< Previous50 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk LEGAL SERVICES A changing 50-52.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:33 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 51 LEGAL SERVICES With the final stage of vaccinations on the way and life set to return to normal, businesses will now face issues of bringing staff back to how things used to be. With more people than ever working from home, where does a business stand in the eyes of the law? Almost all businesses in our region will want to return to how things were pre- lockdown. While a few may have found that their businesses work better with distanced employees and working from home, these appear to be the exceptions to the rule. The Government has forever parroted the idea of things returning to normal, but what is the new normal? And how far can businesses push their demands? Laws surrounding flexible working have always been murky, often isolated to health concerns, pregnancy or those wishing to lessen their hours to achieve a better work-home balance. With so many having no doubt grown comfortable with less of a commute, more comfort and less rigid dress codes, a little reluctance from staff is to be expected. In many ways, staff have lower costs and are better off working from home. This is the issue many employers are, and will be, facing when they attempt to put lockdown fully behind them. workforce 52 Á © Shutterstock /Drazen Zigic 50-52.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:34 Page 252 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk LEGAL SERVICES Can an employer demand that staff come back to work in the office? The simple answer is yes, but as always business law is not a simple issue. While an employer can dictate that staff work in an office where it is included in their original contract, they do have a duty to provide a safe working environment, and even the slightest indication that this isn’t being fulfilled is grounds for employees to challenge the instruction. It’s worth noting that this is nothing new – this duty of care has always existed for employers – but with COVID-19 being so much more difficult to protect from, it’s a much easier hurdle to stumble at. A bigger concern is that Downing Street have confirmed that they are considering legislation to protect worker’s rights to work from home, in their own language making working from home the “default” option and giving employees the right to ask for it. How this would work is as of yet unknown, but it is possible that there would be protections in place for businesses that could provide logical reasons why their company needs staff in the office. However, that might be something that has to pass certain legal thresholds in order to happen. Lord Bilimoria, President of the CBI has criticised the idea, saying; The worst thing possible would be to have any legislation that entitles people to the right to work from home. They should have the right to request it. But every employer should make that decision about the mix of working from home and the office.” “There’s so many benefits from being in the office, particularly for young people, particularly for new starters: the mentoring, what you learn, the innovation, the creativity, the buzz. All that takes place when you’re face-to-face in an office environment, let alone everyone else that benefits from being surrounded by an office – both the restaurants and all the other businesses that rely on an office economy.” Undeniable as it is that some of the language is biased; employers always tend to exaggerate the “buzz” of working in an office when we all know employees would rather work from home, the sentiment is one causing some schisms within the business community. Many big businesses, including the top 50 in the UK, have said that they will not be bringing all staff back into the office as they have found greater efficiencies in home working. As the law currently stands there is no legal right that grants employees the ability to work from home, and businesses can rely on this to order staff back into offices. It’s clear that some things may change on this front however, and even if they do not, city businesses could face challenges from employees if health, safety and hygiene are not up to standard. In the event that the law does change to give any rights at all to staff in this regard, contracts will need to be reassessed and rewritten immediately. It’s well worth talking to local law practices if this becomes the case, especially those businesses in the region who believe they will need all their staff in the office. © Shutterstock /PR Image Factory 50-52.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:34 Page 3FEATURES Print & Packaging Spotlight Business Services Supply Chain Management Anaerobic Digestion & Biomass Accountants Review REGULARS Commercial Property Corporate Hospitality Motoring Watch out too for the latest news from across the region in every sector Next month in August 2021 - Deadline 21st July Visit us at www.ea stmidlan dsbusine sslink.co .uk where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscrib e to our newslett ers so you can have. the latest news emailed to your inbox 53.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:35 Page 1OUT OF OFFICE Business leaders throw weight behind cancer charity A charity set up in the US almost a decade ago is to bring its fundraising efforts to help those suffering from cancer to the UK. We Support U’s goal is to improve health prevention, screening and survival among underserved, low-income communities and to be the comprehensive link between healthcare providers, cancer patients and their families and community resource. The charity is a community-based nonprofit organisation providing support services for individuals and families. It was originally set up in 2013 by Bertha Tiznado of the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization in San Diego County, but is now spreading its wings overseas. To help with this, Bertha has appointed former East Midlands businessman Sukhi Ghuman, CEO of US-based Octavian USA, as Chair, and Reshma Sheikh and Amanda Butler, Managing Director and Commercial Director respectively of Nottinghamshire-based facilities management firm Octavian UK, to lead the UK efforts to raise funds for (predominantly breast) cancer sufferers that cannot afford treatment and screening. Bertha explained the reasons behind the expansion of the charity. She said: “I have more than 28 years’ experience of collaborating with the Oncology centre where Sukhi is in charge. We met in a meeting and I admired his professionalism, charisma and desire to help our people who are most in need. “We have plans to be the number one organisation, where we can be the link to provide the best medical services and the best quality of life to all our people who are going through a cancer diagnosis.” Ward joins the Pledge to Net Zero Derbyshire-based metal recycling and waste management specialist, Ward, is one of only 104 signatories to have been accepted onto the ‘Pledge to Net Zero’ and has also joined the UN’s ‘Race to Zero’ campaign. Organised by the Society for the Environment ‘Pledge to Net Zero’ is the first industry commitment in the UK requiring science-based targets from its signatories to tackle greenhouse gas emissions within their organisations. The pledge recognises the need for organisations from the environmental services sector to take a leadership role in the transition to a Net Zero carbon economy. Pledge signatories include the Chartered Institutes of Waste Management (CIWM), Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA), environmental service organisations and a range of engineering consultancies across the UK. Each one has committed to submitting key pieces of science-based evidence at various points over the next three years, marking their progress against targets set for greenhouse gas emissions in line with either, an encouraged, 1.5°C or well below 2°C climate change scenario – covering buildings and travel as a minimum. Ward is achieving the 1.5°C target by making reductions in energy use and implementing its sustainability road map to 2030, The Ward Way. Real, evidence-based greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced across the business, rather than purchasing carbon offsets. In addition, a partnership between Pledge to Net Zero and the United Nations Framework on Climate Change’s (UNFCC) Race To Zero campaign was officially announced ahead of COP26. Ward has also become a part of this, as its own targets are in line with the required 1.5°C targets for emissions. Ashley Oates, Head of Sustainability at Ward, said: “We’re proud that our organisation is stepping forward with others in the environmental sector to be a leader and drive the changes required to meet the UK’s Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions 2050 target. “Many of our customers are also now looking for science-based evidence of our commitment to reducing emissions and contributing to tackling climate change. Through our sustainability roadmap to 2030, the Ward Way, we can provide this evidence, commit to the Pledge to Net Zero and are eligible to join the UN’s Race to Net Zero too.” 54 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Law firm launches foundation to improve lives and the environment Midlands law firm Shoosmiths has launched The Shoosmiths Foundation, a grant making body working to help address societal issues, empower sustainable change and improve the lives of the people and the environment in the UK. The Shoosmiths Foundation builds on Shoosmiths’ existing community investment programme which continues to support local charity partners through staff fundraising and firm donations, staff volunteering and provision of legal advice pro bono. Grants are available for UK registered charities undertaking work in the UK, with funding decided by the Shoosmiths Foundation Grants Committee. In terms of eligible expenditure, applications for this round – open until close of business Friday 23 July 2021 – must relate to the social mobility aim which is the Shoosmiths Foundation’s grant giving priority for 2021. The Foundation offers grants in the following categories, to: advance social mobility in the legal sector, and across the UK, in line with the Shoosmiths social mobility action plan; advance a carbon net zero UK; and advance access to justice in the UK. Simon Boss, Shoosmiths’ Chief Executive, said: “The Shoosmiths Foundation is a really exciting opportunity for us in our efforts to increase our societal impact. With our three Foundation themes, we are able to allocate funds to strategic priority areas. In 2021/22, we’ll be looking for applications which have a focus on social mobility. “This will enable us to build on our long-standing community commitments as a firm, and it is also an opportunity for us to financially support projects which align with our ambitions – and reiterate our belief – that talent can come from anywhere.” Simon Boss Ashley Oates Clockwise from top left: Reshma Sheikh, Sukhi Ghuman and Amanda Butler 54-55.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 13:20 Page 1 Derby’s Light Science Technologies partners with environmental charity AgTech specialist Light Science Technologies has announced a partnership with One Tree Planted that aims to plant millions of trees around the world for landscape restoration in 2021. For every light or sensor provided to its customers, LST will donate $1 to One Tree Planted to plant one tree and support projects that help sustainable agriculture. This is part of a joint commitment to champion global reforestation efforts and raise awareness of the importance of ecosystem restoration. The ‘One for One’ initiative, started by One Tree Planted Founder Matt Hill in 2014, works with reforestations partners around the world to plant trees to restore forests and protect habitat for biodiversity, as well as to create jobs and build communities. In 2020 it planted 15 million trees, more than triple the amount in 2019, and this year is looking to continue this exponential trend. Trees are vital to life on earth by providing oxygen, storing carbon and absorbing other harmful pollutants, filtering the water we drink, and providing habitat to over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. They are also known to have medicinal properties, with essential ingredients in 25% of all medicines. It was LST’s synergy with the charity’s mission that sparked its involvement, as a company with sustainability at the heart of its agenda. Established in 2019, the Derby-based firm delivers lighting, science and research-proven plant monitoring solutions to provide indoor growers with long term sustainable solutions to help control cost, improve efficiency and increase yield. As land becomes scarce, the earth’s resources run low and the global population is set to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, more farmers are turning to vertical farming and other methods of indoor farming, such as polytunnels and greenhouses, as a viable alternative to make food systems more sustainable. OUT OF OFFICE www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 55 Partnership agreement to develop next generation of construction experts Construction company Robert Woodhead Limited (part of the Woodhead Group) and Chesterfield College have entered into an agreement to work together on a range of initiatives to help the next generation discover more about careers in construction and develop the skills they need. The Learning Partnership Agreement builds on the long-standing relationship between the two organisations. It formalises the way they will work together in the future, building on the successful apprenticeship and work experience schemes they already have in place. It also introduces some new initiatives which will bring more work experience and training opportunities, taster days for school pupils and work around encouraging women into construction. Janine Borderick, People Development Director at Robert Woodhead Ltd, said: “This agreement is really important to help us grow the talent we need for the future. This will help us to reach people outside of our apprenticeship programme. “We want to share our experience of the industry with people and give them an introduction to the wide range of career paths that are available in construction. We want people to come and see what we do and, together with the college, we will be shouting about the opportunities there are to work in the industry.” Terry Brickles, Curriculum Operations Manager for Construction, said: “Robert Woodhead Ltd have always valued the education and training we offer to provide them with a skilled workforce. They know that by working alongside us to support school and college students we will be able to pool resources to encourage the next generation into construction.” Derby business leaders raise much-needed funds for Revive Business leaders in Derby have joined forces to raise thousands of pounds for a city charity which helps underprivileged and vulnerable children and their families. Members of the networking group Derby’s Finest held a virtual bingo night for Revive; a Derwent-based charity which will use the money raised to take families on a much-needed holiday to popular seaside resort, Butlins, later this year. Prizes for the bingo night, which was organised by Claire Twells, of Smith Partnership, Sarah Loates, of Loates HR, and Mercia Image Print’s Amanda Strong, included hospitality tickets to watch Derby County, an iPad and an overnight stay at the four-star Egbaston Park Hotel. Members raised £1,500 on the night – which was match-funded by Cosy Direct; the Tutbury-based business which sells ethical educational supplies to primary schools and nurseries around the world. Amanda Ellse, who set up Cosy Direct with her husband, Peter, 10 years ago, heads up the charitable foundation of the business, Cosy Foundation. She said: “The Cosy Foundation supports charities and good causes both at UK grassroots and abroad; we have helped to build classrooms in Africa and, more recently, funded the installation of running water which will supply 500 people out there. “Revive is a very worthwhile charity which has done incredible work for families in Derby during a difficult time. Holidays are something which most of us take for granted – although the chance to get away has been limited over the past year – but many children who are supported by Revive won’t have left Derby. We’re delighted to be supporting them and would also like to congratulate the members of Derby’s Finest for hosting a hugely successful event.” Terry Brickles, from Chesterfield College, and Janine Borderick, from Robert Woodhead Ltd, handing over the Learning Partnership Agreement, looked on by construction apprentice, Aaron Wathall. © Shutterstock/ ITTIGallery 54-55.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 13:21 Page 256 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Derby Property Summit Wednesday 14 July Hybrid event The Derby Property Summit will explore how cities are reshaping in a post- pandemic world with a focus on Derby’s investment pipeline - through a keynote, Q&A, and a panel. For more information visit www.marketingderby.co.uk/md- events/2021/7/14/derby-property-summit Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Ethnic Minority Business Exchange Wednesday 14 July Online The Ethnic Minority Business (EMB) Exchange is a distinctive business space, designed by and for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire businesses of ethnic minority heritage and those who wish to support as allies. It aims to provide a focused space that gives ethnic minority business owners access to the resources and contacts needed to help their small businesses grow and succeed. For more information visit German Packaging Law: New Regulations Wrapped Up Thursday 8 July Online This webinar will help you with upcoming changes in German packaging law. The event is aimed at British exporters to the German market, both B2C and B2B, and will explain the most important new packaging regulations coming into force in July 2021. Specifically, there will be information on the new requirements for: transport packaging and other packaging not destined for the private user; reusable packaging, service packaging and packaging that cannot currently be licensed, such as hazardous materials packaging; plastic single-use drinks bottles and tins, milk and milk product packaging; e-Commerce platforms and fulfilment service companies. For more information visit www.lincs- chamber.co.uk/events/german- packaging-webinar/ events www.fsb.org.uk/event- calendar/nottinghamshire-and- derbyshire-ethnic-minority-business- exchange-14-july.html?aff=SH What’s New in Social Media Wednesday 14 July Online With businesses investing more time on social media, it is important to understand the changes happening across social media channels, how those changes might impact your business and © Shut terstock/yut tana C ontributor S tudio Hiring & Working Remotely – Getting it Right Thursday 8 July Online Managing and growing teams virtually is now a core requirement for many business leaders. Ensuring new and existing staff are fully engaged, happy and productive is crucial, but are you getting it right? Attend this session to better understand the key HR procedures and issues for hiring someone remotely and what you need to get right in managing your teams. For more information visit www.semlepgrowthhub.com/hiring-working-remotely-getting- it-right/ © Shut terstock / Bongk arnGr aphic © Shut terstock/T ravelpixs 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 13:28 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 57 your social media strategy, and how you might be able to take advantage of those changes. This webinar is for those using social media to increase their visibility online or increase the brand awareness of their company, and who needs to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the changes going on in the world of social media, hear about the results of tests and experiments, studies, and research being conducted and what that means for your use of the platforms, and be able to implement new ideas from new functionality being released. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/what s-new-in-social-media-1/ Summer HR Directors Boardroom Event Thursday 19 August Online This webinar is designed to help employers and senior HR professionals to create a strategy and help them break down the workplace taboo on discussing menopause. As well as providing expert advice and guidance, most of your financial data when making decisions. Discover how you can improve the performance of your business, using the wealth of information already at your fingertips. For more information visit www.derby.ac.uk/events/latest-events/ financial-data-analysis-to-inform-decision- making/ Getting Started with Paid Digital Advertising Thursday 29 July Online Paid Digital Advertising gives business owners an opportunity to reach both new and existing customers whilst they are actively online. These consumer activities might include searching on Google, scrolling through their Facebook feed, looking through Instagram stories and discovery feeds for inspiration or using LinkedIn for professional networking and prospecting. This workshop is ideal for business owners or marketing teams looking to grow their customer base and who are looking at paid digital advertising for the first time or have tried it in the past. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/getting- started-with-paid-digital-advertising-2/ the event has been designed to encourage lots of interactivity and questions from participants. For more information visit www.ashleykatehr.com/hr- director-boardroom/ Golf Day 2021 Friday 23 July Thonock Park, Gainsborough Enjoy a day of golf and networking at this event, which will also raise money for charity. Including breakfast, a 2-course meal and a round of golf, the day will also present the chance to buy raffle tickets to be in with a chance of winning an amazing prize. Trophies will be given to the winning team, the runner up team, and for longest drive and nearest the pin. For more information visit www.lincs-chamber.co.uk/ events/golf-day-2021/ Financial Data Analysis to Inform Decision Making Monday 26 July Online Take a deeper dive into the finances of your business and learn how to make the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2021 Thursday 30 September Trent Bridge Cricket Ground Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, the East Midlands Bricks Awards are back for 2021. After last year’s ceremony was moved online due to the Coronavirus pandemic, with cases now dropping and restrictions easing, the 2021 celebration is to be held in person once again, providing ample opportunities for networking in a safe environment. For more information visit www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk/mag/bricks-2021/ 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 13:28 Page 2Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. And finally The world of Frazer The new Zoom uniform - a Hawaiian shirt How much do you notice when in a video call? Despite “scandalous” stories hitting the news about bongs and, ahem, naughty items being seen in employees’ backgrounds, it turns out that generally we are pretty oblivious to what’s going on in our colleagues’ little square boxes. Attempting to prank former co-workers, a woman wore the same Hawaiian shirt to 264 Zoom meetings over the past year, yet no-one commented on her fashion statement. On her last day of work she revealed her experiment, but her co-workers didn’t have a clue what she was talking about! Nobody had noticed! Apparently, she has not worn the shirt to her new job…yet. A third eye for smartphone addicts Picture this, you’re walking down the street, busy reading emails, checking socials, or replying to texts on your smartphone - now you’ve walked into a lamppost in the name of work. Ok - maybe this has never happened to you, but Frazer is sure you’ve almost walked into someone or something at some point, and there is now a device to prevent these accidents! A robotic eyeball has been created that can be strapped to the forehead so you can keep your eyes on mobile screens without fear. The device senses when the head is lowered and opens its eyelid. If you come within a meter of an obstacle, a beep warns you of the danger. Just hope you don’t run into any clients while wearing it… 58 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk © Shutterstock/ DenisNata © Shutterstock/ Gorodenkoff © Shutterstock/ Prapat Aowsakorn Business’s ‘divination ducks’ predict Euro 2020 scores A Northamptonshire-based electrical, plumbing and heating business is putting the football knowledge of its resident ducks to the test during the European Championships. Mercedes and Blondie, who are mother and daughter, have been employed to predict winners by eating their favourite pre-match snack from bowls marked with the participating countries. Whichever bowl is eaten from first apparently indicates the match winner. If both bowls are eaten from simultaneously, it indicates a draw. It may sound a bit ‘quackers’, but the ducks were successful in foretelling England’s win over Croatia! 58.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 13:33 Page 1www.oms.uk.com 01530 833 533 info@oms.uk.com Helping you to perform at the highest level OMS have delivered consultancy and training services throughout the Midlands and UK for over 22 years. We are a leading authority in health and safety, employment, quality, environmental and business continuity management systems and training. Our tailored solutions support organisations throughout the UK. Could we help you too? Some of the benefits of using OMS 3 5 star Trustpilot rating. 3 Trusted by many major and local organisations to deliver consultancy and training. 3 Certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & ISO 45001 for “The provision of Consultancy and Training Services” giving you the assurance that we have management controls in place to provide a quality offering safely, with minimal impact on the environment. 3 Easy access to our training centre, with free car parking, centrally located just a few minutes from Junction 22 of the M1. 3 Covid Secure training centre and head office. 3 Approved CITB touch screen (ITC) test centre, which allows you to attend a Site Safety Plus Health & Safety Awareness course and your touch screen test on the same day. 3 Wide range of health and safety e-learning courses. 3 Accredited to run a wide variety of courses at our training centre at Bardon Hill. 3 NEBOSH Gold training provider. Visit www.oms.uk.com, call us on 01530 833 533 or email info@oms.uk.com to learn more about us and how we can enhance your organisation. 59.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 10:41 Page 1Next >