These requirements apply to all business activities in this division.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties
Enforced by:
HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
General duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and others affected by the business. For this division the practical scope is office-based: workstation/DSE assessments, welfare facilities and safe premises. Devolved: enforced by HSE across Great Britain; Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 in NI.
insurance
Great_Britain
Annual
Employers' Liability (Compulsory) Insurance
Enforced by:
HSE
Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
Compulsory for any business employing at least one person. A sole-trader consultant working alone is not caught; once staff are employed it applies.
registration
Uk
Annual
UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018
Enforced by:
ICO
Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)
The core applicable regime for this division. Head offices, consultancies and PR firms process extensive personal data (client contacts, employee records, project/research subjects, media lists). Most must pay the ICO data protection fee unless specifically exempt, and meet the UK GDPR principles, security and data-subject-rights obligations.
compliance
Uk
Ongoing
Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (electronic marketing)
Enforced by:
ICO
The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
Governs marketing by email, telephone, text and the use of cookies/tracking. Particularly relevant to public relations and communication firms (70.21) running campaigns, and to any consultancy carrying out direct marketing of its services. Enforced by the ICO alongside UK GDPR.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics
Enforced by:
EHRC
Equality Act 2010
Prohibits discrimination, harassment and victimisation in employment and in the provision of services to clients. Applies to recruitment, staff management and client engagement. NI: separate equality legislation enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
compliance
England_Wales
Ongoing
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Enforced by:
LOCAL_FIRE_AUTHORITY
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Where the business occupies non-domestic premises (offices), the 'responsible person' must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain fire safety arrangements. Devolved variants: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005; Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.