Member Blog

The 12- 16 October is National Work Life Week providing the opportunity for employers and employees to focus on wellbeing at work and work life balance. This year, flexible working has come to the top of the agenda for many businesses. Given the long-term impact of Covid-19 across society, it appears that flexible working is here to stay:

• In April 2020, 46.6% people in employment did some work at home
• Of those who did some work from home, 86% did so as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic
• Of those who did some work from home, 34.4% worked fewer hours and 30.3% worked more hours than usual

The right to request flexible working

According to the current employment law position, everyone has the right to request flexible working, not just parents or carers.

Making a statutory application to an employer for flexible working

There are certain criteria regarding an employee’s eligibility to request flexible working:

• The employee must have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks
• The employee can only make one application for flexible working a year

The impact of COVID-19 on flexible working

Earlier this year thanks to the national lockdown, many organisations had to adapt overnight to ‘remote working’ which is one type of flexible working.

Flexible working types – how flexible?

In fact, flexible working can take many forms including:

• Reduce of hours to work part-time
• Change to start and/or finish time
• Compressed hours (hours over fewer days)
• Remote working (working from home)
• Changes to apply for all working days or specific days or shifts only
• Changes to apply for specific week(s) only (e.g. school term time)
• Changes to apply for a limited time only (e.g. six months)

Benefits of flexible working

As has been demonstrated by many businesses as a response to the government coronavirus restrictions, there are benefits to be taken by both employers and employees from adapting a more flexible approach over and above following this route purely to help in stopping the spread of Covid:

General benefits of flexible working for employers:

• Employee retention
• Productivity – less stressed, less over-worked employees
• Attracting potential new recruits from a more diverse population
• Cost savings – improving the efficiency of the office and helping bring down overhead costs

General benefits of flexible working for employees:

• Avoiding the commute – money saving and time saving with a positive environmental impact
• Spending more time with family – gaining a better work/life balance

There are some negative impacts which should also be considered:

Drawbacks of remote working:

• The need to invest in technology and inevitable technological failures
• Absence and reduction of office and employee interactions and communication which can impact culture
• Blurring the work / life balance
• Employers must be fair with the management of requests across their workforce

How to make an application for flexible working

An application for flexible working would normally proceed as follows:

1. The employee writes to their employer to request flexible working
2. The employer considers the request, and makes a decision within three months (unless agreed otherwise with the employee)
3. If the employer agrees to the request, the relevant changes should be made to the terms and conditions in the employee’s contract
4. If the employer disagrees to the request, they must give business reasons for the refusal. If the employee wants to take it further, they can complain to the Employment Tribunal.

The employer’s responsibility where a flexible working request is made by an employee

Employers must:

• Deal with flexible working requests in a ‘reasonable manner’
• Assess the advantages and disadvantages of the application
• Hold a meeting to discuss the request with the employee
• Offer an appeal process

Business reasons for the refusal of a request for flexible working

The guidance on flexible working employment law provided by ACAS offers a few examples of reasonable business reasons which employers can give for refusing a request for flexible working. These include:

• Planned structural changes to the organisation/ department
• The burden of additional costs
• Quality/ standards suffering, and customer/ client complaints
• The potential for performance to suffer
• The organisation/ department struggling to meet customer demand

Bengi Karakus is a Trainee Solicitor at Hatch Brenner Solicitors on Theatre Street in Norwich. If you would like to discuss flexible working – either as an employee or employer, please contact our Employment Law Team at 01603 660 811 or via [email protected]

For years, many organisation have struggled with policies around working from home.  Whether it is an issue of trust or an issue of equipment, there has always been a challenge with reaching a satisfactory approach to working from home that benefits the organisation and the employee.  The truth is there is no one size that fits all. Some people will love it, others will loath it and some simply do not have this option. However, whilst the government advises working from home where possible, we have been thinking about how to make working from home a positive experience.

Homeworking has been a positive experience for many people. More than ever, work is what you do, not where you go. Connective technologies are being utilised, conversations by video or phone have become more meaningful, fewer distractions have meant increased productivity and quality of work, and those with the longest commutes have benefited from a better work-life balance.  If you need to make a series of private calls to clients, customers or suppliers or need time to write proposals, blogs, documents, then these activities are better from a quieter environment and home working benefits this.

One of our consultants shared their home working experience, “Today I spoke to a candidate that normally I would not have had time to speak to in a normal market as you don’t get time to stop and in the office, it’s a 100 miles an hour. Working from home, I find you can be more present and have more quality conversations because the home environment for some can be a quieter space.”

We asked some of our team to share their best advice for creating a positive work from home experience:

Caroline Batchelor, Director

“I have really learnt the importance of self-care over the last few months which means taking regular breaks throughout the day where I physically move away from my screen and do something completely different. I have taken to hoovering the house whilst playing one of my favourite songs or watering the plants, taking the dog for a quick 15-minute walk or doing a Joe Wicks work out. It is too easy to sit and stare at your screen all day.

I make sure I see my colleagues on a zoom call a few times a week and have regular chats via the phone with them to share ideas and discuss challenging projects. I found if I don’t speak to anyone during the day I could feel a bit isolated, so remember it’s good to talk.”

Nadia Mullins-Hills, IT and Projects Manager

“Where possible find a separate space in your home to work – this has made my work far more productive but also allowed me to step away when I’ve needed to so I don’t feel like I’m ‘always at work’. Having a work chair and a headset has made a big difference to me and has ensured my posture is not poor throughout the day.

I make sure I can hit the ground running and have a productive day by creating a plan at the end of each day for the following day. I video call my team where possible so that we feel connected and make time to chat about how we are feeling, any struggles and any new ideas!”

Annette Wyld, Head of Finance  

“I think it’s more effective to pick up the phone and call people instead of sending an email where possible. I find it helps to maintain and build relationships. There is a risk that you can become isolated when working from home and making an effort with your colleagues will help you to feel part of the team. Staying connected on Jostle, our internal communications tool, with posts, shout-outs and updates also helps.”

Ben Farrow, Director

“What has worked for me is remembering to consciously switch off when I finish work. So, whatever time you feel you have done enough for the day, turn it off, turn the emails off on your phone and leave it for the next day or else there is no downtime. I had weeks where I was obsessing about my phone desperate for the next email and replying immediately and, in all honesty, 99% of the stuff you get after 6 pm at night can wait until the next morning.”

In summary, here are our top hacks for a positive work from home experience:

• Make a daily routine
• Create a separate workspace where possible
• Take regular breaks
• Get the right equipment
• Connect – make time to call or video call
• Take regular exercise
• Make time to unwind
• Take care of your mental health

Check out our full “Guide to working from home”.

The Coronavirus pandemic has removed the stigma of remote working, as we have all been forced to test it and many have found that it can actually work. Ultimately, working from home is a pattern of work that many are going to be experiencing for a little while longer.

However, it would be impossible not to miss the conversation by the water cooler or that idea that was sparked on a chance corridor conversation.  A workplace is a social place where informal interactions between individuals can certainly lead to creativity and innovation. Yet video call technology has challenged that thinking and opened up many different routes for sharing ideas and interacting with others.

We are not sure what is around the corner however, what we do know, is that the way we work has changed and may continue to do so. We will be together again in person one day, but for now, creating a positive and effective work from home experience is entirely possible.

Our consultants can help you with you recruiting remotely with video interviews and virtual workshops. Talk to our consultants today about your recruitment needs.

Post-lockdown, what is the impact on insurance and business risk? Account Executive Josh Simpson answers frequently asked questions about the issues many clients are now facing, including:

• The hardening insurance market
• Health & Safety risk management
• Supply chain payment failures
• Employment issues, redundancy and changing government advice
• Home working, impact of empty offices, cyber risk and portable equipment

Will insurance renewals be affected by the pandemic?

Yes. Right now, we’re going through a ‘hard market’ where there’s less cover available and less insurers to offer that cover, which undoubtedly means increased premiums. At the same time, it’s our role as a broker to be proactive about renewals, getting in contact with clients with plenty of time. There will be increases, and in a lot of areas too, but if we do our job properly and get the cover right then that’s the most important thing at this moment in time. Business have changing needs too, being flexible on what you cover and responding to the company’s current trading position makes a big difference to cost.

What are some of the main issues businesses are facing?

Companies are realising that risk management has got to be a priority – it’s always been important but is even more so now. Businesses are wondering what the right thing to do is, what are the types of signage that are needed in premises, for example, or what to put on their risk assessment each time the government advice changes? Fortunately, we’ve got a risk management team who can advise exactly what the law is currently, with ongoing support as restrictions are eased, or altered.

Turning to supply chains, sadly many businesses are facing financial difficulties. Even if you’re doing okay, your supply chain could be suffering. We’ve seen an increase in uptake on products such as credit insurance, which can protect your business if your customers are struggling financially and can’t pay or become insolvent.

The way companies are working has completely changed, what are the hidden dangers and where can insurance mitigate the risks?

Redundancies and disputes are on the increase and lots of our clients are looking to access legal advice. Employment practices cover provides cover for the legal costs and damages associated with employment claims. Many policies come with a free helpline for HR, Health and Safety and other legal matters.

Cyber-attacks are an issue for a company of any size whether it’s breaches to your own or third party systems. This is particularly relevant as many employees are home working and could be using home connections which may not be as secure. Cyber policies can cover loss of data but people often forget that a denial of service attack could take down your whole system resulting in a loss of revenue or costs associated with reinstating the system – with working from home relying on connectivity this safety net is more important than ever.

Equipment out of the office – again, with home working becoming ever more prevalent, ensuring equipment is covered on an ‘all-risks’ basis and not just at the premises is essential.

Empty offices – un-occupancy conditions are widely being imposed by insurers and complying with them is a policy requirement. Conditions can range from ensuring utilities are disconnected or even just to ensure the premises is visited every 14 days. These steps help to protect the premises against risks like water damage. 

Lastly, what can a business owner do if they have any concerns?

Transparency in a situation like this is always key, in my opinion, and we are getting frequent, sometimes weekly, updates from the insurers. It’s our job to make sure that we’re gathering the information in the right way and also making sure that our clients are aware of exactly what they need to do.

Our message will always be: if you are struggling, contact us for a free review and we will go through this together.

Education is ultimately about enabling individuals to realise their full potential. It is meant to be a transformative experience, and it needs to take place in a physical environment which enables and encourages the optimum outcome for each student. Whilst acknowledging operational and functional requirements, it is this educational goal that should primarily drive a vision for the future of our educational establishments, and their wider campus as places that are intrinsic to this transformative process.

Educational establishments must continue to develop their campus’s built and natural environments to reflect current pedagogical practices, as well as meeting the expectations of prospective students and professionals.  Upgrading of campus digital learning facilities must be keep pace with industry standards if educational institutions are to produce graduates with cutting edge skills and the expertise to be innovative in the UK’s rapidly evolving digital industries where the pace of change is fast and old technologies quickly become outdated.

Delivery of this infrastructure is particularly crucial in higher education establishments where the campus environment and facilities on offer are key to attracting the most talented students, ensuring courses run cost effectively to full capacity and therefore secure ongoing funding.

The design challenge for professionals is twofold: Firstly, given the pace of innovation and change in modern times how do we future-proof the designed environment to adapt to change, avoid obsoletion and provide longevity for clients?  

Secondly, how can innovation in the design of the educational environment support the development of the digital skills and connections required by local businesses and growth industries to fulfill their growth ambitions?

In 2018 the digitech sector is growing 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy, with overall sector value increased by £14 billion from £170bn in 2016 to £184bn in 2017.(1)  Britain is leading Europe in tech investment, in 2017 it attracted $7.8 billion of funding, almost double the amount received in 2016, compared to France and Germany’s combined total of $6 billion. The Prime Minister reaffirmed that the UK’s leadership is set to grow as the governments modern Industrial Strategy delivers a package of benefits to drive further investment in centres of UK expertise including government funding incentives, and greater access to talent and data under new plans.(2)

Currently, some 2.1 million people are now employed in the digital tech economy and a new digital tech job is created in the UK every 50 minutes.(3)  This makes the digital technology industry a major driver of the UK economy and sets the imperative to boost industry skills and productivity in the East.  

Norwich has a fast growing digital tech economy and is becoming a thriving digital hub, attracting and creating digital tech businesses such as Rainbird AI, Validus-IVC and Epos Now.(4) Located directly on the A11, Norwich has the opportunity to form the educational breeding ground and gateway to the wider A11 Norwich – Cambridge Tech Corridor. This corridor has the potential to bringing with it thousands of jobs and more than £500 million in investment.(5) This advantageous positioning renders the creation of a local digi-tech savvy workforce a strong focus of the education agenda for Norwich in order to capitalise on the opportunity it represents to fuel the growth the sector within the city.

The catalysation of growth in this strategically important sector a requires the nurturing of talent in the next generation of digital technology professionals by providing specialist industry focussed training, skills and business development to support their development.

Ideally situated for the establishment of a Digi-Tech centre of educational excellence, the creation of a flagship Digi-Tech Hub in Norwich with first class educational facilities for the delivery of innovative educational programmes designed to meet the skill requirements and drive innovation within the dynamic and rapidly evolving digital tech industry is vital to the future of the local economy.

So, in answer to the questions posed at the beginning of this article, the design of future-proofed campus environments that have the flexibility to adapt to keep pace with changes in digital technologies must be multi-faceted in its approach.

1. Design in digital infrastructure

The next generation of digital educational spaces need to create an immersive digital-technology environment embedded with future-proof ICT infrastructure which delivers both the capacity and capability to support the latest technology and the provides space to grow and upgrade as necessary to stay at the forefront of teaching ion terms of technological innovation. Achieving this requires a collaborative approach to pool specialist knowledge in order to find innovative ways to deliver cutting edge infrastructure coordinated between architects, project managers and IT specialists to achieve a joined-up result. 

2. Flexibility and adaptability: Anticipate and design for change

In response to changing student profiles and ever-evolving educational policies, educational institutions are coming under increasing pressure to be flexible and dynamic in order to meet government and industry demands and student expectations.

Educational spaces and facilities should be designed not just in response to the current needs of teachers and students but to also accommodate changes and fluctuations to student numbers, courses, educational programming and focus over the coming years. Multidisciplinary practices, accustomed to approaching issues from differing perspectives, are perhaps at an advantage when it comes to designing spaces that can meet the diverse needs of a variety of stakeholders, including education professionals, full time, adult and apprentice students.

As for designing to support the development of the digital skills and connections, the campus built environment is critical to supporting the development of new relationships and collaborations which lead to innovation, new business start-ups and the development of a completive advantage for both educational institutions and the industry sectors which are reliant on the talents and skills of graduates supplied to them by universities and colleges.

3. Create social learning and networking spaces

Social leaning is now recognised by leading universities such as Havard (6) and the University of Sheffield as being essential to creating an engaging leaning environment where people have opportunities to connect and collaborate. Consequently both universities have invested heavily in the design and programming of their campus environments in order to create opportunities for the kind of social interaction that facilitate making connections and foster collaborations across faculties in order to sustain their reputations as lading innovative universities.

“The University has in recent years provided increasing numbers of high quality informal meeting spaces particularly where interdisciplinary discussions can take place. These spaces are essential in a modern research based University which is relying upon innovation between disciplines in order to explore the potential for new research and development. Similar high quality external spaces are lacking and will form a vital component of our Masterplan.” (7) Sheffield University, 2015

A 2011 study by the University of Queensland confirmed that social learning spaces can contribute to enhanced student engagement by fostering active learning, social interaction and belonging amongst tertiary students and suggested that the design of these spaces is integral to students’ perceptions of social learning spaces.

The creation of social leaning spaces and break-out areas for collaborative learning spaces where students can meet with guest speakers, industry experts and other students on different courses is key to creating a dynamic learning environment that reflects the modern day workplace environment.  These spaces create settings where a dialogue can be created between people with a variety of digital tech skill specialisms, facilitating the meeting and exchange of ideas, and through doing so spark new ideas and collaborations that drive innovation.

Pro:works take a holistic view of education that considers the student’s learning experience and learning outside of scheduled classes.  Attention is given to the total leaning environment, including how pedestrian flows and landscape design can be directed and shaped to bring people from different learning disciples together into shared social spaces to create new flexible platforms for both formal learning and informal social encounters across the campus to extend leaning opportunities beyond the confines of classroom walls. As a multi-disciplinary team, Pro:works have the in-house expertise required to integrate these informal social leaning environments to work alongside more traditional classroom areas and computing labs and facilities, staff and storage areas to ensure a robust and seamless integration of both educational and functional facilities to create truly innovative places for learning.

4. Incubate on campus

Student – industry collaborations can be fostered with the provision of on-site digi-tech start-up incubation units which provide talented students, graduates and local businesses with dedicated spaces start up new ventures. These spaces become part of the educational service offering key to attracting students and inviting digital start ups. The integration of education and industry on campus can improve employment prospects and create a fluid transition from college to workplace within a supportive environment. Strong connections and recruitment opportunities can be forged with local companies who can provide a continuous feedback loop on graduates skills sets and emerging skill needs within the digitech industry which can be used to guide the development of courses to ensure they remain at the forefront of digital-technology education.

5. Collaborate

Complex projects, often run to tight delivery timescales require specialist expertise from multiple consultants in order to find creative and innovative solutions to projects within the constraints of the projects required timeframe. This is why a collaborative approach between a network of trusted experts with long standing relationships creates cost effective knowledge sharing that can lead to innovation and facilitate the management of project to bring them to a close on time and on budget. This is the Pro:works collaborative approach. As a multi-disciplinary team with a diverse complimentary skill set, Pro:works are skilled at design, project management and co-ordination as industry specialists. 

A flexible company business model allows us to be adaptable in our approach to meeting the challenges of the fast-paced digital era. As such we are well versed in flexible approaches to design that create relationships which allow for adaptability and move with the times. This kind of flexibility is at the core of our ethos and is translated into our designs to create educational spaces and working practices that can evolve over time to meet the needs of students now and in the future. This design approach facilitates our education sector clients in gaining the competitive edge that allows them to emerge as market-leading educators for the digital generation and to have the flexibility within their built environments to accommodate change to maintain this competitive advantage to support growth and innovation.

Many thanks

James Lee Burgess

CEO and Founder XLwerks

For many businesses across the corporate market and around the world, 2020 has been an extremely challenging year. The Coronavirus pandemic has devastated every industry and left businesses struggling with cash flow, staffing and much more.

Many business leaders are desperate for this seemingly endless stream of bad news to be over. At the moment, CEO’s, Managing Directors and pretty much all employees just want to get back to normality. The powers at be are not able to go to important client meetings and fundraisers, meaning things are slowing down across the board.

As a result, many staff are struggling with financial and work worries. People are worried about their jobs and struggling to find a reason to take personal holidays. After all, if you’re working from home, then what’s the point in having a day off?  

With all the things going on, life does move on, and although it is a very negative feeling and everyone is, rightly, cautious, some of us do have to look to the future. The qualities of a good CEO are that they are forward-thinking, and most will rightly be thinking of their employees.

Supporting your workers and giving them everything they need during these trying times means not only making sure that they have the tools and support they need to do their jobs, but also that they enjoy good mental wellbeing.

The recent pandemic has taken a toll on many workers’ mental health, so you need to consider the best way to support their mental health and get them back to full mental wellbeing.

One great way to improve your staff’s mental health, and connect with them on a personal level, is to take a team-building trip. Team building is a vast industry, and there’s a lot of options to choose from, so you can easily find your ideal destination. 

After all this, team bonding is certainly needed. As such, forward-thinking CEOs need to consider hosting a team-building trip to improve the mental health of their teams. Read on, and we’ll explore the best ways to find the ideal destination for you and your team.

Think About Your Team’s Personality

One of the first factors that you need to consider is your team’s personality. If most of them enjoy spending time in nature, then an outdoor team building trip at a beautiful destination could be a perfect choice. If your team is passionate about sports, then a consider a destination that’s famed for its sporting prowess.

Every member of your team is different, so you might need to consider what the majority of your staff will enjoy. It can be tough, but most CEOs know their team and can identify the best destinations for a fun-filled team-building trip.

Avoid Travelling Abroad

Taking an international holiday might sound like fun, but in this tough situation, it’s more hassle than it is worth. Most countries are implementing stringent travel restrictions, and there is a chance that you and your team will have to quarantine once you return.

Also, the pandemic has made international travel stressful, expensive and costly. A trip to a part of the UK could allow you to bond with your staff and have fun without the stress. Some gorgeous destinations in the UK are so beautiful that you’ll feel like you’re abroad, so explore the options to find the best location for your team-building adventure.

Ask For Input From Your Team

If you’re still unsure about where your team would like to go for their team building day out, then consider asking them for suggestions. Initially, you could ask them to suggest destinations that they’d like to visit and activities that they’d like to do during your team bonding trip. Once you have a shortlist, you could ask them to vote on the trip that sounds the most enjoyable.

This approach will make your team feel included in the decision, as well as being the best way to ensure that the majority of your staff enjoys your bonding excursion. It will also take the weight of the decision off of your shoulders and make planning the trip more fun for you.

Put Your Team’s Safety First

While most countries are now reopening their shops, eateries and other destinations, that doesn’t mean that the threat of the Coronavirus has disappeared. There is still a risk of spreading the potentially fatal virus, so you need to make sure that you consider your team’s safety when planning your bonding trip.

Try to come up with safe bonding activities, and consider every aspect of the trip from travel to the destination and afterwards. Make sure that you put into place procedures and offer advice to ensure that everyone stays as safe as possible. By showing that you’re still committed to safety, you’ll make your staff feel safe and allow them to get excited about the trip without worrying about catching the virus.

Consider A Seasonal Trip

In such a tough year, many individuals are excited for holidays such as Christmas, New Year and Halloween. As such, you should consider hosting a seasonal trip or celebration that can get everyone excited for the holidays and get them in the mood.

For example, if you want to host a Christmas-themed bash, then check out the work Christmas parties offered by Team Tactics. The company offer a wide range of solutions so that you can find the one that will suit your team and get them excited for the holidays, as well as allowing you all to bond and have fun.

Final Verdict

Staff are the backbone of any business, so you need to make sure that you take care of their mental health and wellbeing.

Team bonding trips can help improve your collective wellness and make them feel like a part of the corporate family, rather than just another cog in the machine.

Use this article to find inspiration and get starting planning your next team-building adventure for your staff. It might take more effort than usual, but the result will be worth it.

Countdowns to Christmas are annoying at the best of times, but this year’s comes with an added annoyance of having to prepare for Brexit.

Whether the outcome is positive or negative, there are some changes that we all need to make.

Thankfully, your supply chain will be there to help you – the key is communication and preparation. These 6 essential questions will prepare both you and your supplier for Brexit.

Where are they based, and where do the products come from?

Even if most of your suppliers are the UK, it’s likely that some goods and services will be sourced from the EU.

If your key goods come from the EU, there could be some disruption to them if your supplier isn’t prepared.

Buying from a UK company doesn’t protect you if the supplier has run out of stock.

Of course, it’s your supplier’s problem to sort out their incoming goods but it’s still better to be prepared.

A simple step to take is to make a table of key supplies, the name of the supplier, what country they are based and what country the goods come from. For bulk products it could also help to track the incoming port, as some will be less disrupted than others.

What stock levels do they intend to have?

It’s good to track stock levels in terms of how long they will last. Knowing that your supplier has 2000 unicorns may sound a lot, but it’s not so good if they sell that many in a week.

I would advise that you top up your own stock as well, though this isn’t always possible and it’s a burden on cashflow.

Some tips:

• Give your supplier a forecast of what you’re likely to buy between November and March
• Raise call-off orders – this means you agree to order a certain number of goods but the supplier will store them until you’re ready (and charge you when they ship them)
• For really critical items, go and visit if possible – nothing beats seeing stock levels in person

Honesty is the best policy for planning with suppliers. They’ll be trying to balance enough goods for all their customers and over-estimating how many you require is going to harm relations longer-term. If you’re unsure of your demand, talk to your supplier about a range, for example 20-50 unicorns required each month.

Will any new regulations apply?

The government’s intention has been to ‘grandfather’ EU law over to UK law.

This means, in theory, everything should stay the same. However, new registrations or different processes might change how you operate.

For example, the REACH legislation that covers the import, manufacture and export of chemicals and substances will transfer over to UK law but there are actions that companies in this sector need to take.

Your suppliers are experts in what they do – don’t be afraid to ask questions, they’re probably hoping you do!

Do drivers accompany the goods across the border?

There are two ways goods cross the border to be shipped to you by road:

1. Offloaded at the port and collected by a driver
2. A single driver makes the whole journey from the EU to the UK

Trained drivers, especially ADR drivers, are in short supply.

The drivers who collect from the port are likely to stay within the UK. This means they should be carrying on as normal during the Brexit period.

The second type of` journey could cause delays. Drivers may not want to accept jobs with UK border crossings because they will lose valuable time in any delays at ports.

There’s not a huge amount you can do about this, but it’s a factor that you should include in your planning process.

What INCOTERMS will we be trading under?

Incoterms are internationally recognised ways of dealing with international deliveries.

They determine who is responsible for:

• Transport
• Insurance
• Customs
• Tariffs

Of the goods during their journeys from the supplier to you.

This isn’t the place to learn the details, but here are the main ones:

Code

Name

Description

EXW

Ex-works

All the risk is with the buyer from the moment the goods are ready to ship

CIP

Carriage & Insurance Paid

The supplier has responsibility for loading, transportation and the insurance up until the customs stage

DAP

Delivered at Place

As per CIP, but the seller is responsible for delivery to your door

DDP

Delivered Duty Paid

All the risk is with the seller, including customs and tariffs

The best way to think about it is to ask yourself: whose risk is it if something happens to the goods on their journey?

You probably won’t worry about a bearing being shipped by DHL from Manchester, but £50,000 worth of glassware from Italy could be a different story.

Suppliers may be hoping to change the INCOTERMS because of Brexit, so it’s worth having the conversation in advance.

How are they set up to do customs?

Even if there aren’t tariffs applied, customs documents will need to be completed.

Whilst we were in the EU, goods flowed freely as if the whole bloc was just one country. Governments didn’t need to track what was moving within the bloc, they just tracked what was coming in and out of the EU to the rest of the world.

Now, both the EU and the UK will want to know what’s travelling across the borders. This means that even if there aren’t tariffs attached to your goods, you’ll still need to fill out customs forms.

The UK is planning to allow businesses to defer their customs declarations throughout 2021, though details are yet to be confirmed. Even if it’s delayed, you’ll still need to track what you’ve brought in from the UK so that you or your suppliers can fill in the paperwork before the deadline.

If you’re not used to doing customs declarations, it would be better to encourage your suppliers to do this on your behalf as part of the sales contract. If not, you could use a Freight Forwarder to support you.

Conclusion | We’re All In This Together

There’s never been a more important time to work together, with both the pandemic and Brexit on the horizon. Be honest about your requirements and hopefully your suppliers will feel like they can be honest with you.

It’s probable that there will be delays for the first quarter of 2021. If your supply chain is going to have problems, it’s better to know as soon as possible so that you can prepare and adapt.

Communication is key – there’s still plenty of time to prepare with your existing suppliers or find new ones if needed.

If you have any questions on this or anything else related to procurement, please feel free to give me a call – 07588 071975

NOTE – This price is subject to adequate access to people and information, it does not include any additional specific services required or identified at any stage which will be charged at standard rates.

If you were to Google “diversity in the workplace”, you would find any number of articles that explain why it is important.  Fundamentally, it all points to this – more diverse workforces perform better financially and are more innovative.

We were recently contacted by a client who asked us if we could provide a board observer as part of our Board Ready Talent Scheme. This meant that an individual who is preparing for board level positions has the opportunity to observe the workings and dynamics of a board first-hand.

As an organisation, with two female executives out of six on the board, our client wanted to ensure that their Board is genuinely diverse and ensure this is sustainable for the future. They also wanted to provide a unique opportunity for an ambitious individual who would benefit from the experience. They selected a person who they felt could benefit the most from this opportunity and contribute to their diversity objectives. 

The CIPD’s published an article on Building Inclusive Workplaces, which discusses how promoting and supporting diversity in the workplace is an important aspect of good people management. They explore how diversity should go beyond legislation and become inclusive at all levels of an organisation, contributing to employee engagement and wellbeing. However, hiring a diverse workforce does not ensure that every employee has the same experience or opportunities.

There is no doubt that organisations need to work harder to support diversity, internally and externally. Not only is it the right thing to do but it makes good business sense.

Recently, our Executive Director, Lynn Walters, sat on Norfolk Chambers panel discussion on “The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace”. Along with the lockdown and Black Lives Matter, we have been thinking a lot about the wider subject of diversity in the workplace and why it is important.

How can organisations in the Eastern region recruit diverse workforces?

We have seen businesses across our region become more productive and successful with diverse and inclusive Boards. The boards that perform better in challenging times are those that are diverse as different people offer different perspectives, which helps with making difficult decisions. This current crisis has been a testament to the importance of diverse leadership. The business case for diversity at all levels in the workplace is clear and progressive organisations seek diversity of experience, behaviour and thinking. A diverse boardroom should reflect its customer base, lead to better decision making and improve business performance.

The CIPD report also suggests that organisations need to think beyond increasing diversity and tackle the challenges around workplace equality, personal bias or exclusionary culture. To address this, organisations need to be inclusive as well as diverse. Inclusion is fundamentally about an individual’s experience and allows everyone to contribute and feel part of an organisation. Hiring a diverse workforce does not guarantee that every employee has the same experience or opportunities in the workplace. Given that all employees are unique, inclusion is relevant for everyone in a business and it works hand-in-hand with diversity.

Lynn Walters says, “When it comes to recruiting, noticing and paying attention to diversity is a good first step. As you enter the recruitment process, evaluate how diverse your shortlist is and ask your recruitment partner to provide a diverse shortlist, encouraging wild card candidates who may not meet every single criteria, but bring a broader perspective. Measure the proportion of your recruits from diverse backgrounds over a year to help you understand diversity in your organisation.”

Providing a psychologically safe environment where everyone feels that they can participate and achieve their potential is fundamentally important to engagement, diversity and inclusivity. At the recent Norfolk Chamber webinar, Richard Ross Director at Chadwicks, suggested asking “why do we want people to fit in?” He proposed that a huge benefit of ensuring there is diversity in the recruitment process means that people are able to bring their own experiences into the team and keep diversity of thought going in the organisation. Cultural fit can be challenged. Simply talking and listening to people from diverse backgrounds opens the opportunity for new ideas.

Finally, encourage role models to speak out about their own experience and then really listen to understand. Whether these are internal or external, positive role models give people aspiration, inspiration and will challenge negative behaviours.

Achieving diversity

Over the past 5 years, Pure have focussed on broadening gender diversity in the Eastern region, through three distinct initiatives:

• Women’s Leadership Programme – we have worked with more than 100 women and their organisations over the past 5 years.
• Board Ready Talent Programme – we help aspiring professionals make the transition to Board level and 50% of participants are female.
• Measuring the gender split on short-lists and board appointments

Diversity is important to us at Pure from three perspectives:

• For our own business
• For our clients and organisations across the eastern region for whom we recruit
• For our candidates to ensure their applications are not affected by conscious or unconscious bias.

Having watched events unfold this year, it has prompted us to challenge ourselves on all aspects of diversity, both within our own organisation as well as wondering how we could do more to support our clients through recruitment and development. It is fair to say that we are at the start of our journey, and keen to explore and better understand the broader aspects of diversity. 

This focus is gaining momentum and we believe progress is being made, but there is still much work to do.

Discover more

If you would like to discuss your recruitment strategies, talk to our consultants today and discover more about how our Women’s Leadership Programme and Board Ready Talent Scheme can support people in your organisation.

Here are some useful resources for further reading:

• Ted talks by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

It’s no coincidence that with the growing need to make more of our space at home, searches for ‘garden rooms’ have increased. You might initially expect to see something more like a conservatory, orangery or extension, but these are very different styles and structures to a garden room. So when we say garden room, what exactly do we mean?

Well firstly, a garden room is typically a freestanding structure, unlike their adjoined alternatives. Generally there are standard features you’d expect to see of a good garden room. These include, a timber frame or modular construction, insulation, windows, roof, weatherproofing and electrical wiring. What can change is how these features are considered by each designer or manufacturer. It can be handy to explore the options and talk to the teams about their approach before you decide. However it’s built and for whatever purpose, a garden room can be a big investment and should be built around you.

How do you build a garden room?

Here at Image Garden Rooms we construct using a timber engineered frame and wall system derived from our experience in modular construction. This combined with our ability to finish key decorative elements ahead of installation means our system can be installed quickly, with minimal mess or hassle onsite. We provide full insulation to the walls, floors and ceilings, with careful use of joins and weatherproofing to provide a comfortable and stress-free structure for year round use. Within our garden room structure, we employ high-quality UPVC windows with double glazing. Not only does this add to the thermal efficiency of our garden rooms, but it looks good too, with a choice of colours available.

In fact its choice we’re really passionate about here at Image. So whilst we’ve standardised how we build our garden rooms, what we build is up to you. Our bespoke garden room options mean that from the floor to the ceiling, it’s entirely your choice. Our roof styles, cladding, floors and even specialist features are all provided with peace of mind guaranteed, with our job not complete until you have your perfectly finished garden room, ready to use.

So, what can I use a garden room for?

Would it be cheesy if we said anything you like? Well we’re going to say it anyway. Your garden room can be used for anything. Some specific uses can require consideration of planning permission, for example running a full time business from your garden room or bringing in elements like plumbing. However we can help you get the planning right so you can use your garden room for anything without the worry. With the growth in home working and home workouts too, we’ve seen the popularity of garden offices and garden gyms increase. Plus more and more people have seen the benefit in using a garden room to increase living space or create a social escape for friends and family. Whether your garden room is destined to become a garden bar or spa, studio, games room, playroom or multi-purpose space, at Image we’ll build it around you.

Want to see more about our garden rooms and how we build them?

– Explore our garden room range here

– Get Ideas with our Freestyle Inspiration Gallery

– Learn more about our approach with our handy FAQs page

Or Contact us to learn more, discus your ideas and start planning your perfect garden room

Regardless of size or industry, chances are the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way your Business does business.  Whether it is the services and products you provide, how you provide them, or just working out how to keep your staff working- adapting to these unprecedented challenges, and fast, was essential to mere survival.

During the initial response the focus was purely on keeping the business going- and that’s entirely understandable. But when necessity, functionality and convenience become the priority, security inevitably takes a back seat. In the context of necessity and ‘temporary measures’ to get people working, the increased risk of putting security concerns to one side was acceptable and, in many cases, unavoidable.

But what if these temporary measures have changed a business for the better?  What if actually, these temporary measures allow a business to operate more efficiently, save money and increase productivity whilst improving their employees’ work/life balance?  In short, what if a business decides that these temporary measures become permanent?

Having been forced to create a more flexible working environment, many employers and employees alike have come to notice something unexpected- it works.  It works really well.  Employees can do their jobs wherever they are whilst still being able to meet and collaborate with colleagues, customers are still engaging- and in some cases new opportunities have arisen- albeit virtually. 

It is no wonder then that many businesses are considering making these temporary measures permanent and adapting long-term strategies to take advantage of the benefits.

But those security concerns haven’t gone away.  Those risks, while acceptable at the time and given the circumstances, can no longer be ignored.

The right tool for the job

The first place to start is to review and evaluate the tools you are currently using.   Regardless of whether they were implemented as a COVID-19 workaround or not, look at everything in use today- file sharing tools, video conferencing tools, email and messaging tools, the lot. 

You should know now better than ever exactly what your business really needs to operate.  What is essential for your employees to be able to work effectively?  Do you have the tools in place to facilitate it, and are they the right tools from a functionality AND a security perspective?  Just how secure is Zoom anyway, and is Dropbox really the place to share and store commercially sensitive data??

It is so important that the right tools are made available proactively by the business- don’t let ‘Shadow IT’ put your business at risk.  Find out what your employees need to do their job and provide the tools for them, before they start finding them for themselves.

Many service providers offer tiers or licensing, with functionality and security features to match.  Along with identifying your tools identify what tier works best for you- while this will probably mean paying a license or subscription fee for a corporate-level toolset, but this is money well spent considering the potential risk of ‘open’ tools.

Keep business data within the business

How you provide external access to business resources now may well be different to how you used to do it, when it was perhaps less prevalent or more ad-hoc.  If remote working will form a more fundamental part of your business strategy moving forward, then now is the time to put in the right framework to make it secure.

If your business is using ‘Cloud’ services such as Office 365 or other Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) options such as Salesforce, then be aware that sufficient security isn’t necessarily part of that ‘Service’- at least not out of the box.  It is still your data and your responsibility to keep it secure, so password policies need to be up to scratch and multi-factor authentication should be strongly considered.

If your data is within your office environment, then you should aim to provide a secure remote access solution that keeps business data within the corporate environment.  If you or your IT partner put some temporary Remote Desktop provision in place to allow remote access, is it as secure as it needs to be?  Is it usable, auditable and scalable enough to enable your strategy?  If not then you should look to implement a new, secure end-to-end solution, or build onto whatever is in place to make it secure.

If you don’t already have a VPN capability then again, now might be the time to do it.  VPNs offer secure and encrypted communications between your staff and your business data which is great, but it will require expertise and the right equipment to be set up so assess if it’s the right solution for you before weighing up the potential costs.

Home Security

Before pandemics and lockdowns were part of our everyday lives, home network security wasn’t high on many people’s list of priorities.  Home networks are often relatively insecure, but the risk was small as there was not much to be gained from by an attacker breaching a home network, except to maybe leech some free broadband. 

This is no longer the case, and Cyber Criminals know it.  Now, breaching a home network can essentially mean breaching a corporate network by default, and suddenly the security of your employees’ home networks could be critical to the security of your business. 

Issuing corporate devices and implementing a VPN can massively reduce the risk, but regardless, make IT Resources available to them to help them secure their own equipment.  You should also mandate best practices to follow, and provide recommendations in your policies or communications (Is your internet router still using factory-default credentials?  Here’s how to check!).

Document and communicate your policies

Possibly most important of all, once you have decided on the tools and practices to help you deliver on your new strategy you need to document them in your policies and processes.  Creating and communicating clearly defined policies to tell employees what tools they must use and how they must use them will make it clear to everyone what is acceptable and what isn’t. 

These policies are also something to point to that demonstrates to potential clients (or auditors, if security accreditation is part of your strategy) that as a business, you understand the threats you face and the risk they pose, and steps have been taken to mitigate these risks where possible.

What the ‘New Normal’ could mean for your business

Businesses have always had to adapt to survive and Coronavirus forced many to adapt faster and in ways they never thought possible.  Many business owners now find themselves at a crossroads- do they endeavour to go back to ‘how things were’ or do they embrace the positives, and potential, in how their business was able to respond?

Each business is of course different, but think about it.  If your employees can effectively do their jobs remotely, do you really need all that office space?  If your employees can access your business data from anywhere- couldn’t that data also be anywhere- or effectively, everywhere?

Suddenly all sorts of opportunities present themselves- opportunities to save money by scaling back real estate, opportunities to cast your talent search wider if location is no longer a factor, opportunities to reduce or eliminate on-premises servers and infrastructure by adopting SaaS and cloud services, and many more.  These in turn could then have real business impact- what could less CapEx and more OpEx mean for your business model and your cash flow for example?  It’s surely worth thinking about.

Cyber Security strategy is a part of your business strategy

If you use a Service Provider or partner for your Business IT then take your business strategy to them, and talk to them about your options to maintain security.  You know your business and they should know the best ways to deliver on your strategy- but make sure they tell you exactly what they are doing to ensure that security, and auditability is being implemented.  Don’t assume that you’re getting the Information Security that you need, you must understand the risks specific to your business and what is being done to mitigate them.

For more general advice and recommended practices, particularly around new challenges that the Coronavirus pandemic introduced, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is an invaluable resource.  This Government organisation exists to provide Cyber Security guidance to businesses such as yours, and is a great baseline for the levels of security you should have in place, and that you should aim to maintain.

The fact is that your business has changed since the beginning of 2020, and the Cyber Security threats it faces has changed along with it.  Surviving COVID-19 forced many organisations into adopting practices they may previously have considered as unfeasible or too much of a security risk- but the benefits and opportunities that these new ways of working can afford your business are real.

With the right security consideration and guidance, they can be part of your New Normal if you choose to embrace them for your business.

We do understand that even with the great free information available from the NCSC and other sources, the time required to read and understand this, and to plan and take the relevant actions is time not spent running your business. 

If you need a fresh pair of eyes to validate your IT team is covering all the bases and simply if you don’t have an IT team with some specialist security advice we invite you to schedule a 30 minute call with one of our Cyber Security Consultants to help you understand where your key risks and opportunities are, and how we might be able to help.

n the circumstances, can no longer be ignored.

When most people think of technology hubs, they may come up with places like Silicon Valley in California or the Old Street area of London. While it’s the case that those places and others are firm favourites of tech professionals and venture capitalists, the reality is that there are plenty of places across Britain which are shaping up to be competitive homes for tech firms.

Norfolk on the east coast of England is one such place. The county has a lot going for it, including a burgeoning tech scene in Norwich and beyond – and, as one local entrepreneur recently noted, increased globalisation opportunities thanks to its proximity to the transatlantic flight routes of Stansted Airport. This article will delve deeper into the role that technology could play in Norfolk’s economy – and look at what sort of sub-sectors of the tech industry might one day appear here.

Agri-tech

Norfolk has long been known for its farming industry. Farming and technology can and do go hand in hand. Technology has been part of farming since the earliest farms, even if what was cutting edge at the time amounted to no more than a plough. In recent years, however, the term “agri-tech” has come to denote everything from crop modification systems to food packaging labs, and the agri-tech sector as a whole is believed to be worth around £14bn in total.

In many ways, Norfolk is a perfect place for agri-tech to boom. With acres of flat and fertile land, testing is simple and easy. Given that Norfolk continues to play host to thriving agricultural businesses, the demand for the use of agri-tech tools is present – meaning lower shipping costs and a less risky supply chain. According to local tech industry leader Tim Robinson, scientific research talent is already strong in the Norfolk area, so the leap towards making business to business agri-tech product offerings need not be too large.

Casino software development

To many who like to play casino games online, the whole thing is just a bit of fun – with added funky graphics and exciting themes thrown in for good measure. However, there is a whole industry behind the online casino world, and casino software development is big business.

The online casino industry is hugely popular in the UK, and now is a great time to capitalize on it. Even young companies with a small portfolio of games, like Stockholm-based Thunderkick Casinos, enjoy a lot of success. This page goes into more detail about their range of products, but it is companies like this that prove how a small, talented group of people can create a successful business.

Gaming companies based in Norfolk can take advantage of a huge pool of talent from the county’s biggest university, the University of East Anglia (UEA), which notably offers a BSc and MSc in Computing Science. The country is well connected to Cambridge and London via train, and also Europe via Norwich Airport, so talent can be drawn in from afar, and there is also a huge pool of potential clients no further than a short trip away. 

Ancillary services

As well as developing actual tech products and services, there’s also a lot of scope for Norfolk to start providing ancillary services to the tech sector as well. Tech office space could well become big business in this region, especially thanks to the improved transport links outlined above. Fashionable tech co-working spaces often flourish in areas which mix old and new. With historic Norwich located in the county, there are plenty of opportunities for landlords and property developers to take a role in shaping the new Norfolk tech economy rather than merely responding to it.

Once the requirement for tech skills is taken out of the equation, there’s a range of other services required. Tech firms also need to be taken to market, for example, and Norfolk already has a variety of promising leads in that regard. The UEA also offers a BA in Marketing and Management at the Norwich Business School – and with UEA often ranked second only to Cambridge in the East of England region’s university guides, there’s a golden opportunity for local graduating talent to be put to good use in the tech sector.

Overall, it’s time to put aside any misconceptions about what the Norfolk economy has to offer. While it might not be San Francisco or Silicon Roundabout, it’s got a burgeoning technology scene that is only likely to grow in stature in the coming years. From agri-tech to casino software development, the types of tech firm which could make it here in Norfolk are diverse.

Ransomware is big business, and business is certainly booming for cyber criminals.

It’s becoming all too frequent to hear of the next large corporation to be hit with a Ransomware attack, taking down services and putting the personal data of millions of customers at the mercy of the now highly organised, effective and increasingly ‘business-like’ criminal ransomware groups.

It is not just down to luck, or natural progression and growth that these groups are now able to successfully implement attacks against large, successful and (you may think) well-protected businesses. Put simply, it’s just down to good, albeit criminal business. 

More and more ransomware victims are choosing to pay the ransom to get their businesses back up and running, and in doing so they are filling the coffers of criminal organisations and effectively bankrolling subsequent attacks.  More money means more resources to re-invest in the business of ransomware- building better tools, more sophisticated and nuanced delivery methods and more intelligent and dynamic payloads.  Ultimately this then leads to more successful attacks and more ransom money in the bank, which leads to better tools….it’s one hell of a business model.

You don’t need to look far for examples of this evolution in action- take these incidents from the past year alone:

• On New Year’s Eve 2019 foreign currency giant Travelex was crippled by REvil ransomware, with the responsible group adding blackmail to the mix by threatening to release the encrypted data into the public domain if payment terms were not met.  Travelex reportedly paid $2.3 million to end the attack, but the effects to the business have been long-lasting and they have still not fully recovered to this day.

• More recently in July this year US Travel company CWT suffered an attack of Ragnar Locker ransomware, deployed by a ransomware group with a surprisingly customer service-focused offering.  A representative from the group engaged in an online chat with CWT execs to negotiate payment, and CWT ended up paying the bargain price of $4.3 million to decrypt their data and again, prevent the group from releasing the stolen files (Initially the request was for $10 million, however CWT were given a discount for responding quickly).

• Own a Garmin device?  Then I’m sure you’ll be aware of the breach that affected Garmin services for days, also in July this year.  Garmin were infected by WastedLocker- a strain of ransomware largely believed to be attributed to ‘Evil Corp’, a Russian cyber crime group that was hit with US Treasury sanctions in December 2019 for affiliation with a Russian Intelligence operation to steal classified US Government documents.  Apparently unperturbed by the risk of falling foul of the sanctions, it is widely reported that Garmin enlisted a 3rd party to engage with the criminal gang, allegedly paying a multi-million dollar ransom to get control of their >www.cyberscale.co.uk