HLAS

In the Office for National Statistics (ONS) latest labour market overview, they state that the number of job vacancies in January to March 2022 rose to a new record of 1,288,000. The ONS also state that the unemployment rate for December 2021 to February 2022 decreased by 0.2 percentage points on the quarter to 3.8%. What is clear from the latest survey is that job applicants are still calling the shots and employers are still struggling to recruit. There are a number of actions you can take to make your business attractive to new staff. In addition to reviewing your [...]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated the war in Ukraine will severely set back the world economy and the UK is predicted to have the slowest growth in the G7 and across Europe’s main economies at 1.2% for 2023. Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director Washington, DC Comments “The pandemic turned our lives and economies upside down, and it is not over. The continued spread of the virus could give rise to even more contagious or worse, more lethal variants, prompting further disruptions. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, devastating for the Ukrainian economy, is sending shockwaves throughout the globe”. In economic [...]

Farmers in England who wish to leave the industry can now apply for the new Lump Sum Exit Scheme which will provide a payment so they can exit the sector in a managed way. In return, farmers will be expected to either rent or sell their land or surrender their tenancy in order to create opportunities for new entrants and farmers wishing to expand their businesses. The Scheme, which is open for applications until 30 September 2022, follows a public consultation and builds on evidence that some farmers would like to retire or leave the industry but have found it difficult to [...]

There is a revised code of practice for commercial relationships between landlords and tenants, replacing the previous code published in November 2021. This code of practice aligns with the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022, outlining what is statutory for those within its scope and how the arbitration process provided for in the Act will work. The code can still be used by any business to help them resolve rent disputes even if they fall outside of scope of the new legislation, providing further guidance on how parties should negotiate. See: Commercial rent code of practice following the COVID-19 pandemic - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The government has launched a new competition to boost the growth of innovative tech start-ups and scale-ups across the country. The £12.09 million Digital Growth Grant will focus on opening up access to skills training and advice and providing support services to the digital and tech sector over two years. A key focus of the funding will be improving regional support networks for start-ups, which the government hopes will spread the benefits of the country’s world-leading tech industry across the UK. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will run the competition this summer and the successful bidder [...]

Small to medium sized start-ups selling an innovative physical product to consumers, can apply for Amazon Launchpad Innovation Awards for a chance to win €100,000 and more. Eligible businesses are: Registered in an EEA (European Economic Area) country, the UK or Switzerland. Selling a physical product to consumers, not to other businesses. The brand owner of the product entered. Small or medium sized - employing fewer than 250 employees and having total annual turnover of less than €50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million at the time of entry. The closing date to apply is [...]

The HSE's Safety Climate Tool has been carefully designed by scientists to assess the attitudes of individuals within an organisation towards health and safety issues. The Safety Climate Tool delivers an objective measure of an organisation’s safety culture - the 'way things are done' in an organisation when it comes to health and safety. This is a significant starting point for any organisation to continually improve and raise standards. Businesses can use the simple online questionnaire to explore employees' attitudes and perceptions in key areas of health and safety, while guaranteeing anonymity. Once the survey has been completed, it generates [...]

Under a new scheme, businesses hiring military veterans can save thousands of pounds in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs). From 6 April 2022, employers do not have to pay NICs for veterans in their first year of civilian employment after leaving the armed forces. Businesses are also able to claim this relief retrospectively for any qualifying employees who they employed in the last 12 months. The relief is available to all employers of veterans, regardless of when the veteran left the regular armed forces, providing that they have not been employed in a civilian capacity since leaving service. The relief [...]

The government has launched a wide-ranging £375 million package of support for innovative energy technologies with the aim of powering British homes and businesses for decades to come and strengthening the nation’s energy security. This includes £240 million to support the production of hydrogen as a clean, low-cost energy technology, £2.5 million of funding to develop next-generation nuclear technology and a further £5 million towards research into carbon capture. The investment will support research, development and deployment of these cutting-edge technologies and give the country the energy independence it needs, reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels. From nuclear reactors to [...]

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine creating additional fiscal uncertainty in the UK and around the globe, economic growth slowed in February and, according to the Office for National Statistics, the UK economy is now only 1.5% above the pre-pandemic level in February 2020. The pandemic put many businesses off-track in the short and medium term, but our most successful clients think long term and have a clear plan to get to where they want to be. It is easier to get to your destination with a plan. We all know this simple truth. If you are driving from A to [...]