Monthly Archives: January 2022

Charity & CSR, Construction, Food & Drink, Midlands News, News

Construction firm ‘buzzing’ to help Shropshire charity

A construction firm is helping a Shropshire charity build for the future by creating a new facility so it can efficiently process and produce its wares for sale to the public.

Pave Aways Building Contractors is building a honey extraction room for the Shropshire Beekeepers’ Association at its HQ and apiary in Shrewsbury, free of charge as part of its community benefits programme.

The new extraction room, which is being constructed to meet stringent food hygiene standards, will enable the charity to sell the honey it produces at its apiary in Nobold Lane, where it also hosts training courses and runs a wildlife visitor centre to promote awareness of the role bees play in the environment.

Pave Aways’ site manager Carl Davies is leading the conversion of an existing storeroom into a honey extraction room including kitting it out to be fully wipeable, replacing the lights, ceiling tiles and fitting sockets for the equipment required to extract and bottle the honey.

The firm is also going to sponsor two hives at the apiary and will donate one to a local school to support the education programme the association is trying to reintroduce.

Managing Director Steven Owen said he was delighted that Pave Aways was able to help the association with this project.

“The work that Shropshire Beekeepers Association is doing is crucial to encourage and educate the public about the importance of bees to the ecological balance of our planet.

“We are always keen to help those charities and organisations in the communities where we work and put our skills to good use where it will make a real difference. The work of the Beekeepers’ Association to spread the word about bees is incredibly valuable and we are pleased to be a small part of its legacy by sponsoring a hive and sharing one with a Shropshire school.”

David Draper, a committee member and fundraiser for the Shropshire Beekeepers’ Association, said: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to Pave Aways for the reconstruction work it is doing at our apiary.

“This very generous practical contribution will provide a much-needed special room and facility for the clean and efficient extraction of honey, something we could not otherwise have had. This room will further enhance our objective of educating the public on the environmental importance of bees and beekeeping and provide saleable honey to generate income for the charity, helping to ensure its sustainability and, of course, providing delicious honey for consumption.”

Construction, News, Training

Applications Now Open for New Construction T Level

A new Construction T Level qualification is now open for applications at the UK’s only specialist further education construction college.

Leeds College of Building is one of a select number of education providers across England chosen to deliver a T Level programme in Design, Surveying & Planning for Construction from September 2022. At the heart of the course, a 45-day industry placement opens opportunities for the brightest talent entering the market.

T Levels are a new, two-year qualification for 16- to 19-year-olds. Designed with employers, each T Level is equivalent to three A levels and has been developed to meet industry needs and prepare students for work.

To gain approved provider status, the College applied to the Department for Education demonstrating a positive commitment from local employers and detailing the specialist equipment and expertise offered. This application was backed by the College’s Good Ofsted rating in 2019.

Leeds College of Building is one of only a handful of providers in Yorkshire to offer the Design, Surveying & Planning for Construction T Level, and the only specialist further education construction college to offer this in the UK. The T Level will use industry-standard equipment at both its North Street and South Bank Campuses, delivered by expert staff from the construction industry.

According to the Department for Education, T Levels give students the skills to progress and help rebuild the economy following the Coronavirus pandemic. Typical employment on completion might include technician roles in architecture, building services, civil engineering, surveying or town planning.

Nikki Davis, Vice Principal at Leeds College of Building, said:

“Leeds College of Building is the UK’s only general Further Education college specialising in Construction and the Built Environment. As such, we are perfectly placed to work with our established network of regional and national employers to enhance T Level opportunities for students.

“T Level students at Leeds College of Building will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and specialist teaching expertise. Students also benefit from established progression opportunities within higher and degree-level apprenticeships at the College and employment opportunities through our construction partners.

“Leeds College of Building is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. This new qualification will help us to better serve the region’s young people and workforce, opening up even more opportunities into high paying, skilled jobs.”

Caddick Construction Limited is one of the employers offering Leeds College of Building T Level students work placements. Debbie Watson, Social Value Manager (Yorkshire) at Caddick Construction Ltd., said:

“The new T Levels are a great alternative to entry-level qualifications as they help students gain valuable ‘on the job’ experience whilst undertaking their qualification, which will give them a great advantage going forward in their career.  It will also help employers gain an early insight into the latest talent pool, helping with recruitment and social value benefits.  It also helps us to develop the knowledge, attitude, and skills of the students entering the built environment.

“Whilst working with us, students will spend time in each department at both our offices and on our sites to understand the workings of the main contractor.  Students will also spend time with our consultants, such as the Architect, to understand how projects get to site, as well as spending time with subcontractors on our projects learning more about life on site.”

Time is split between 80% classroom learning and 20% industry placement lasting approximately seven weeks. All students will develop a general understanding of construction, including accurate and appropriate measurements, construction methods and building regulations, digital engineering techniques, design principles and processes, mathematical problem solving, and sustainability and environmental impact.

In addition to the core content, students at Leeds College of Building will specialise in surveying and design for construction and the built environment. They will also study laser scanning – a land surveying method that can accurately measure and collect data from buildings and landscapes.

For more course information and entry requirements, visit www.lcb.ac.uk or email admissions@lcb.ac.uk.

Alternatively, if you are a business owner who could support students through T Level work placements, please email epearson@lcb.ac.uk and find out more about the business benefits and financial incentives available.

 

News

Tips On Looking After The Mental Health Of Your Employees

Employee mental health is in the spotlight following two years of COVID-19 disruptions. Research has shown that 44% of work-related ill health is the result of stress, depression, and anxiety caused by work.

Contact centres can be especially stressful for employees, who are speaking to customers and helping to solve their problems on a daily basis. These environments can be intense and emotionally draining, and many advisors deal with customers experiencing distressing personal circumstances.

It’s clear that the mental well-being of our people needs to be a business priority in 2022. But if your contact centre has never had a well-being plan in place, it can be difficult to know where to start.

With this in mind, Julie McIntosh, Chief Culture Officer at Kura, shares their top tips on supporting the mental health of employees in your contact centre.

Hold regular check-ins with your employees

Sometimes, it can be hard to spot a struggling employee – this is especially true if you have a remote or hybrid workforce, which many businesses now do. Your people may not feel confident enough to approach you, especially about personal matters, so it’s important to check in with them regularly to see how they’re doing.

At KURA, we hold weekly catch-ups with our team members to check on their well-being. Our employees report finding this really helpful because they can work with their manager to address their well-being without having to be the one to bring it up.

You could implement regular check-ins in a number of ways to make it a no-pressure situation for your people. Video-calling your remote employees will help to make the experience more personable. For office-based employees or remote workers who live nearby, arranging to meet at a café outside of the office can provide a more relaxing setting. Speak to your people to find out which environment they’ll feel most comfortable in (following whatever Covid guidelines are in place, of course).

Host well-being sessions

It’s important to check in personally with your people on a regular basis. But now more than ever, we need each other to get through hard times. At Kura, we started hosting live meditation classes via Zoom during the first 2020 lockdown, and it’s something we’ve continued as we’ve gone through periods of home and office working.

In these sessions, we practice meditation and breathing techniques – focusing on the breath is one of the most powerful ways to pause during our busy lives, and it can dramatically reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Bringing people together to do these kinds of exercises can help your team to bond and make one another feel more comfortable. Strong camaraderie among your team is important because it makes them feel less alone.

Invest in an employee assistance programme

It’s important to foster an open environment where your people feel comfortable confiding in you if they’re struggling with their mental health. But investing in an employee assistance programme will also give them access to expert advice, support services, and counselling. Having access to professional counselling is important at a time when NHS mental health services are stretched thinly and waiting lists are long.

KURA has partnered with Pam Assist, which offers a huge range of well-being and mental health support to our employees. Our people can speak to mental health professionals confidentially, giving them the confidence to communicate openly and honestly with a trained expert. As well as telephone support services, our employees have access to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and eye movement and desensitisation reprocessing therapy (EMDR) for a range of mental health conditions without having to wait for a referral from their GP or doctor.

Give your employees some flexibility

Talking to customers on the phone all day, especially if it’s on serious topics, can be mentally and emotionally draining. Allowing your advisors to rotate between your different customer service channels can help them to relax and recalibrate.

Have a discussion with your advisors to find out how best to implement this. You might find that an even split, with phone calls in the morning and live chat in the afternoon, is most suitable, or you could allow your employees shorter periods of working through emails or chats throughout the day to give them a break from the exhaustion of back-to-back phone calls.

Find out more about Kura’s workplace well-being initiatives here: https://www.wearekura.com/kura-cares/

Marketing, PR and SEO, Mergers & Acquisitions, News

Digital marketing agency joins Qoob group of companies

A digital marketing agency that has been operating for almost 30 years in Northamptonshire is the latest acquisition for marketing group Qoob Limited.

SilverDisc, founded by Managing Director Alan Perkins in 1993, joins Square Media, a Corby-based agency, and Geexe, an ecommerce software and app developer, in the Qoob stable. The deal will see SilverDisc, Square Media and Geexe join forces on various projects and enable the companies to expand their services to their respective clients, whilst maintaining their separate brand identities.

Matthew Rigby White, Managing Director of Square Media and Qoob Limited, said: “We are so excited to welcome SilverDisc to the Qoob group of companies. Bringing the teams together will effectively make us one of the largest marketing agencies in the Midlands, with a combined team of 30 people, and will enable us to offer our clients the full marketing mix – from the more creative elements like graphic design and website development right through to the more technical aspects of marketing like SEO, Pay Per Click advertising and digital marketing systems.”

Alan Perkins added: “After almost 30 years of running SilverDisc and building it into the leading search and performance agency that it is, I’m looking forward to joining Square Media and Geexe as part of Qoob where our combined skillsets will help deliver a powerful, complete digital marketing solution to our clients and partners over the years to come.”

“SilverDisc joining Square Media and Geexe in Qoob marks the start of a new chapter and journey for all of us just as we move into 2022, which is hugely exciting,” adds Matthew. “The three companies all complement each other so well and it will be our respective clients who benefit the most from them all coming together in this way.”

For more information, go to silverdisc.co.uk or visit  squaremedia.solutions.

Appointments, News

Sagars announces four key Director appointments  

Leeds-based chartered accountancy and business advisory firm Sagars, an AAB Group company, is enhancing its leadership team with four key appointments. James Hunt, Joel Topham, Helen Daniels and Gunhild Dam have been promoted to the newly created Director position, effective from 01 January, 2022.

James, Joel and Helen provide audit, accountancy, taxation and business advisory services and Gunhild is a private client specialist.

James is experienced in leading audits for a variety of different businesses, ranging from law firms and manufacturing companies to larger international groups. He is also a senior member of the firm’s virtual finance team, with particular expertise in helping clients maximise the benefits of tech solutions, using apps and cloud accounting to greatly speed up transaction processing, better integrate their financial systems and improve the quality and relevance of management information.

Joel is dedicated to supporting professional practices and owner-managed businesses, assisting with forecasting, improving the production of management information and providing solutions to a range of practice management issues.

Helen has significant experience working closely with charities and not-for-profit organisations. She supports them in preparing monthly management accounts and cashflow forecasts, and assists clients with a range of business management issues.

Gunhild provides specialist tax advice to high net worth individuals and their families, trusts, trustees and beneficiaries, as well as business owners and entrepreneurs. She also supports non-UK resident and non-UK domiciled individuals.

Focussing on wealth preservation and managing the main taxes, Gunhild is particularly experienced in the taxation of family and owner-managed businesses.

Chris Jones, Managing Partner at Sagars, commented: “These appointments are richly deserved, recognising not only the skill and expertise of each individual, but the contributions they have made to their respective teams.

“One of the driving factors behind our recent merger with AAB was to provide great opportunities for our team. The introduction of the Director role is one of the first steps in ensuring that we can deliver on this commitment, while also aligning our approach with that of the wider AAB group.

“Going forward, our strong and diverse leadership team will not only support the growth aspirations of our business, but also strengthen our ability to deliver the very best client service across a changing market in the UK and globally.”

Sagars and AAB announced they had merged in November 2021 with a clear growth strategy in place to deliver £70 million revenue in 2026, fuelled by recent investment from August Equity.

Finance and Banking, News

The upfront costs of raising capital

Written by Oliver Woolley, Envestors

When your business needs to raise equity growth capital there is a lot to consider. This includes understanding the costs of a raise so that you can budget appropriately.

To help set expectations, Envestors, which has raised over £100m for 200+ businesses, has created an overview of the costs of raising capital to help you budget.

Upfront costs require around £7,000-£29,000, factoring in success and/or monitoring and due diligence fees for funds. Your total spend will be £20k-£60k, depending on where the funds come from and the total raise amount.

As a percentage this spend can be as little as 5%-13% for raises above £500k or as much as 9%-24% for raises at or below £250k.

Here is a short guide to the amount required for fundraising and why you need so much.

Legal fees

To avoid future problems, this is an area worth spending your budget on. While we always recommend working with a lawyer specialised in early-stage investments, you’ve a choice between platform-based services, like Seedlegals, starting at £1,000 or firms like CMS, which while more expensive starting at £5,000, are a safer choice for businesses beyond the seed stage.

Selling shares in your business requires numerous legal documents.  For example, a Term Sheet. This is a summary outlining the material terms of the agreement. You can create this, and your lawyer will use it as a basis for further documentation.  You’ll also require a Shareholders Agreement, Subscription Agreement/Investment Agreement, Disclosure Letter, Articles of Association and Deed of Adherence (used when new investors are joining a pre-existing group).

Additionally, you’ll need a Service Agreement which includes employment contracts with the managers/directors, incorporating non-compete restrictions. Many investors will review employment contracts during their due diligence. It’s not requisite to launch your fundraise, but will required.

That is a lot of documentation to put together – especially if you’re just starting out. Sometimes smaller deals, under £100k will use a Letter of Agreement/Conditions of Investment Letter. The advantage is that this process is quicker and cheaper; the disadvantage is that these documents may not incorporate proper legal protections for the investors. You may also need advice on your company’s Articles and the shareholder’s agreement (if there is one).

Tax advisory fees

The Seed and/or Enterprise Investment Scheme (S/EIS) is a major incentive for investors. However, S/EIS is complicated, and we always advise working with a third-party on your application. Starting costs range from £1,500 – £3,000.

Corporate finance advisory fees

Investment readiness means you have a clear proposition and all requisite documentation to support your raise. Some Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) or Chambers of Commerce offer subsidized ‘investment readiness’ programmes. Fees range from £1,000-£10,000, or a monthly retainer.

Marketing costs

The right amount for marketing depends on several factors, including your audience, the size of your business, your current level of awareness and what kind of investor you’re targeting.

For many, using an agency to produce a pitch deck is a smart move. We see a lot of pitch decks which make it difficult to understand what the business is and why anyone would want to invest in it.

Videos have been shown to drive engagement and may be worth considering. However, a good video can be costly. £3k is a typical starting point.

Registration fees

Cold-approaching investors e.g. via LinkedIn isn’t the best way to raise capital.

There are organisations, with networks of registered investors, which understand the type of deals of interest to their community. They usually charge fees for access. Some charge for investment readiness and promotion while others charge a flat fee for access.

Fees range from £200-£6,000 and depending on the service may mean you don’t need to spend on advisory fees.

Success fees

Success fees are payable as a percentage of funds raised through an intermediary.  Typically, 5% -7%, although some will charge much more, of the funds raised. Some brokers may also ask for options.

Due diligence fees and abort costs

These fees are often charged when working with funds. They cover the cost of conducting legal, financial and technical due diligence on your company. This can be anything from £10,000 to £25,000 and is typically taken out of the funds they invest. If you pull out of the deal, you may also be liable for these costs as an abort fee.

Post-investment monitoring fees

Most investment funds will require you to pay monitoring fees once the funds are in place. These are usually around £6,000 per annum. In some cases, you may be able to increase the amount of finance raised to cover some or all of the costs.

You can see from this why it takes money to raise money. Fundraising is complicated and takes a lot of time. However, by understanding what is involved and you can budget accordingly, get the help you need and impress potential investors.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Oliver Woolley is CEO and co-founder of Envestors. Envestors’ digital investment platform brings together entrepreneurs and investors across geographies, communities and sectors – creating the single marketplace for early stage investment in the UK.

Envestors partners with accelerators, incubators and angel networks to provide a white-label platform empowering them to promote deals, engage investors and connect to other networks.

Founded in 2004, Envestors has helped more than 200 high growth businesses raise more than £100m through its own private investment club.

Envestors is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Web: https://www.envestors.co.uk/

News

WFH Loneliness: Experts reveal top resolutions to stay connected

A survey of more than 1,200 remote workers by intranet pioneers, Oak Engage has found that half (50%) of remote workers feel more isolated and lonely working from home, with young workers (those aged 16-24) most likely to be affected.

The survey also shows that over half (53%) of younger remote workers (aged 16-24) admit working from home has dramatically affected their mental health compared to just over 1 in 5 (21%) of remote workers aged 45-54. More than twice as many remote workers aged 16-24 agree that working from home has made them unhappy than those aged 45-54 (41% vs 17%).

The pandemic has forced many of us to adapt to remote working but it definitely comes with its challenges. The main ones being; work life balance (28%), loneliness (24%), isolation (24%), increase in virtual meetings (20%) and lack of communication (19%).

As a result, many businesses need to adapt their practices to help better support their employees and provide connection during this challenging time. Employee wellbeing experts Oak Engage and Healthy Workplace Culture Specialist, Lisa Seagroatt share their top tips for leaders and their employees to help combat loneliness and improve mental wellbeing:

1. Focus on your goals for 2022

January is a time for goal setting and having clear goals for the year ahead will give you a sense of accomplishment. When satisfaction increases, motivation follows and this boost in positivity can help fight the feeling of loneliness.

Lisa comments: “I for one struggle after Christmas as I lost my mum back in January 1998.  January often greets us with saucepan grey skies. The socialising stops!  The Christmas bills start to arrive as fast as the tree lights are taken down!  Welcoming people back to work with team ‘get togethers’ to set team and individual goals for the new year is a great way to show your employees they are valued, helping to boost morale.”

“Get together over a cuppa and cake to see in the new work year.  Keep your communication upbeat and regular as part of normal workplace culture.  Even if the working year ahead looks tricky, seeking input and involvement from your employees will encourage people to feel motivated, impacting positively on everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.”

2. Take advantage of flexible working

Take advantage of your flexible working pattern, if you have one and make time to socialise during the work week in ways you wouldn’t be able to do if you worked in the office. If you’re unsure, check if one is available to you from your workplace. Whether it’s grabbing coffee or lunch with a friend or taking your dog for a walk, this will give you more control over your workplace and have a positive impact on your wellbeing and mental health.

Speaking of her own experience, Lisa adds: “Having experienced difficulties with my own mental health, I know how important it is to get out, everyday if you can, whilst working from home.  Even if you don’t meet up with someone, just being amongst people helps to lift your mood.  My office is home based so I make time to get out for a walk each morning and schedule in coffee breaks, away from the home when possible.  You will feel so much better for being out in the fresh air or just in a different environment as it helps to recharge your mind essentially!”

3. Work outside of your home once a week if you can

Get out of your home office and surround yourself with people to feel more connected. You might not speak to many other people but just getting out of the house might help you feel like you’re part of a bigger community. Reach out to other remote workers living in your area and schedule a meet-up.

Lisa comments: “I’m a great advocate of the benefits of ‘getting out for coffee’ and often work better in a noisy and bustling coffee shop than I do in my quiet office.  The busyness and energy you absorb working in a different environment not only helps break up the monotony of the working week but it gives your mental health a boost.  You never know who you might meet in the same boat as you – or you may make new friends and meet new clients!

4. A positive working environment

Employers also need to create a positive working environment and encourage their people to reach out and interact with each other.

 Will Murray, CEO at Oak Engage said: “Recognition is a key motivator and provides people with a sense of accomplishment. Appreciation makes employees feel more confident and improves productivity, a simple thank you goes a long way. Initiatives such as days without meetings and mental health days also play a huge part in creating a positive working environment. We offer   whenever people need them and ‘Oak Bank Holidays’ to ensure employees are getting the rest they deserve.”

 On culture, Lisa adds: “Every single one of us has both mental as well as physical health needs.  The only difference is that physical health needs are often more obvious so it’s important for employers to create a culture where employees feel able to seek support when they need to.  Business leaders and people managers play a key role here in ensuring they create working environments where employees feel ‘safe’ to raise any issues linked to mental health.  A healthy workplace culture of openness, transparency and good communication from the top down helps to create safe working environments.”

Will Murray, CEO at Oak Engage comments: “Two of the main challenges working from home are isolation and lack of communication. The current tools that businesses are using to connect with their staff just aren’t cutting it. That’s why organisations are looking for new solutions to engage their employees.”

“2021 was a difficult year for everyone and as working from home continues, not only are employees feeling isolated, they can also feel anxious, stressed and burnt out. Products like Oak Engage’s intranet can help businesses connect their people by using adaptive intelligence to boost employee engagement and promote wellbeing. Today’s teams need a new way to communicate that targets fatigue in the new hybrid workplace, whilst continuing to keep the richness of face-to-face and that is what we’re focussed on.”

Appointments, News

Shell Energy appoints Jodie Eaton as CEO

Shell Energy UK Ltd, Shell’s B2B energy supply arm, has announced the appointment of Jodie Eaton as CEO. Jodie succeeds Paul Hellings, who stepped down in December. Jodie has more than 30 years’ experience leading commercial, trading and retail energy businesses. Prior to joining Shell Energy in September 2020 as Chief Operating Officer, she held a board member role at npower, led its Business Solutions division, and has also worked for E.ON UK and TXU Energy.

Giorgia Arnaboldi, General Manager, B2B Europe for Renewables and Energy Solutions, commented: “I am delighted to announce Jodie’s appointment as the new CEO of Shell Energy UK Ltd as the team look to grow energy supply to UK commercial and industrial customers and help them on their decarbonisation journey. My thanks go to Paul. His commitment and leadership have helped create a strong platform for us to build on.”

Jodie added: “I’m delighted to be stepping into the CEO role. We have a talented team and a clear corporate strategy. Our cleaner, affordable and simple energy solutions are a fresh approach for businesses looking to boost their sustainability credentials.”

To find out about Shell Energy and its integrated energy solutions offering for businesses, visit www.shellenergy.co.uk/business.

News

Levelling Up: pre-White Paper perspectives from economic development professionals published

Ahead of the publication of the long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper, the Institute of Economic Development (IED) is sharing new insight which sets out the views of members on what is required from the UK government’s flagship policy.

Levelling Up: pre-White Paper perspectives from economic development professionals is a collection of thought leadership articles around what could be undertaken in respect of themes such as cities, towns, coastal settlements, community-led levelling up, widening opportunity and social capital, and structures. It then arrives at a series of conclusions drawn mostly from local authority members writing in a personal capacity.

IED Executive Director Nigel Wilcock, who led the development of the paper, said it was not an “attempt to prioritise the potential solutions” around Levelling Up. Instead, its main purpose was to collate and share a “huge body of expertise often based on the lessons learned from the past – both in the UK and more widely” – from a cross-section of its membership.

“It is our intention that each short chapter may offer something relevant to members (and beyond) and will stimulate further debate and thinking,” he explained. “These have tended to address themes from a slightly more spatial perspective than is expected in the White Paper, and of course once that White Paper has been published and considered, the IED will be responding more formally to the consultation. There are some commonalties within chapters but, remarkably, very few contradictory views.”

Levelling Up: pre-White Paper perspectives from economic development professionals goes on to highlight a number of “recurring themes”:

  • Levelling Up and economic development is about people and communities, yet they are frequently left out of the narrative. Community confidence, aspiration, skills and opportunity need to be at the centre of everything that is considered.
  • Trickle-down economics has not worked. Economic growth in the UK over the recent past has generally delivered benefits for a few whilst barely touching many. Against a backdrop of the Levelling Up agenda, much of the work undertaken can therefore be considered to have failed.
  • The failure of the various initiatives is partly because the approach was never designed to address inequalities – but also partly because the challenges relating to Levelling Up involve multiple issues covered by several different government departments and organisations. There is a need for far more cross-initiative working.
  • Attempting to work cross-departmentally within government is nirvana – often desired and seldom achieved. Considering interlocking issues at a local level is, however, more achievable and suggests that devolution should be deepened and accelerated.
  • The current approach to devolution is flawed – with local actors now responsible for administering the same Westminster funds with the same rules as before it is unsurprising that the outcomes achieved remain the same.
  • Devolution can better align local economic development with local needs and local governance. Such a model can address policy silos and should be aligned with the requirement to make economic development a statutory function.
  • Ensuring that economic development is a statutory function can then make certain that the delivery of economic development initiatives takes place against the backdrop of greater certainty with a focus on the long term.
  • There is no need for disheartenment from some of the initiatives failing – failure is a mechanism for refinement, but this is not recognised sufficiently within public sector approaches.

Nigel concluded: “Economic development has long been considered as a function that needs to address areas of market failure – it is this mantra that has shaped the profession. However, how might the profession be shaped for the decade ahead if we look down the telescope from the other end? Perhaps there are elements of economic development that would be shaped more effectively if they were considered outside of the market? Should we be completing gymnastics on a pin head to demonstrate the value for money of interventions to improve public realm; better align education and training with the economy; or address the most intractable problems in communities? Alternatively, in a world where Levelling Up is the new objective, should the better local statutory provision of economic development be a given?”

Contributors to Levelling Up: pre-White Paper perspectives from economic development professionals include economic development professionals based at Derby City Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership and in Dumfries, South-West Scotland.

News

UK workers express job satisfaction despite Blue Monday but still lag behind European counterparts for wellbeing

Despite widescale assumptions around Blue Monday (17 January) being the bleakest day of the year, workers are expressing overall satisfaction with their day-to-day job. This is according to new research from SD Worx, the leading European HR and payroll specialist.

Over half (53%) of UK workers have fun at work at least once a week, with one in ten (9%) saying they find joy in their jobs every day. The majority (71%) of UK workers perceive themselves as contributing positively to their organisations, and only a small fraction (5%) say they never enjoy work.

Although the UK workforce generally expresses career contentment, UK employees still lag behind European counterparts for job satisfaction. Where more than half (56%) of UK workers feel passionate about their work, a staggering three out of four (76%) Dutch workers feel the same. This is followed by Belgium (63%) and Germany (59%). The UK can boast slightly higher levels of worker passion than France (53%).

Feeling engaged in work responsibilities and roles could be the key to keeping active, confident and happy. When it comes to going above and beyond in a role, UK workers are overperforming daily. Nearly one in five (17%) say they do more than is asked of them every day. This is compared to 15% in the Netherlands, 14% in Belgium, 10% in France and 10% in Germany. Putting in extra hours and energy into roles corresponds to the majority (62%) feeling healthy and fit at work.

When it comes to maintaining a positive balance in work, employees rely on the careful management of good team integration alongside the allowance for autonomy. Across Europe, over two-thirds (69%) of workers feel involved in the work and assignments they do. The majority (68%) enjoy the support and help of others in their roles, and nearly eight in ten (78%) say that they are granted significant independence to undertake responsibilities.

Colette Philp, UK HR Country Lead at SD Worx says: “We can see cautious optimism about employee job satisfaction in Europe, but we should not lose sight of the fact that many people are also finding their work hard and stressful. We’ve learned from the Great Resignation that employees will leave roles due to lacklustre company cultures, so around Blue Monday employee wellbeing needs to be high on the agenda of the C-suite, if companies want to avoid massive staff churn.

“We’re finding that UK employees are going above and beyond to help their companies, but leaders need to be aware that burnout is a real concern – workers shouldn’t feel unfairly pressured into overtime. Keeping employee needs top-of-mind is key here, as it will let leaders reap rewards down the line. A workforce that is motivated and engaged will propel companies and their services to success in 2022. After all, happy and driven employees are the foundation for good business.”