Outsourced Early Warning System

Best practice for the engineering department of a bus or coach operator may allow 28 days to pass between routine maintenance of its vehicles.

Regulatory and corporate compliance does not have this time luxury. The imperative of compliance should demand dynamic advice in real time. This requirement is the basis of our service.

Different How?

The central challenge for legal compliance is to get an edge, sharpen it and then quickly deploy this expertise.

Backhouse Jones operate a service that looks, feels and behaves differently from legal advice provided in hindsight and based around hourly billing.

Our solution is to confront the potential for legal issues to escalate and to charge for this complete industry specific service on a cost per vehicle basis.

Our service is based upon the licensed fleet size of a bus and coach business. For example, for a licensed fleet size of 100 vehicles we offer three fee options:

• £8.00 per vehicle per month (Total of £800 per month)
• £12.50 per vehicle per month (Total of £1,250 per month)
• £16.50 per vehicle per month (Total of £1,650 per month)

Option One

£8.00 per vehicle per month includes:

1.1 Registered Office Service

• Our office address used as the company’s registered office address (if required)
• Diary reminders forwarded to a designated contact
• Filtering of mail to ensure genuine business correspondence forwarded
• Telephone advice on corporate governance

1.2 Employment Law / (HR) Advice

• A culture of money for old rope and political correctness gone mad has created a toxic fascination with employment legislation. Our telephone advice provides assistance on all standard employment enquiries including:
• The Working Time Regulations 1998
• The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005
• Misconduct and Disciplinary matters (including dismissal)
• Wages, bonuses, attendance bonuses, overtime and general pay disputes
• Holidays
• Unlawful deduction from wages, loans and training costs
• Sickness absence and long term sickness
• Maternity and Paternity leave
• Parental leave and time off for dependants
• Flexible working requests
• Confidentiality and Restrictive Covenants
• Drafting/checking letters to follow up the above
• Monthly e-newsletter

1.3 Regulatory

• Telephone advice and assistance on maintenance and regulatory compliance

Option Two

£12.50 per vehicle per month includes all of option one plus:

2.1 Company Secretarial Support Service

• Maintain and store the company’s statutory books
• Prepare and file the company’s annual return
• Identify all forthcoming deadlines, i.e. deadline for filing accounts
• Prepare AGM or general meeting documentation
• Undertake yearly company compliance health check/audit, i.e. review statutory books, highlight discrepancies and identify potential future problems and solutions to resolve.

Advice and Assistance on:

• Revising constitutional documents
• Group restructuring
• Share allotments
• Share transfers
• Change in company officers and their details
• Changes to registered office and accounting reference date
• Re-registrations
• A review and continued update of standard terms and conditions
• Training on the proper use of terms and conditions
• Summaries and reports on the contents of contracts
• In house seminar on key legal compliance areas

2.2 Employment Law / (HR) Advice

• Review and updating service for contracts of employment
• Review and updating service for handbooks
• Drafting compromise agreements
• Representation at Employment Tribunal for the following fixed fees:
• Claims with an identified remedy value of £0.00 to £5,000 = £1,500
• Claims with an identified remedy value of £5,001 to £15,000 = £2,500
• Claims with an identified remedy value greater than £15,000 or complex claims. A discounted flat hourly rate of £145 (All of the above are net of VAT and disbursements)
• Our expert solicitors undertake most advocacy at Employment Tribunals. Should an individual case merit the use of Counsel we will advise on the benefits of this in advance and obtain instructions on whether you wish to incur this cost.

2.3 Regulatory

• A yearly snapshot audit, including an attendance on site with a written report, on maintenance and tachograph systems with solutions to any potential deficiencies
• Representation at a one day Public Inquiry – including all legal preparation

2.4 Recovery of Uninsured Accident Losses

• A ‘no win, no fee’ service for the recovery of all non fault outlay (including internal repairs and loss of use) at a discounted commission charge of 18% of any payments recovered

2.5 Commercial Property

• Commercial property advice on rent reviews, dilapidations, planning applications and the purchase of freehold and leasehold property at the discounted hourly rate of £145 per hour

Option Three

£16.50 per vehicle per month includes all of option one and option two plus:

• Attendance by a solicitor, if required at Board and/or key strategic meetings
• Drafting bespoke contracts i.e. outsourcing agreements
• Representation at a Public Inquiry lasting up to three days
• Attendance at up to two police interviews under caution

And so to Business

Our expertise quickly identifies issues, enabling them to be efficiently resolved

The unique industry specific experience of Backhouse Jones allows us to provide greater benefits for less. Our understanding of your business allows fast and effective daily advice when needed

Our cost effective fixed fees allow you to manage your legal spend to a set amount each month and ensures you receive practical help that quickly identifies issues enabling them to be efficiently resolved

Our service minimises the calamities and costs that can be caused by disputes and litigation. Our lawyers assume responsibility - freeing operators to concentrate on the core business of running a transport business. In addition, we are able to assist with your insurance requirements. We have arrangements with insurance brokers that allow for costs savings on the basis of an element of self insurance.

Our expertise in this area has resulted in significant premium and total outlay savings on behalf of commercial transport operators.