Expert Defense & Representation
24 Hour Health and Safety Advice for Employers
Gain access to vital health and safety advice from a team of UK specialists. We're ready to help your business, no matter the industry.
Health and safety advice for employers
Not many business owners are experts in health and safety law and its application, which is why many employers turn to the professionals for advice. If you’re not clear on your responsibilities or how to approach a health and safety task, access to a competent health and safety adviser can make all the difference and set you on the right track.
As an employer, you have a legal duty under the to protect the health, safety, and welfare of your employees and other people who might be affected by your activities. The law requires you to do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this. Support from an experienced health and safety adviser will help you to determine what steps are reasonable to take and keep your business compliant with all relevant legislation to avoid the rising costs of enforcement and even prosecution (for example, if you breach laws or chemical and biological hazards).
Maintaining a safe environment also lowers staff turnover, improves efficiency, and keeps insurance costs down. It's a vital part of long-term business success.
Helping you manage the complexity of health and safety laws
Helping you manage the complexity of health and safety laws
Helping you manage the complexity of health and safety laws
You might think managing health and safety will save your business money, but with rising fines and increased Fee for Intervention charges, the cost of breaches could dramatically impact your bottom line. You may also face prosecution, which incurs legal fees and compensation.
The average fine for breach of health and safety law last year was £147,000 with total fines exceeding £72 million. The average cost of defending a prosecution is £15,000.
Even if your business can afford such significant financial penalties, the damage to your reputation can be irreparable. Months, even years, after the incident, it could be harder to recruit staff and convince applicants they’ll be working in a safe environment.
Health & safety advice for every business
The role of a health and safety adviser is to help businesses and other organisations develop, maintain and uphold health and safety standards in accordance with health and safety legislation. Fundamentally, a health and safety adviser’s job is to help you to prevent work-related accidents, injuries and ill health, which they do by working with you to create robust and legally-compliant policies and procedures and making sure you and your employees put them into practice.
However, not all health and safety advisers offer the same level of support. Some offer assistance over the phone, some charge by the hour, and some (like us) offer a fixed-fee Health & Safety service that offers a complete solution to all your health and safety management needs.
In the worst case scenario, missteps can lead to an Employment Tribunal claim. Unfortunately for employers, now that Tribunal fees have been scrapped, there’s nothing to stop litigious employees pursuing legal action. With the average award for unfair dismissal sitting at almost £14,000 and discrimination claims costing closer to £30,000, the cost of going it alone can be significant. Of course, as well as the impact on your bottom line, there’s also reputational damage to consider.
But it’s not all about legal risk. Employee relations issues can impede productivity, affect morale, and contribute to a high turnover. They put a strain on management, destabilise your workforce, and ultimately affect your ability to deliver on key objectives. If you’re not an Employment Law expert, the time and stress involved in dealing with your people problems can become a considerable burden — one that will only increase as your organisation grows.
Good legal advice, on the other hand, helps employers avoid these pitfalls. It enables them to handle risks effectively, streamline their operations, and make informed decisions. This not only ensures compliance with the law but also contributes to a healthier work environment and a stronger, more resilient business.
The essentials of business health and safety advice
Admin and correspondence
Offer a constant source of practical Employment Law advice on a full spectrum of employee relations issues, from the seemingly simple to the most complex;
Strategy and negotiation
Guide you every step of the way through difficult situations – including gross misconduct, discrimination complaints and redundancy – advising on the correct process to follow and the legal pitfalls to avoid;
Seamless representation
Draft your essential documentation, including your Contracts of Employment and Employee Handbook, to ensure they are legally-compliant and provide the best possible protection for your organisation.
The importance of health and safety advice
Under UK law, every organisation must have access to help from “competent persons” to enable it to meet the requirements of health and safety legislation. It could be you, an appropriate member of staff, or a third party. The HSE advises that to be considered competent, the individual you appoint should have “sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly” and advises that employers who aren’t confident in their ability to manage health and safety internally should seek support from an external health and safety professional.
Do employment tribunals favour employers?
WorkNest blends legal expertise with commercial awareness, giving you confidence in managing employment law challenges;
Our team includes more than six times the number of qualified solicitors compared to larger competitors, each with over five years’ experience;
Your dedicated adviser ensures you always have expert guidance and reliable support when you need it.
Are all employment tribunal decisions published?
You’re taking a reactive, rather than proactive, approach to employee relations matters, allowing problems to occur then paying to fix them;
You’re without day-to-day support and therefore have to find the answers to your queries yourself or resort to guesswork; and
You pay by the hour, meaning you can expect a significant bill whenever professional help is needed, especially if the issue is complex.
Get support from a trusted UK health and safety adviser
Get support from a trusted UK health and safety adviser
Get support from a trusted UK health and safety adviser
WorkNest’s network of professionally qualified Health & Safety Consultants have over 350 years’ combined experience of keeping clients safe. As part of our unlimited, fixed-fee service, you will have access to a named consultant, who will:
General and fire risk assessments
Register of your statutory compliance certification
Automatic alerts when your certificates need renweing
Access a comprehensive library of vital health and safety materials
Audits across any industry and sector
WorkNest’s network of professionally qualified Health & Safety Consultants have over 350 years’ combined experience of keeping clients safe. As part of our unlimited, fixed-fee service, you will have access to a named consultant, who will:
General and fire risk assessments
Register of your statutory compliance certification
Automatic alerts when your certificates need renweing
Access a comprehensive library of vital health and safety materials
Audits across any industry and sector
Added extras
Explore our other People services
Our Employment Law expertise is backed up by a full suite of tools and protections to help future-proof your organisation.
Cloud-based HR Software
Takes the hassle out of essential HR functions and drive efficiency across your organisation.
Legal Expenses Insurance
Independent and FCA-regulated, to cover your costs in the event of an Employment Tribunal claim.
Interactive e-Learning Courses
Free for the first 12 months, to upskill staff in key employment law and HR topics.
FAQs
By UK law, every organisation must have access to help from “competent persons” to enable it to meet the requirements of health and safety legislation. It could be you, an appropriate member of staff, or a third party.
The HSE advises that to be considered competent, the individual you appoint should have “sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly” and advises that employers who aren’t confident in their ability to manage health and safety internally should seek support from an external health and safety professional.
No organisation is exempt from abiding by health and safety law, but getting your head around what it all means can feel like an impossible task.
Having access to a named Health & Safety Consultant who not only knows what they’re talking about but also understands your business, your objectives, your challenges and how you operate can transform your approach to health and safety management.
By UK law, every organisation must have access to help from “competent persons” to enable it to meet the requirements of health and safety legislation. It could be you, an appropriate member of staff, or a third party.
The HSE advises that to be considered competent, the individual you appoint should have “sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly” and advises that employers who aren’t confident in their ability to manage health and safety internally should seek support from an external health and safety professional.
No organisation is exempt from abiding by health and safety law, but getting your head around what it all means can feel like an impossible task.
Having access to a named Health & Safety Consultant who not only knows what they’re talking about but also understands your business, your objectives, your challenges and how you operate can transform your approach to health and safety management.
