Why new sentencing guidelines should place regulatory compliance at the top of retailers’ priority lists.

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Retailers should have systems in place to address all areas of regulatory compliance

New sentencing guidelines came into force last year, designed to be a single reference point for the Courts and to set out the fines for offences in a number of regulatory areas, such as health and safety and food safety.

There is now a particular focus on an organisation’s turnover which will result in substantially higher fines, especially for larger companies.

Smaller businesses will not escape the sting of these changes either. Although the fining range will not reach the heights of that affecting the larger organisations, they will be proportionately hit because the fine is based on turnover.

‘Culpability’ plays a key part in the process of calculating a fine, so it is essential that directors and regulatory managers take note of the reforms and minimise culpability by ensuring they have the systems in place to manage all areas of regulatory compliance.

Ensuring compliance

The new Business Regulatory Solutions (BRS) platform is designed to help you manage these risks and protect your business.

The BRS platform has been developed by Ashfords LLP and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and is designed to provide your business with a central regulatory control system so that you can manage compliance.

BRS is tailored to the needs of your business and provides guidance on legislation, sample policies and procedures, as well as information and resources in the following areas:

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BRS provides retailers with guidance on legislation, policy and procedures

  • Health and safety
  • Fire
  • Licensing
  • Dealing with customers
  • Food
  • Product safety
  • Environment
  • Fair trading

This business-friendly regulatory compliance solution can be customised with your own branding and can take the day-to-day burden out of your regulatory compliance work.

Failure to act could have serious consequences for your business, so don’t delay in finding out more about how our Business Regulatory Solutions could help you to manage your regulatory risks.

For further information about BRS, please visit ashfords.co.uk/brs.

You can also arrange a demonstration for your business by contacting a member of our team at brs@ashfords.co.uk.

Gabrielle Broomhead, account manager, Ashfords LLP, g.broomhead@ashfords.co.uk, +44 (0)7801 570911