Keeping your cool in a heatwave: Why good PR is about being hot off the press

Hands-up, who's been enjoying this late burst of summer? After July was a wash-out, I've certainly been making the most of the September sunshine, writes Kerry Ganly.

As well as being able to top up my Spanish tan, enjoy a glass of cider in the sunshine with Bev Wakefield during our PR catch-up at the beautiful Santos Higham Farm, hang the washing out and get a good dose of Vitamin D before the winter months, it has meant that a story I wrote waaaaaaay back (June, I believe) on knowing your rights in the workplace during a heatwave - with expert comment from Emma Tice , who is head of Employment Law & HR at Precept - has finally seen the light of day.

Now June was, if you remember, sunny and dry. In fact, it was the hottest June ever recorded in the UK.

Emma and I spoke about employee rights during a heatwave and, if the temperature in the workplace became totally unbearable, could you demand to go home (spoiler alert: you can't). It was topical and a great story in which Precept would be seen as experts in their field by a wide audience.

However the minute I hit 'save' on the story I had written, the rain started to come down.

The story was good to go, and I could have issued it to media there and then.

But in doing so - with heavy rain causing localised flooding - it would have made Precept look foolish. And my job is to not only raise awareness of the great work they do, it's also to protect their brand.

Remember (speaks in hushed tones) the coronavirus pandemic and being locked down? Of course you do.

Why am I bringing this up, you may ask? Well it was during the pandemic, when supermarkets were rationing pasta and toilet rolls, and we couldn't leave the house, that I spotted a 'top places in Derbyshire to enjoy a pub lunch' post on my social media feed.

Now kudos to the person who, before covid was a thing, crafted engaging social media posts for the entire year. That's impressive planning ahead and no-one could have predicted a global pandemic.

However, it does bring me to my point about how the timing - whether it's your social media posts or sharing news on what is going on in your business - is of the utmost importance. And also being aware of what news you have scheduled to go out on your social channels is good practice, too.

Fast-forward to September and with the UK experiencing its hottest September day since 2016 (it hit 32C in London on Wednesday), this week has been the perfect time to dust off the cobwebs and hit 'send' on that press release.

The result?

As well as coverage in several business titles and mainstream media, Emma's comments were used in respected online publication HR Grapevine - a great result all-round and proof that good things really do come to those who wait...