TV Licensing is encouraging businesses and business owners in Newry to make sure they are correctly licensed for TV as viewing figures indicate employees are watching live television while at work.
Employers may not be aware the viewing is happening but if an employee is caught watching TV illegally, the business or the employee may be held liable and fined up to £1,000. A TV Licence is required if anyone – staff or customers – watches or records TV programmes at the same time as they are shown on TV, whether on a TV, tablet, computer or any other type of equipment.
To help businesses and staff understand the legal implications of watching programmes live at work, TV Licensing has produced a downloadable ‘TV in the Workplace’ guide. The guide allows managers to outline whether the business is covered by a TV Licence and whether staff and customers are allowed to watch TV in the workplace. The template can be downloaded at
Rather than risk being prosecuted and facing a fine, TV Licensing is encouraging business owners and managers to take a few moments to review and update their licensing requirements. A licence costs £145.50 and can be bought in minutes online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/business.
Last year TV Licensing enquiry officers visited more than 33,000 businesses across the UK, ranging from takeaway restaurants and holiday parks to garages, hair salons and sports clubs, to confirm if they were correctly licensed. In 2013, TV Licensing visited more than 270 businesses in Northern Ireland to check they were correctly licensed.
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