H&S advice for home workers, end of tax year payroll reminders, and negotiations are underway on a UK-EU Agrifood Trade Deal
Whilst health and safety risks for home workers are relatively low, risk assessments are still advised – we take a look at the reasons why. Plus, as the current tax year draws to a close, we lay out some key tasks to complete before the new tax year gets started.
Health and Safety Campaign for Home Workers
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign to remind employers that they have the same legal duties for home workers as office-based staff.
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), over a third of workers in Great Britain now work remotely or in hybrid arrangements, which makes this an important area for employers to cover.
The HSE campaign focuses on three essential areas for employers to pay attention to. These are:
- Stress and mental health.
- The safe use of display screen equipment (DSE).
- The working environment – including accidents, emergencies, and lone working.
HSE advise that it is not necessary to physically visit someone’s home for an employer to fulfil their duties since, most of the time, the risks are low and the steps to manage them are straightforward. HSE suggests that managers:
- Keep in regular contact with their teams.
- Talk openly about workloads and training needs.
- Make sure people aren’t under pressure to work outside their normal working hours.
- Have simple conversations about the staff member’s physical environment by asking them to visually check that their equipment is safe and not damaged, keeping work areas clear of trailing wires or obstructions, and making sure they know what to do in an emergency.
The HSE provides free resources to help businesses carry out home-working risk assessments.
Businesses in Northern Ireland are overseen by Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI). HSE NI’s website also provides free resources to help employers fulfil their legal obligations towards staff working at home.
See: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2026/03/09/home-workers-must-be-protected-like-any-other-employee/
Employers: Are You Ready for a New Tax Year?
The end of the 2025/26 tax year will soon be here, which means a few additional tasks to carry out on your payroll, if you run one.
If you run a payroll, you will need to report information on the tax year that is ending to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The tax year ends on 5 April 2026.
You will also need to prepare for the new tax year, which starts on 6 April.
HMRC provide the following handy list of tasks that need to be carried out and when.
- Send your final payroll report of the year on or before your employee’s payday.
- Update employee payroll records and payroll software from 6 April.
- Give your employees a P60 by 31 May.
- Report employee expenses and benefits by 6 July.
If you would like help with any of these tasks, please do get in touch. We would be happy to help you!
See: https://www.gov.uk/payroll-annual-reporting
Increases to Intellectual Property Office Fees
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has announced increases to its fees for patents, trademarks and designs from 1 April 2026.
The new fees will mean an increase in current charges of 25%. For example, the cost of a patent search will increase from £150 to £200. A trademark application will cost £205, up from £170.
The IPO notes that this is their first fee increase in eight years, with inflation and cost pressures making it necessary to review the charges now.
Fees will be charged up to and including 31 March 2026, which may make it worthwhile accelerating an application to benefit from the lower rates.
Using the ‘save for later’ or ‘draft’ function when applying does not count as submitting an application. This will mean paying the higher charges if the actual submission occurs after April 1.
The IPO has published guidance that will be helpful if you have fees due around 1 April. These will be particularly useful if you are applying for a trademark or registered design.
See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/intellectual-property-office-fees-to-increase-from-april-2026
Negotiations Underway on a UK-EU Agrifood Trade Deal
A UK-EU trade deal is currently being negotiated, which is hoped will benefit businesses in Britain and Northern Ireland, and make agrifood trade easier, cheaper and quicker.
Exports of food and agricultural products to the EU have seen a fall of 22% since 2018. It is estimated that this represents a real terms loss of £4 billion to businesses.
The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which is at the heart of the deal, will enable the smoother flow of agrifood goods, including plants, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. It aims to protect the UK’s internal market while maintaining Northern Ireland’s EU access.
Most agrifood goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will no longer need regulatory certificates, checks or paperwork.
The new trade deal will not affect the Windsor Framework, which protects Northern Ireland’s dual market access.
Businesses in Northern Ireland, particularly, stand to benefit from being able to trade goods without additional paperwork and checks within both the EU Single Market and the UK Internal Market.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has opened a call for information to find out what can be done to support businesses get ready for the changes. The call for information will run until 23 April 2026.