Hi,

Welcome to May’s newsletter, covering all the latest from Farillio:

• Updated content: Several updates to draw to your attention this month:

  • Firstly, a reminder: don’t miss the deadline for filing annual statements relating to EMI share options or other employment-related securities – see our expanded news section below for more details

  • Our tax and employee share options schemes guides have been updated given the recent expiry of the Covid-related tax-advantaged share plans. If you’re incentivising your staff or others with shares, make sure you’re up-to-date with the working time and other rules as they apply right now – including the mandatory filings and status reporting deadlines

• New content: This month, you’ll find more new resources in your Farillio account, covering:

  • Online and distance selling – including the new strong customer authentication rule. Self-assess your existing compliance in light of new rules affecting UK businesses.

  • Tax implications of home/hybrid working: still a big topic of debate among employers and that’s before considering the ramifications of HMRC’s taxation rules, which many businesses may inadvertently be overlooking; and with Covid measures now more or less behind us, HMRC can be expected to take a harder line.

  • Guidance on Environmental, Societal and Governmental (ESG) compliance: notably, why it’s relevant to small business success and crucially, how small businesses can achieve this compliance simply, cost-effectively and credibly.

  • Complementing our new ESG materials: new illustrated guidance on how to ensure you don’t fall foul of the new ‘no fake green claims’ rules – released in support of the government’s recent campaign to ensure that consumers have the right to challenge a business if they do not believe its eco-friendly advertising/marketing.

  • Community Spotlight: May’s spotlight falls on impact coach Jenna Davies, founder of The IAM Hub, who also leads the fantastic entrepreneur incubator, Pioneer, at Birkbeck University.

• Expert corner: This month’s Farillio business expert is Kina Advisory’s Rosalind Kainyah, a real force in the world of #ESG and sustainable climate responsibility. Rosalind’s brand new series of ESG guidance, videos and resources launch with Farillio his month and will continue to expand.

• In the News: This month, we’ve listed our top picks for essential small business news. It’s been a busy month for news and alerts. Your May edition covers:

  • who owns an employee’s connections on employee social media accounts – and what employers may want to do to make this even clearer

  • are employer rules on full-time working or working particular hours indirectly discriminating against staff with childcare responsibilities (often women)? We look at a good recent example

  • is it sex discrimination/harassment on grounds of sex to call someone ‘bald’? A recent employment tribunal decision has ruled that it is

  • a new Gov white paper published last month on mental health and wellbeing which asks for views and evidence on what can be done to improve everyone’s mental health and wellbeing; the aim being to forge a comprehensive development plan capable of changing things for the better

  • the new set of rules to protect customer hard-earned cash: does your business rely on reviews and ratings, subscription offerings – we take a quick look at what’s covered by these new rules; we’ll keep you updated about when they come into force

  • who owns the IP rights when a business is spun out of a university: we highlight a useful summary of a topic that often comes back to bite a successful startup spin-out project

  • have you played the FT's Climate Game yet to see how you could make an impact on Net Zero ambitions? No. Play the game now, pick your specialist adviser and see how you’re doing individually or within your business, and what else you could consider! It’s a great way to enjoy learning and reflecting on our climate impact and how effective the measures/options we often read about in the press may in fact have on our ability to reign back the damage.

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