In light of the increased restrictions the UK government is introducing additional economic and business support measures.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)
Yesterday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP announced a five-month extension of CJRS, also known as the furlough scheme. The CJRS will now run until the end of March 2021 with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked.
The Board of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today announced that Director General Dr Adam Marshall will leave the organisation in the Spring of 2021.
Marshall has been Director General of the leading business group for five years, and has been part of the leadership team of the BCC for almost 12 years. He leaves the organisation with an enhanced profile and impact, a stable financial position, strong governance and a record number of female leaders amongst both its non-executive and executive leadership.
Working closely with the Board, Marshall will remain at the helm over the coming months and will ensure a smooth and effective transition with his successor. He will leave the organisation with the respect and gratitude of the Board, staff, Chambers and members across the UK and worldwide. Marshall has not yet announced his future plans.
Outgoing BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall said:
“Chamber business communities represent the best of British business. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve this civic-minded, passionate, and purposeful network for nearly twelve years. I feel the time is right to hand over to a great successor who will continue the fight for our business communities during the period of renewal ahead.”
BCC Chair Sarah Howard MBE said:
“I know I speak for so many Chamber members, both here in the UK and across the world, when I say that Adam will be missed. He took over at a time of great uncertainty but has led BCC confidently to its strongest position in years. Chambers have never been more relevant or more necessary than they are today and together with the BCC Board, I will be leading a search over the coming weeks to identify a suitable successor to build on the BCC’s achievements and lead the organisation into the future.”
BCC President Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE said:
“Adam’s commitment to UK businesses, communities and diversity is one of many reasons I was excited to become President of BCC this year. He has dedicated great energy and passion to the organisation, and leaves the BCC and the Chamber Network in a stronger position at this critical moment for our businesses and for our country.”
A question that I have been wondering about for some time. You would you’re a health and safety person! Well, yes I suppose I am and proud of it! Back to my quandary.
It would appear that two companies were co-handed a record fine for inadequate fire safety (May 2017) after a fire broke out in an apartment building.
The property owners, along with an estates management company pleaded guilty to three offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and sentenced in a London Crown Court.
If we compare the highest health and safety fine recently handed out to Merlin Attractions for the ‘Smiler’ ride incident at Alton Towers last year of £5m, then this record fine of £250,000 is pocket change in comparison.
In this incident, 13 people were rescued, eight fire engines called and 60 firefighters were on hand to tackle the blaze.
Failings discovered
The London Fire Brigade inspectors discovered failings which included:
A lack of an alarm or detection system inside the flats and communal areas.
Doors to the individual flats provided inadequate protection to the escape routes.
The judge said both companies were aware of fire safety failings but reacted “by putting their heads in the sand” and described the building as an “accident waiting to happen.”
The fines are broken down as follows:
Property owners
£80,000 for not carrying out a fire risk assessment
£10,000 for not providing adequate fire detection
£10,000 for failing to allow people to escape safely.
Estates Company
£120,000 for not carrying out a fire risk assessment
£15,000 for not providing adequate fire detection
£15,000 for failing to allow people to escape safely.
London Fire Brigade were the enforcing authority in this case and were awarded full prosecution costs of £49,500. Their inspector is hoping that the size of the fine will send a strong message to other private landlords who ignore their responsibilities for fire safety.
Private landlords have duty of care.
If you are a private landlord, you have a duty to the safety of your tenants whether you provide a dwelling-house or a large commercial scale building occupied by businesses. With the latter, service level agreements will determine the level of responsibility for building protection, but domestic houses are the sole responsibility of the landlord.
Remember, you must install a smoke detector on each floor of your dwelling, provide a Carbon Monoxide alarm where you have a gas boiler, open-fire etc. and ensure the gas appliances are appropriately inspected by a Gas Safe Engineer at least annually or as advised.
Contact your Chamber Support Services advice line for information: 01455 852037
Although there is no statutory requirement to include probationary periods in an employment contract, this process is recommended to monitor a new or newly promoted employee’s performance. There is no set period that a probation should be for and therefore it should be based on the seniority, skill set and performance required for the role. For example, a junior role may require a shorter probation period compared to a senior position, whereby the employee may need to prove their leadership and influencing skill, which may take longer.
What must managers be aware of?
Managers must effectively manage their employees’ performance through having regular performance reviews throughout their probation period. It is important for the employer to show that they took reasonable steps to appraise the employee on probation and made every effort to determine his suitability (Post Office v Mughal [1977] IRLR 178, [1977] ICR 763, EAT).
I have completed regular reviews but there’s still no improvement?
If an employee is unable to meet the required standard of performance, having provided relevant training and opportunity to achieve the standards required, the outcome may result in a dismissal due to an unsuccessful probation period. However, if at the end of the employee’s probationary period, you believe you have not given the employee the opportunity to improve or there are other mitigating circumstances that may have caused the employee to not achieve the required standard; then you may extend their probation by outlining areas for improvement but this should be a final resort. It is crucial that all probationary review meetings are documented in writing and saved on an employee’s file.
Employers must not extend an employee’s probation on more than one occasion as the tribunal would not see this as reasonable. This would be seen as allowing the poor performance for a prolonged period and deemed as acceptable.
It is important to note that employees under a probation period have the same rights as an employee with no probation period. However, it is the employer’s decision as to whether they differ the Terms outlined within their employment contracts during the probation period.
What are the potential claims that may arise if you are not following a robust probationary procedure?
In certain situations, two years’ length of service is not always required to claim automatic unfair dismissal. For example, dismissal in relation to pregnancy.
If an employer dismissed in breach of the employment contract, by failing to follow a contractual procedure or by not providing the correct notice period, it may lead to a wrongful dismissal claim.
If an employee believes they have been discriminated against, there is a possibility of a discrimination claim.
An employee within their probation can ‘whistleblow’ and raise their concerns about wrongdoing within the company with a risk to others and this will present a claim regardless of their length of service.
So you may ask, how can we stop the possibility of these claims arising?
Having a clear and robust policy and procedure in place would help tackle any potential claims from arising. Qdos can help you by providing a bespoke service to ensure your policies and procedures remain compliant. Please don’t hesitate to contact our Chamber Support Services for help: 01455 852037
The Chamber Business Awards 2018 are open for entries for businesses across the UK. With this in mind, Chamber member Full Mix Marketing are giving you their top tips for entering awards.
1. Answer the question
This is the most common mistake business award entrants make. Rather than directly answering the question, they simply communicate what they are most proud of. Carefully read the criteria, identify the important qualities and make sure you specifically address them. Regardless of any other strengths you demonstrate, you will only be in the running if you first satisfy the key criteria.
2. Keep it short and concise
Those vetting entries will likely begin by scan reading them, so summarise or use bullet points before elaborating further. Make appropriate use of the word limit but don’t pad. A punchy application is more likely to succeed than something that is long winded. Don’t use jargon or give excessive details about your product or industry. Those assessing may have little sector knowledge, so keep language simple and explain why key details are important by providing simple context. Only include supporting evidence that you actually refer to or is specifically requested.
3. Tell a story
Many awards are won by companies who have been on a ‘journey’. Winners are often those with the most compelling story which supports the award organisers objectives. Explain your inspiration, the steps you took and the impact. However, stick to the point and only include details which help build the narrative. Look at your entry as a whole and make sure it flows from start to finish.
4. Find the pearl
Satisfying the criteria alone is rarely enough to win, so try to identify the factor or achievement which sets you apart. If you’re the first, best or most daring, make sure the reader knows. Statistics are a strong way to communicate success. Try to summarise your achievement with simple numbers and, depending on what’s stronger, talk in relative rather than actual terms. 150% growth is more impressive than a £50K increase!
5. Take your time
If it’s worth entering, do it well. Plan your submission and make sure you get someone outside your organisation to proof read it and listen to their comments. If there is scope for visual design, present your entry in a clear, professional and appealing way.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is set to end on 31 October 2020 and in recognising the ongoing impact Coronavirus is having on businesses, the UK government announced the launch of the Job Support Scheme (JSS) to take affect from 1 November 2020 to last for 6 months. The JSS applies to current staff whether previously been on furlough or not and requires them to be retained on shorter hours by agreement.
The criteria for this scheme significantly differs from the CJRS and on 22 October 2020 the UK government announced new JSS Open and JSS Closed schemes.
JSS Open will help reduce the financial cost to the employer in employing employees who would otherwise be at risk of redundancies and thus increasing the cost to the UK government. It is aimed at the protection of viable jobs in businesses who can operate safely but are facing lower demand over the winter period due to Coronavirus to avoid mass redundancies
JSS Closed will apply where the employer has been legally required to close the premises as a direct result of Coronavirus restrictions set by one or more of the four UK governments
Norfolk Chambers along with our colleagues at Quest, have developed Job Support Scheme (JSS) FAQs which will be updated as further information becomes available.
The Quarterly Economic Survey is significant piece of economic data, used by many organisations and the country’s decision makers to help shape economic policies for the UK.
The Bank of England recently worked on the latest round of Quantitative Easing and they used data supplied by the Chambers Quarterly Economic Survey to help inform those decisions.
With England in its second round of Covid-19 restrictions and the UK Government putting lots of energy into ‘levelling up’ the UK – it is more important than ever to hear from businesses based in Norfolk on how they see the local economy.
Without this vital local and regional knowledge the decision makers cannot make informed choices and put in the right support mechanisms that ultimately may impact on you and your company.
The QES is anonymous, open to anyone and only takes a couple of minutes to complete online.
We need your input, if you only take one survey, then please make it the QES
Transport for Norwich is looking for feedback on plans to improve the area and the consultation for the All Saints Green and Brazengate proposals for are now open. Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council are looking to provide better infrastructure for cyclists along the yellow pedalway, and to make it easier for pedestrians to move freely, thereby enhancing this part of the city centre for everyone. It builds on the recently completed changes around Westlegate, which have significantly reduced traffic levels in All Saints Green and now mean the next proposed design changes can be put forward. Features of the scheme include a continuous footway on Surrey Street across its junction with All Saints Green; removal of traffic signals on all arms of the same junction and conversion of existing advisory cycle lanes on Brazengate to wider, mandatory lanes. Councillor Mike Stonard, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for transport and vice-chair of Norwich Highways Agency Committee, says: “Changes around Westlegate have already transformed the way people are using this part of the city so we’re looking to extend these benefits further. We’d like to hear from anyone who uses the area regularly to help shape the final details of the project.” Funding for the project is from the Department for Transport’s Cycle City Ambition Grant. For more information on the details of the scheme, along with plans and how to respond to the consultation, please visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/brazengate.
There are a number of ways to submit your feedback:
Brazengate/Grove Road and All Saints Green Area Consultation Transport for Norwich – Floor 2 Norfolk County Council County Hall Martineau Lane Norwich, NR1 2DH
The deadline for comment is Friday 7 July 2017.
Feedback on the project is due to be reported to the Norwich Highways Agency Committee in September. If approved for construction, work is expected to start early next year.
Commenting on the government’s net zero plan to tackle climate change, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:
“As business communities restart and rebuild after the pandemic, Chambers are clear that the transition to net zero must be measurable, credible and fair.
“The Prime Minister’s announcement is a step forward on this journey, but more detail and even higher levels of both public and private investment will be needed to ensure that we are able to meet the shared ambition of government and our business communities.
“Business communities in our coastal regions will benefit significantly from a greater emphasis on offshore wind. Integrating local firms into supply chains will be vital in supporting investment and jobs of the future.
“Decarbonisation remains crucial to our future economic recovery, but businesses will need to see more detail in the long-awaited Energy White Paper if we are to boost investor confidence. And if we are to build the supply chains needed to meet these ambitions here in the UK, clarity on the future of industrial strategy is also required.
“While the impact of the pandemic has not diminished business communities’ desire to become greener, the pace of change will mean many firms will need support in the transition to cleaner technologies. Government should consider incentives to help businesses make the change without losing out, including business rates exemptions for green investments and compensation schemes for phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles.”
Providing an initial response to the Prime Minister’s plan for Coronavirus restrictions after the second lockdown ends in England, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:
“It is helpful that the Prime Minister has heeded our call to give businesses at least a week’s notice of the rule changes that will affect firms across England from December 2nd.
“Businesses across England now need to see the detail – and will judge the latest set of Covid rules on whether they are easy to understand and based on clear, transparently-presented evidence.
“They need to know that the new rules will be accompanied by commensurate support, by a significant expansion of mass testing, particularly to workplaces across the country, and by a plan to get the economy fully open again.
“The reduction of time in quarantine for international passengers will help to re-establish connections to key markets and trade partners across the world, helping businesses that depend on the UK’s connectivity and preserving industries and livelihoods.
“Ministers can’t simply keep switching businesses on and off like a light switch without expecting severe consequences. Covid-secure businesses will be looking to the government for a plan that keeps them, and the economy, open throughout winter and beyond.”
There has been an update to the UK Governments Border Operating Model, this contains all details on how our border with the European Union will work and will be introduced on 01 January 2021.
Explaining the importance of the new model, Liam Smyth, Director of Trade Facilitation at the British Chamber of Commerce, said that the “announcement of a revised Border Operating Model provides some more of the detail that was missing from the version published less than 12 weeks ago. Duty deferment accounts and postponed VAT accounting will both help firms’ cash flow as we enter a period of huge change at our borders. However, as highlighted in our recent unanswered questions document, businesses still have many areas where they urgently need more certainty, such as how the border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain will operate, clear guidance on rules of origin, which will only be done by ramping up government engagement with business.”
Elizabeth de Jong, Policy Director at Logistics UK, commented: “Clarification on the arrangements for the UK’s borders with the EU at the end of the Transition Period is welcomed by our members, the organisations charged with moving goods and services to and from our nation’s largest trading partner. It is imperative that businesses seeking to sell their goods to companies in the EU make the most of this guidance to speed up their preparations and ensure that their paperwork is in order on 01 January 2021. Logistics organisations need their customers to prepare if they are to maintain the smooth flow of goods to and from the EU” She also called for greater clarity over the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, describing detail as necessary so that “businesses can plan and logistics operators avoid delays”.