Q Can we ask the GP if a fit note is real? You recently advised that employees can purchase fake (yet convincing) fit notes over the internet. If we doubt the legitimacy of one, can we ask the GP to confirm they issued it, or do data protection laws prevent us from doing so?

NAMB BUSINESS/SOCIAL WEEKEND 27-28 NOVEMBER 2010

The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), a new carbon emissions trading scheme that will affect large organisations in the UK, started in April 2010. It is primarily aimed at commercial and public sector organisations and is intended to sit alongside Climate Change Agreements (CCAs).

1. Pregnant women: pregnancy becomes a protected characteristic in its own right (similar to age, disability etc) instead of being lumped in with sex. If the Bill is passed, it will be directly discriminatory to treat a woman unfavourably because of her pregnancy, pregnancy-related illness or absence on maternity leave during the "protected period". This period starts when the pregnancy begins and ends either when she returns to work at the end of her maternity leave period or two weeks after giving birth.

Many businesses get fire alarm testing wrong. Some assume it is too specialist to do in-house and spend money unnecessarily, while others delegate the job, without giving proper instructions. Although it is quite an easy job for staff to undertake, it needs to be done correctly, as making mistakes could create serious fire risks. What's more, if staff make errors which lead to unnecessary building evacuation or fire service attendance, the costs can be significant.

l Update on the progress of the joint Food Standards Agency (FSA)/National Association of Master Bakers' (NAMB) project on reducing salt in bread.

Years ago, it was newspaper printers and dockers who had a job for life. But from October 2011, it will be everyone.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA)/National Association of Master Bakers' project specifically looked at reducing salt levels in tin loaves and bloomers, as well as considering no-time dough, sponge-and-dough and long fermentation processes using a variety of flour types, improver types, dough temperatures and rest times.

During the course of employment, there are times when employees seek leave other than for holiday. In some instances it may be reasonable to insist that annual leave entitlement should be used to cover the situations. In others, there is a statutory right to time off and, in some cases, this is with pay.

Apart from the need to keep good personnel records for example, sickness absence and time off you must keep various documents in order to comply with Health & Safety requirements. So how do you know if your business is one that requires a written health and safety policy? And, if you need one, what areas should it cover?

If a child is due on or after 3 April 2011, the father or mother's partner will be entitled to 26 weeks' "additional paternity leave". But babies are rarely on time. So what happens if they arrive before the legal deadline?

Credit card borrowers looking to transfer debt to take advantage of lower interest charges elsewhere should brace themselves for rising transfer fees.

Members may remember that, last month, I wrote "why I'm not in favour of trial periods for new employees". Now I will tell you why I am in favour of trial periods for newly promoted staff.

Small firms have been turning to business grants as a secondary source of "free" money while bank funding remains hard to find. Specialist grants database GRANTfinder says enquiries from small businesses about how to secure grant funding have risen by a third in the past year.

When an employee is at work, that's your time, not theirs. So if they have any personal matters to attend to, then they should deal with them on their days off, or during breaks for example, lunchtime. But occasionally, something will happen that simply cannot wait. If it is a genuine emergency, which can easily be resolved they won't be gone for hours then you may not mind them popping out for a few minutes.

According to recent research by Age UK, 120,000 workers were forced to retire in 2009, when they reached the Default Retirement Age (DRA) of 65. This, it says, cost the economy £3.5bn, plus employers lost the benefit of experienced staff.

Not all poorly performing employees have to be managed out of a business by an employer some leave of their own accord. When they do, their appalling timekeeping and dreadful attitude are usually quickly forgotten. But it is probably inevitable that they will move on to worry another unsuspecting employer.

Richard Stevenson, technical manager at NAMB, answers members' queries on food and trading law and other business issues

Employers must not discriminate against employees on the grounds of their religion or belief. But, as with a recent incident that involved a Muslim bus driver, what happens if faith gets in the way of running your business?

It doesn't matter how careful you are, an employee can turn out to be a disaster. For a new hire, they might look good on paper and perform well at interview, but as soon as they take up the role, they may fall short of the mark.

On 6 April 2010, new fathers were granted additional paternity leave and pay rights. They can now take up to six months off. So how is this supposed to work in practice and is it something you need to worry about now?

Richard Stevenson, technical manager at the NAMB, answers members’ queries on food and trading law and other business issues

Q: Must we pay an employee their full salary while they are absent on jury service, and, if so, can we claim compensation?

Jury service creates unexpected problems for employers. But sometimes, an employee can ask to be excused – or to have their selection deferred.

The case is Shah v First West Yorkshire. Mr Shah was off work for three months between January and April 2009.

ID cards can now be provided as proof of the right to work in the UK. Before an employee starts work, you must ask them for documentary evidence of their right to work in the UK. Employers who cannot prove that they have done this – for example, by keeping copies – risk a fine under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Is the lease a ‘protected’ business lease? The law protects business leases on expiry of their term, unless the provisions are excluded in the lease. This is known as Security of Tenure.

A new case says that employers must make it clear to an employee that their right to payment in lieu of any holiday entitlement at the end of employment applies only to the final holiday year. What is the best way to deal with this?

The feedback from this year’s NAMB conference at Heron’s Reach in Blackpool was great. Tired but happy – that’s how I felt at the end of the event.