Problem
Employees' rights to maternity pay
Our long-serving receptionist left the hotel recently. I have received a call from her saying she is entitled to statutory maternity (SMP) pay because she is pregnant. If I do not pay her, she will complain to the Department of Social Security (DSS). Can she do this?
To receive SMP, she must:
Be pregnant at the start of the 11th week before the baby is due or have had her baby by then. If an employee loses her baby after the 25th week of pregnancy, she will still be entitled to SMP
Have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks at the end of the qualifying week (the 15th week before the baby is due)
Have had normal weekly earnings of not less than £61
Have stopped working for you as the employer.
If she satisfies all the above, she is entitled to SMP. The fact that she left your employment voluntarily will not affect her entitlement. If you fail to pay, she is entitled to complain to the DSS.
Eligibility for SMP will entitle her to 90% of her normal weekly earnings for six weeks, and £54.55 for 12 weeks.
Seasonal stock safety measures
Q: I would like to buy in extra stock over Christmas but one of my staff said this may make a fire risk. Is that right?
At Christmas and the New Year, retailers carry large volumes of stock and take on temporary staff to cope with increased sales. During this busy period, the safety of customers and staff should not be compromised for profit. To reduce the number of fires and maintain safety, the Fire & Rescue Service advises you to:
Avoid overstocking and ensure that exits, passageways and firefighting equipment are kept clear
Keep flammable material away from light bulbs or heaters when storing stock
Check that wiring on decorations is in good condition and plugs are fitted with the correct fuse. Flammable decorations should not be placed close to heat.
Temporary staff should receive basic fire training and should know exactly what to do in an emergency.
What does hazard analysis involve?
Q: I run a business delivering foodstuffs with four small vans. I have heard that I should carry out a "hazard analysis". Is a small firm expected to do this, and is it complicated?
Food hygiene regulations require anyone who handles food to carry out their operations safely and hygienically, and companies must carry out hazard analyses to ensure hygiene levels are not compromised.
Hazard analysis involves identifying areas where hygiene levels could be jeopardised and the documenting of actions put in place to prevent this. Several packages, such as the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system, are available for food businesses to use.
For an undertaking like yours, hazard analysis may be straightforward. For example, a hazard may be posed if foodstuffs are left in the loading bay, so check regularly that this does not happen.
While you may not have carried out formal hazard analysis in the past, you will have carried it out in an ad hoc manner to meet hygiene requirements.
Making naan without a tandori
Q: I want to make naan bread in my staff restaurant but have not got a tandoori oven. Is it possible to make them without this type of oven, and is it worth it?
It is both possible and worth it.
Using a chargrill is one way of imitating the tandoori. Roll the dough into rounds as normal, and cook on a pre-heated grill. Turn once it is browned on one side to finish it on the other. The cooking process takes 4-5 minutes.
Alternatively, line a flat baking-tray with foil coated with melted butter: place the rolled-out bread on the sheet, and cook until brown. Turn - reapplying butter - and finish the other side.
I have also achieved a good result by placing the bread directly on to the oven racks, cooking both sides at the same time.
The key is to get the bread to the customer fast: do not cook the naan in advance.
