recruit</link>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:54:35 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="74" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/businesses+still+looking+to+recruit_873_801278292_0_0_7066529_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>HSE issues guidelines for shops and offices</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued guidelines for shops and offices to help them prepare a risk assessment.Risk assessments are required by law. They help to protect people from injury in the workplace by highlighting potential dangers and encouraging businesses to think about ways to control them.The HSE says: &quot;Accidents and ill health can ruin lives and affect your business too if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase or you have to go to court.&quot;You are legally required to assess the risks in your workplace so that you put in place a plan to control the risks.&quot;A five-step risk assessment involves first the identification of hazards; second, deciding who might be harmed and how; third, evaluating the risks and deciding on precautions; fourth, recording findings and implementing them; and fifth, reviewing the assessment and updating it if necessary.Workplace injuries are covered by the employer&#39;s liability and public liability sections of a shop insurance or office insurance policy.The former provides cover for sums a business becomes legally liable to pay as damages together with its legal costs and expenses relating to an injury to an employee for which it is legally liable.The latter provides cover for sums a business becomes legally liable to pay as damages together with its legal costs and expenses relating to an accidental injury to any person or accidental loss or damage to their material property happening in the course of your business.Most businesses are required by the Employers&#39; Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 to have this kind of insurance in place, with a minimum value of &pound;5 million.Public liability is generally voluntary, but if a firm does not have it, members of the public could claim substantial damages from the company should they be injured.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/HSE_issues_guidelines_for_shops_and_offices</link>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:34 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006553">Shop insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="88" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/hse+issues+guidelines+for+shops+and+offices_873_801277452_0_0_154_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Pubs need to be age aware</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Pubs are increasingly being called upon to show better age-awareness when it comes to the sale of alcohol.In recent years, prominent campaigns have seen the maximum age at which people should no longer expect to be asked to produce ID when attempting to buy alcohol rise to 25.&nbsp;&#39;Challenge 25&#39; builds on 2005&#39;s &#39;Challenge 21&#39; campaign and aims to reduce the number of sales of alcohol to minors.While it is used as a retail strategy in much of the UK, in Scotland this policy is actually enshrined in law under the terms of the Alcohol (Scotland) Act 2010.One publican in Lincolnshire has just found out the hard way what happens when staff members do not follow this guidance, after he was told that he must suspend alcohol sales for 28 days for failing two test purchase operations.The Licensing Act allows Trading Standards officers and the police to send under-age consumers into pubs and shops to attempt to buy alcohol.The Publicans&#39; Morning Advertiser says that as well as suspending alcohol sales, the licensing authority has imposed a number of new conditions on the licence of the pub that failed the tests.These include new rules stipulating that it must adopt Challenge 25, send staff for training and keep a log of all attempted under-18 purchases.Following this case, other UK pubs should consider implementing these strategies in order to prevent problems of their own occurring in the future.Pubs may lose their licences for a number of reasons, some of which may be covered by the &#39;Loss of Liquor Licence&#39; section of their pub insurance policy.Pub owners should check their individual policies to see what they are and are not covered for.As well as alcohol sales, the government is trying to reduce the number of minors accessing tobacco products by rolling out a UK-wide ban on cigarette vending machines.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Pubs_need_to_be_age_aware</link>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:48:56 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006555">Pub insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/pubs+need+to+be+age+aware_873_801276273_0_0_6000573_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Non-compliant vans should steer clear of London, says FTA</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Companies that own older vehicles are being advised to stay away from London where possible to avoid falling foul of new legislation.The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says that amendments to the rules regarding the Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) mean that Y-registration, as well as some 51-plate vehicles, should steer clear of the capital to avoid facing substantial charges and fines.From January 3rd this year, Transport for London (TfL) has been operating a more stringent policy whereby more vehicles are affected and those already affected need to meet stricter requirements. Those that do not must pay a daily charge.Lorries, buses, coaches or other specialist heavy diesel vehicles now need to meet the Euro IV standard for particulate matter (PM), while vans and minibuses must meet the Euro III standard.Whereas most large fleet operators will be fully prepared for the transition from the Euro III to Euro IV, the FTA believes that many smaller firms may have missed the changes.Natalie Chapman, FTA&#39;s head of policy for London, said: &quot;For many small businesses and sole traders, 2011 has been all about keeping afloat and the looming LEZ changes may catch them out.&quot;We are advising those with non-compliant vans to stay out of London, but this may prove impossible for London-based van operators.&quot;TfL is using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to catch vehicles entering the LEZ that do not meet the emissions standard but have not paid the charge.Operators will also need to make sure that their commercial van insurance is up to scratch.The police are increasingly making use of mobile ANPR technology to catch drivers for a range of offences, including driving without valid insurance.Police cars armed with the devices patrol the roads and will immediately stop any vehicle which returns a &#39;hit&#39; from databases such as the Police National Computer, DVLA and Motor Insurers&#39; Bureau systems.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Noncompliant_vans_should_steer_clear_of_London_says_FTA</link>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:47:22 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006556">Van insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="66" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/non+compliant+vans+should+steer+clear+of+london+says+fta_873_801274990_0_0_14015598_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>35% of employees 'unreasonably' stressed</title>
        <description><![CDATA[A new survey has revealed that stress in UK workplaces has hit a four-year high, with 35 per cent of employees &quot;unreasonably&quot; stressed.&nbsp;The study by the Kenexa High Performance Institute reveals that UK stress levels have risen by ten per cent since 2008 &ndash; placing it above the Brazil, Germany, US, China and India.Some 60,000 employees were studied across the six countries over a four-year period for the study, with job insecurity playing a major role in affecting stress levels.For example, in organisations where staff had been made redundant, the average level of employee stress was nearly 40 per cent &ndash; 15 per cent higher than for those workers at firms where no layoffs had been made.Dr Rena Rasch, research manager at Kenexa, said that it is in employers&#39; best interests to ensure that their workers are happy.&quot;High stress levels increase absenteeism and decrease productivity,&quot; said Dr Rasch.&nbsp;&quot;For individuals, stress causes sleep deprivation, headaches, high blood pressure and greater susceptibility to illness, which lowers well-being and increases the chance of burn out.&quot;As well as helping employees to reduce their stress levels, employers have a number of other obligations towards their workers&#39; well-being.For instance, firms must have employer&#39;s liability in place as part of their business insurance policy.This provides cover for sums businesses become legally liable to pay as damages together with legal costs and expenses relating to an injury to an employee for which they are legally liable.In response to the findings, Kenexa has issued a document for employers entitled &#39;Stress: What&#39;s the Impact for Organisations?&#39;This details the findings of the study, explains who is at risk and the consequences of stress, and lists practical suggestions for how companies can reduce the problem.&quot;Leaders &hellip; need to be honest with and sympathetic to their employees, who may be anxious about their jobs,&quot; Dr Rasch advised.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/35pc_of_employees_unreasonably_stressed</link>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:44:31 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="99" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/35+of+employees+unreasonably+stressed_873_801273649_0_0_7025689_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Government aiming to reduce number of tribunals</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is launching a new pilot scheme to try to reduce the amount of workplace disputes that end up in court.Government figures reveal that there were 218,000 tribunal claims in 2010-11, up 44 per cent on 2008-09.In defending themselves, each business spent on average nearly &pound;4,000 per claim &ndash; revealing just how costly such disputes can be.These statistics highlight the importance of firms opting for commercial legal protection cover as part of a comprehensive business insurance policy.This type of insurance provides help towards a company&#39;s legal expenses when dealing with employment disputes and compensation awards, and legal defence.In response to the new tribunal figures, employment relations minister Edward Davey said that tribunals should always be a &quot;last resort&quot; and has announced that Cambridge and Manchester will be the first &quot;regional mediation networks&quot;.As part of this programme, the government will provide funding towards mediation training for employees from a group of 24 SMEs in both regions.Trained mediators will also be available to provide mediation to other organisations.Mr Davey said he hopes the schemes will raise the profile of mediation among businesses as responses to the government&#39;s Resolving Workplace Disputes consultation revealed that many businesses have never employed mediation.The minister said: &quot;Mediation offers an informal method of dispute resolution and can be used at the point when problems first arise in the workplace.&quot;For both employers and employees, mediation can mean avoiding the need for formal discipline and grievance procedures.&quot;It can also mean avoiding the time-consuming, complex and often stressful employment tribunal process.&quot;The pilot schemes in Cambridge and Manchester will run for 12 months and, if successful, the government will consider extending the project to other parts of Great Britain.A national mentoring network has also been launched, with an e-portal providing businesses with information and advice.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Government_aiming_to_reduce_number_of_tribunals</link>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:43:18 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/government+aiming+to+reduce+number+of+tribunals_873_801272401_0_0_4000900_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Cruise case brings constructive dismissal warning</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The behaviour of the captain at the centre of Costa cruise ship disaster is currently making headline news around the world, but HR Magazine says his employer&#39;s behaviour is just as surprising.Within hours of the accident, in which captain Francesco Schettino allegedly ran his vessel aground with over 4,000 passengers on board, his employer Costa Cruises made a statement saying &quot;we need to acknowledge the facts and we cannot deny human error&quot;.Martin Pratt from HR Magazine says that such behaviour &ndash; accusing an employee of wrongdoing before a formal investigation has taken place &ndash; can leave employers vulnerable to claims of constructive dismissal.&quot;It is an unwritten term in all English law employment contracts that employers must not act in an irrational or perverse manner, or acting in a manner in which no reasonable employer would have acted, when it is exercising managerial discretion,&quot; Mr Pratt says.Acting against an employee without investigating the incident properly could therefore be seen as an &quot;irrational&quot; act.Mr Pratt is also amazed that his employers were so quick to admit that their employee had caused the disaster.Such an admission of guilt under UK law he says would leave the company completely exposed to legal claims against them, which it would have little chance of defending having already accepted blame.&nbsp;&quot;Employers should be very careful of what they say in the aftermath of something going wrong in the workplace or customer arena.&quot;Until the facts have been ascertained in a proper investigation, no public comments placing blame for the incident should be made,&quot; he advises.Should a firm get taken to court, commercial legal protection is optional protection under a business insurance policy that is designed to cover a company&#39;s legal expenses in certain circumstances, including employment disputes and compensation awards and legal defence.]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Cruise_case_brings_constructive_dismissal_warning</link>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:44:04 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="66" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/cruise+case+brings+constructive+dismissal+warning_873_801270439_0_0_14045110_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Is forced retirement justifiable?</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The Supreme Court is set to decide whether the decision by a firm to force a 65-year-old employee to retire was &quot;justified&quot;.Based in London, the Supreme Court is the final court of appeal for cases in the UK and is hearing the case of Leslie Seldon who was dismissed as partner from the Kent-based law firm Clarkson Wright and Jakes LLP when he reached &quot;retirement age&quot; under the terms of his partnership deed.&nbsp;The case has already been heard at previous employment tribunals and is now further complicated by the fact that the default retirement age has been removed.HR Magazine says that the case has wide-reaching significance for businesses, because age discrimination claims have now overtaken race discrimination claims in terms of numbers.An increasing number of tribunals strengthen the case for employers to have commercial legal protection in place as part of their business insurance policy.Commercial legal protection is optional protection designed to cover a business&#39; legal expenses in certain circumstances, including employment disputes and compensation awards and legal defence.Paul McFarlane, partner in the employment team at law firm Weightmans, says that the ruling will affect what sort of policies businesses can employ and throws up a number of questions, including whether firms can remove older employees to bring in new blood.&quot;It will be interesting to see whether the Supreme Court considers these issues and, if so, what its views are on them,&quot; he told HR Magazine.Lou Marshall, solicitor at law firm Fladgate, says that current economic conditions add extra importance to the outcome of the case.&quot;Given that the default retirement age has been abolished and more people may be affected by the outcome, especially in an economic climate where people are looking to work for as long as possible,&quot; he told HR Magazine.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Is_forced_retirement_justifiable</link>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:05:09 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/is+forced+retirement+justifiable_873_801269212_0_0_7002654_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Metal thieves targeting beer kegs</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The problem of metal thievery is spreading across the UK and beer kegs are yet another target for the criminals involved in this illegal practice.Last Friday (January 13th), police seized &pound;100,000 worth of beer kegs in raids in London and arrested two people on suspicion of handling stolen goods.After the raids in Tottenham and Edmonton, a thousand 50-100 litre kegs were retrieved, which ranged in value from &pound;75 and &pound;165.The rise in metal thefts has been influenced by rising prices, according to the police.Detective inspector Steven Dryden of Haringey CID said: &quot;In the last ten years, the price of metal has soared 400 per cent.&quot;It&#39;s a valuable commodity that makes it an attractive prospect to thieves.&quot;An expert on such thefts says that the problem affects the whole of the industry.Security director of Kegwatch, a trade organisation set up to help reduce the trade in stolen kegs, David Belcher said: &quot;Stainless steel beer kegs are used in pubs and clubs across the country.&quot;Stolen kegs are often disposed of illegally through illicit outlets and scrap yards.&quot;The business contents section of a pub insurance policy can help protect trade contents and stock against a range of perils including explosion, fire, storm damage, malicious damage and theft involving forcible and violent entry or exit from the premises.In London, commuters have also been hit by metal thefts, with train services into London Waterloo being disrupted by thieves targeting copper cables.Theft of valuable materials for scrap has increased to such an extent that the Met recently set up a dedicated team to tackle the problem.The Waste and Metal Theft Taskforce based in Bexley, London, is targeting scrap yards to put a stop to an issue that costs the UK economy &pound;700 million a year.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Metal_thieves_targeting_beer_kegs</link>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:05:10 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006555">Pub insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="66" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/metal+thieves+targeting+beer+kegs_873_801267926_0_0_7051054_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Consultant warns of data theft danger</title>
        <description><![CDATA[With the equivalent of thousands of pages worth of data able to be transferred to and carried easily on tiny USB sticks, a consultant has been warning of the security conundrum faced by businesses when it comes to IT security.Graham Jackson, a business development consultant, says that it is now quite easy for employees who are leaving a company to take vast amounts of data with them when they leave, with the potential to set up rival firms.According to industry figures, Mr Jackson says that 30 per cent of workers believe sales leads and business contacts generated in the course of their employment are rightfully theirs.However, he says that most companies are not equipped with the forensic equipment to investigate potential breaches and could fall foul of the law if they do not conduct the examination in the correct manner.&quot;Employees are &hellip; becoming better informed of their rights. Should the results of an investigation be questioned by an employment lawyer, a company may find itself accused of evidence tampering, discrimination and wrongful dismissal,&quot; he told HR Magazine.Should a business find itself involved in a data theft incident, the optional commercial legal protection section of an office insurance policy is designed to cover a business&#39; legal expenses in the event of employment disputes and compensation awards.Mr Jackson says that businesses can help protect themselves by keeping backups of information and having a clear computer incident response plan in place to help them respond to the situation.He also recommends that businesses set out clear IT policies, for which regular updates and training are provided.This view is echoed by Elaine Banton, an employment lawyer, who recently suggested that the best way for employers to protect themselves against employee claims in relation to social media disciplinary issues is to have a clear computer policy in place.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Consultant_warns_of_data_theft_danger</link>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:59:14 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006558">Office insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="74" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/consultant+warns+of+data+theft+danger_873_801266518_0_0_14020120_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Cost of retail crime up by 31%</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The cost of retail crime is up by 31 per cent to &pound;1.4 billion per annum, according to new figures.The British Retail Consortium&#39;s (BRC) Retail Crime Survey 2011, published today (January 16th), reveals that although the overall number of crimes has dropped, the overall cost to the industry has increased.For instance, while the number of burglaries per 100 stores dropped by 42 per cent, the cost per such incident rose by 83 per cent to an average of &pound;2,000 worth of goods stolen.Although spend on crime prevention went up by 1.4 per cent, reducing the number of opportunistic thefts, the BRC says that shops have been able to do little to protect themselves from violent and forcible thefts &ndash; with staff reporting a rise in the number of incidents involving weapons.The figures show that more than 35,000 retail workers suffered from physical attacks, verbal abuse and anti-social behaviour in 2011, excluding during the August riots in London.BRC director general Stephen Robertson said: &quot;Retailers have made significant investment to protect their staff, stock and premises from opportunistic crime.&quot;What is left is a core of more serious and organised criminals who are making off with goods in larger quantities and of higher value. These are violent law-breakers who pose a danger to society at large, not solely the retail sector.&quot;As a result, the BRC is calling upon the government to be tough on those who are convicted of assaulting staff members.With such crimes rising in value, it is important for businesses to protect themselves with adequate shop insurance.The business contents section of such a policy should cover a shop&#39;s contents and stock against a wide range of perils, including explosion, fire, storm damage, malicious damage and theft involving forcible and violent entry or exit from the premises.]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Cost_of_retail_crime_up_by_31pc</link>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:59:13 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006553">Shop insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="66" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/cost+of+retail+crime+up+by+31_873_801266039_0_0_12665_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>LinkedIn case highlights social media legal conundrum </title>
        <description><![CDATA[The case of a man who was sacked after posting details on the networking site LinkedIn has highlighted the difficulty both employees and businesses face when dealing with social media.It also strengthens the need for employers to have commercial legal protection in place as part of their business insurance policy.Reading Employment Tribunal is currently hearing the case of John Flexman, an HR Executive who is claiming he was forced out of his job for saying he was interested in other &quot;career opportunities&quot; on the LinkedIn website.&nbsp;The company claims his LinkedIn profile constituted an &quot;inappropriate use of social media&quot; and is contesting the constructive dismissal charge.However, Mr Flexman contends that 21 other employees at BG Group had also ticked the same box on the site, yet none of them were disciplined.The 34-year-old is by no means the first person to have been dismissed after making comments on the internet.Just this week, Oxford City football club sacked their striker Lee Steele over a homophobic tweet posted on Twitter.A statement from the club said that Steele&#39;s comments were &quot;considered seriously contrary to the ethos of the club&quot; and his manager Mike Ford told the BBC that &quot;Lee&#39;s had to pay for his error of judgment&quot;.A recent investigation revealed that, in a three-year period, between 2008 and 2010, 150 police officers were warned by their bosses over their conduct on Facebook.In total, Facebook comments have seen two officers sacked, including one in 2011 who called a colleague a &quot;grass&quot; and a &quot;liar&quot;, and seven resign.HR Magazine suggests that the best way for employers to protect themselves against employee claims in relation to social media disciplinary issues is to have a clear policy in place.Elaine Banton from the publication says: &quot;A recent spate of litigation involving employees dismissed for use of social media has only highlighted that those employers who possessed a sound social media policy were in a far stronger position defending dismissals.&quot;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/LinkedIn_case_highlights_social_media_legal_conundrum_</link>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:51:51 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="66" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/linkedin+case+highlights+social+media+legal+conundrum_873_801263698_0_0_7062145_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Christmas period brings mixed fortunes for pubs</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The festive period proved to bring mixed fortunes for pubs in the UK, with some businesses reporting sales improvements, while others found themselves in insolvency trouble.As for the retail sector, Christmas and New Year is usually a bumper time for pubs as people get into the festive spirit, but with even giants like Tesco reporting poor sales, the tough economic climate has made a successful holiday period anything but a certainty.The unpredictable nature of the hospitality and leisure market means that businesses need to make sure that they have adequate pub insurance in place to help protect them against unexpected costs.The Publicans&#39; Morning Advertiser reports that some businesses saw like-for-like (LFL) sales increase by as much as 20 per cent.For instance, Thorley Taverns saw LFL sales up 20 per cent year-on-year for the week before Christmas, while six-strong TLC Inns reported an eight per cent boost.Chief operating officer Nigel Wright of the pub group TCG attributed his company&#39;s strong performance to the calendar.&quot;The days definitely fell right for the pub and bar trade, with the two long weekends and Christmas Eve on a Saturday. That meant both the Christmas and New Year weekends saw customers spread spending across several days,&quot; he said.However, while some chains reported better performance, PwC reports that insolvency saw a large spike in the last quarter of 2011.In the bar sector, it says insolvencies were up 31 per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2010.PwC says that these figures are surprising.David Chubb, PwC&#39;s business recovery partner and hospitality and leisure specialist, said: &quot;Q4 would normally be seen as a good time for bars and restaurants because of the festive season so it is worrying that both these sectors saw a marked increase in the number of insolvencies.&quot;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Christmas_period_brings_mixed_fortunes_for_pubs</link>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:51:52 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006555">Pub insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="100" height="66" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/christmas+period+brings+mixed+fortunes+for+pubs_873_801263346_0_0_7011457_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>FSB calls for government to 'nurture' small firms in 2012</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called on the government to &quot;nurture&quot; small firms in 2012, after what he describes as a &quot;tough year&quot; in 2011.In John Walker&#39;s New Year message, he addressed the hardships faced by small businesses last year and also warned of the difficulties that are to come.He cited faltering growth, unemployment and rising costs and inflations driven by energy prices as reasons why small firms have been finding the going tough.&quot;For the first time employment intentions turned negative, with small firms looking to reduce their staff,&quot; he said.For businesses looking to grow, however, Mr Walker said 2012 will bring opportunities as inflation falls and major events like the Olympics and the Queen&#39;s Jubilee celebrations raise spirits.As well as positive events, businesses should ensure that they have sufficient business insurance in place to allow them to survive any unexpected incidents that 2012 may bring.Commercial vehicle insurance has already been utilised by the companies that saw lorries and vans caught up in the stormy weather that gripped Britain at the start of the year, when wind speeds of over 100 mph were recorded in the north of England.Mr Walker also said that a lack of finance is also holding back growth.&quot;The FSB wants to see more creative thinking from the government to tackle the dominance of the big banks. By doing so, more small businesses will be able to grow, innovate and take on staff,&quot; he said.It also wants to see the government offering more contracts to small businesses, which it says will help to boost the economy.The chairman concluded his message by saying: &quot;2012 needs to be the year that the government really nurtures small firms &ndash; especially since it is the private sector that is being looked upon to put the economy back onto firm ground.&quot;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/FSB_calls_for_government_to_nurture_small_firms_in_2012</link>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:49:37 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006556">Van insurance</category> 
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        <title>Police issues warning to those considering insurance fraud</title>
        <description><![CDATA[City of London police has recently established the UK&#39;s first insurance fraud unit in a bid to tackle a &pound;3 billion-a-year problem.The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), a 34-strong team, will be responsible for targeting the criminal gangs that operate in this area and are increasingly turning to &quot;professional enablers&quot; such as doctors and solicitors to expand their operations.The aim of the police is also to dispel the myth that insurance fraud is an &quot;acceptable&quot; crime.City of London police commander Ian Dyson said: &quot;IFED is here to turn the tide against all those who break the law, dismantling far-reaching criminal networks and changing a culture that says it is ok to submit bogus insurance claims.&quot;The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is backing the initiative.ABI&#39;s director of general insurance Nick Starling said: &quot;Insurers are determined to protect honest customers by reducing insurance fraud.&quot;Mr Starling also warns that those who commit insurance fraud and get found out are at risk of making future business insurance purchases far more costly.&quot;Now, more than ever, anyone making a dishonest insurance claim is not only more likely to get caught, but risks getting a criminal record and certainly more expensive and harder to obtain insurance and other financial products in the future,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Anyone attempting insurance fraud is also at risk from being found out by a loss adjuster, should one be called in to take a look at the claim first hand.Recent figures from accountancy firm BDO suggest that dishonesty is a growing problem in the UK.The company&#39;s FraudTrack data shows that reported fraud cases, including tax evasion, over &pound;50,000 in the UK broke the &pound;2 billion barrier in 2011 - an increase of 50 per cent in a year.However, BDO suggests that the rise in reported cases of fraud is likely to be as result of the current financial crisis, which is resulting in companies focusing increasingly on unnecessary costs and uncovering more dishonest activity.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Police_issues_warning_to_those_considering_insurance_fraud</link>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:51:35 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
        <media:thumbnail width="66" height="100" url="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/police+issues+warning+to+those+considering+insurance+fraud_873_801260704_0_0_7047833_100.jpg"/>
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        <title>Cameron statement prompts debate</title>
        <description><![CDATA[David Cameron&#39;s pledge last week to &quot;kill off&quot; health and safety has prompted anger from those who view his assertion that &quot;some accidents are inevitable&quot; as setting a dangerous precedent.In a conference speech, the prime minister said that health and safety has become an &quot;albatross around the neck of British businesses&quot;.Many of those concerned feel that the government&#39;s new health and safety policy could put workers at risk by creating confusion for business owners over what measures they need to take to ensure the well-being of their employees.In one of a number of letters to the Guardian newspaper on the issue, it was said that contrary to being a burden, &quot;well organised successful businesses generally regard health and safety as an essential part of efficient working&quot;.Another, written by a widow whose husband was killed by asbestos, said that Mr Cameron was &quot;stereotyping health and safety as an optional extra&quot;.One area of health and safety law that currently remains unchanged is insurance.Under the terms of the Employers&#39; Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, the Health and Safety Executive says that &quot;most employers are required by the law to insure against liability for injury or disease to their employees arising out of their employment.&quot;Such business insurance must adhere to a minimum level of &pound;5 million and a certificate stating the insurance details must be displayed for employees to view, either as a hard copy or electronically.Any company failing to comply can be fined up to &pound;2,500 for any day that suitable cover is not in place and up to &pound;1,000 for failing to display a certificate of insurance.Mr Cameron is due to meet with insurance leaders next month to discuss the level of compliance that businesses must meet in order to have claims approved.&nbsp;]]></description>
        <link>http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/insurance-news/Cameron_statement_prompts_debate</link>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:47:30 GMT</pubDate>
        <category id="438006560">Business insurance</category> 
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