Hillier's Headlines

My light hearted weekly roundup of industry news and what’s going on here at People Group Services or should I say the many home offices of People Group Services!

Another quiet weekend in the Hillier household. The weather was pretty awful so just the usual dog walks but slightly more wrapped up than of late!

It’s set to be a busy week for the government with multiple major announcements planned for the coming days, including significant investment in schools, new infrastructure projects and “air bridges”. However, while there will be further positive steps announced, we only have to look as far as Leicester to see that we are far from out of the woods yet.

Industry news

CJRS

From a CJRS/Furlough perspective there haven’t been any big updates recently. Of course the updated guidelines are in place ready for 01 July and you can no longer place anyone on furlough for the first time. All of the updates are available on the previous link. We’re still awaiting news on whether CJRS will apply to teaching staff during the summer break, but nothing further to date.

Brexit

One of a couple of news items that is starting to appear more over recent weeks is that one we all got a little tired of hearing prior to COVID19, BREXIT!

APSCo will be publishing a survey next week to gather data to share with government as we head towards a potential no deal Brexit. With Boris Johnson always stating that he’d not request an extension, and today being the last day the UK can request one, unless we hear something in the next 12 hours or so, the chances of no deal significantly increase.

You can keep up-to-date with Brexit news and sign up for updates here: https://www.gov.uk/transition

IR35

And of course who can forget IR35? For all of the attempts to delay/scrap the proposed reform to the private sector, it doesn’t appear it will be going away. In the past few weeks the proposed new measures have passed through the Finance Bill’s Committee stage. I appreciate that most businesses are locked in the throes of getting business moving again, but the can being kicked down the road does offer additional time to be prepared.

For advice on preparing for the changes keep an eye on our IR35 Resource Hub which we’ll be regularly updating.

Returning to work

With businesses and sectors starting to open up it is understandable to see trepidation. Again, to reference Leicester, COVID19 clearly hasn’t gone away. HR Grapevine reported last week that a third of people are worried about returning to work. Our practical guide for recruitment agencies ‘Back to work’ is a really useful guide to help you minimise risk and give your staff peace of mind as we slowly get back to the new normal. In the guide you’ll get helpful tips on things like evaluating and assessing risks, preparing your workforce and social distancing measures.

Around the home office

Our plans for getting back to work

We have been looking at getting some staff back into the office for the past few weeks; marking out the office to ensure social distancing and risk assessing all aspects of office life. However, whilst we have prepared, we are not rushing into anything just yet. Having worked at home for the past 14 weeks, operationally we’ve done well to keep everything going with just a few changes to the way we communicate both internally and externally. Without committing to a date, I’m thinking that by August, we’ll have at least some staff back in the office, but only if it is completely safe to do so.

Latest resources

Over the past 3-4 months we’ve been speaking with some of the recruitment industry’s most influential leaders across multiple sectors to understand how they are dealing with the pandemic. To date, 18 leaders have shared their knowledge and how they’ve weathered previous challenges. We’ve now compiled their thoughts into a powerful document titled ‘Insights from your dream board’. Grab yourself a copy, a cuppa and take some time to have a look. For a 20 page document, it’s remarkably easy to read.

Somethings going on in the office

As far as I can tell, if you’re from Tatooine, Alderaan, Naboo or Dagobah you are safe to go back into the office. Yes, you’ve worked it out; the People Group Star Wars collection continues to grow!

The latest additions include three new Lego helmets from some of the most well-known helmeted characters; Tie Fighter Pilot, Stormtrooper and Boba Fett. Regular readers will already understand my love for anything Star Wars related and to be honest it has provided a nice distraction over recent months. And when you collect the Lego versions, it also provides plenty of play opportunities for the family!

Feel free to let me know your Star Wars memories or favourite toys, I’d be very interested to hear. Plus I’m determined to maintain the child in me!

That’s all for this week. Contact me if you have any questions or need any advice, I’m always happy to help.

Terry Hillier, CEO, People Group Services