Employment law is one of the most complex and fast moving areas of law and keeping up to date with these changes can prove vital to protecting and advancing your commercial interests.
Leading east of England law firm Birketts are holding half day seminars followed by lunch and networking in Norwich, Cambridge, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Norwich, Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Huntingdon across September to bring you up to date on the key legislative and case law developments of the last year and those we can expect to see in 2013.
Topics to be discussed include:
• Changes relating to holidays redundancies and conduct dismissal • Polices and procedures – are you up to date and complying with recent developments? • What can we expect to happen in employment law in the next 12 months?
Tom Wagstaff a Partner in Birketts’ employment team commented”. In the last seven years we’ve seen big changes which have significant practical implications for HR Teams. Our focus in these seminars will be on developments affecting your day to day management of staff ”
To book a place at one of our seminars please email bookings@birketts.co.uk and specify the place of the event you would like to attend in the subject heading.
Work to build a landmark headquarters for a major energy sector employer at Great Yarmouth’s Beacon Park has reached a key milestone today as the company’s logo is fixed onto the building.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is developing a new Great Yarmouth base for Proserv to rent on a prominent site at the park, a growing hub for the energy sector which is owned by the borough council and part of a top-performing Enterprise Zone.
Construction of Artemis House has progressed well since ground was broken in June, with Proserv set to move in during spring. Today saw representatives of the council, Proserv, New Anglia LEP and contractor Morgan Sindall go up on a scissor lift to witness the fixing of the final letter of the external Proserv badge onto the building.
One of the largest commercial buildings in terms of floorspace ever constructed in Great Yarmouth, Artemis House will enable Proserv to consolidate and grow its Great Yarmouth operation under one roof. Proserv currently employs about 190 staff at two sites in Great Yarmouth, most of whom already live within 10 minutes of Beacon Park.
The landmark facility, flanking the A47/A143 link road, will serve as Proserv’s global centre of excellence for control systems and services for the offshore energy market, comprising 65,000sq ft of modern office and production floorspace.
The council has invested £4.5m in the development, with an additional £1.5m coming from New Anglia LEP’s Growing Places Fund. Proserv is contributing up to £2m towards the fit-out and will be taking a 20-year lease on completion.
In a joint statement, the council’s political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Cllr Chris Walch, and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: “Construction on Artemis House has progressed well and it is now very visible on Beacon Park and from the link road. This milestone is a reminder that in a few short weeks the building will be a busy workplace for nearly 200 staff: a clear symbol of this council’s close work with partners to support jobs and growth.
“This project ensures that those jobs continue to be based within the borough and gives Proserv the capacity to invest and expand further in this purpose-built base, while adding to the council’s important property portfolio that generates significant rental income to help support vital public services.”
Simon Harvey, Head of Operations at Proserv, said: “The construction team have made excellent progress and so I am delighted to say that we remain on schedule for a late March entry date. This marks an exciting chapter for the whole of Proserv as we invest significantly in our future and growth aspirations.
“A lot of consideration has gone into how we create the right space, in terms of both working environment and servicing our customers; something which our staff have been heavily involved in, and so we are looking forward to plans and concepts becoming reality in the coming weeks.”
Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “We’re delighted to see this fantastic new building nearing completion at the heart of our Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone.
“The new Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk underlines our aspiration to be the place where high growth businesses with aspirations choose to be and as such, we’re really pleased to see Proserv committing its support to its local staff and suppliers.”
FXhome, the fast-growing UK video and photo editing and effects software developer, has secured a major distribution deal with The F.J. Westcott Company (Westcott), a leading supplier of photographic and video equipment worldwide.
The deal will see FXhome’s cutting-edge offerings including PhotoKey5 and HitFilm2 (due to be released shortly) available in stores and malls worldwide.
FXhome marketing manager Tom McLoughlin said: “FXhome has a well-established online route to our enthusiastic user community. Through partnering with Westcott, we will be able to leverage their brick and mortar contacts in this marketplace and benefit from their reputation & scale. We are confident that this deal will see tens of thousand of new users join our customer base over the next two years.”
Westcott will be offering starter bundles for photographers including the brand new PhotoKey 5 Lite, and a bundle for filmmakers including HitFilm Standard. Westcott will also distribute and sell PhotoKey 5 & PhotoKey 5 Pro directly to customers and their reseller network.
Soon, Westcott will also offer the powerful and exciting new video effects and editing packages HitFilm2 Express & HitFilm2 Ultimate following their release in Q4 2012.
The deal assigns Westcott exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute physical copies of the FXhome range of software worldwide, whilst FXhome will continue to manage direct download sales through its websites FXhome.com & HitFilm.com.
“We have been working with FXhome since 2009 and have been impressed by the results of FXhome products, backed up by outstanding customer feedback. We are delighted to become FXhome’s exclusive retail distributor” said Kelly Mondora, Vice President at Westcott.
Attleborough based ground and air source heat pump installer Finn Geotherm, has won a highly prestigious industry trophy at the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards 2018. The company was also highly commended for a second award.
Finn Geotherm was awarded the Domestic Air Source Project of the Year Award for its installation at a detached home in Breckland, Norfolk. The project for homeowners Mike and Ellie was the second installation completed by Finn Geotherm for them, having already installed an air source unit in their old house. Mike and Ellie were so impressed with Finn Geotherm and the first air source heat pump they had, that they chose them again when they moved into a new home.
Finn Geotherm was also highly commended within the Non-Domestic Ground Source Project category for its district heating installation undertaken at 30 flats in Orchard Close, Watton for housing association Flagship Group.
The sought-after National ACR & Heat Pump Awards celebrate excellence in innovation, projects, installations and environmental successes in the air conditioning and refrigeration and heat pump industries. They bring together manufacturers, end users, distributors, heating engineers, ACR contractors and consultants from across the country.
Guy Ransom, commercial director of Finn Geotherm, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won a National ACR & Heat Pump Award and to be highly commended for a second. We undertake every single installation with the utmost care and attention to detail to ensure that we deliver the best possible heating and hot water system – it’s the way we have always run Finn Geotherm. To win an award for a project which is the second installation we have completed for a customer is testament to the fantastic customer service, dedication and expertise of the entire Finn Geotherm team.”
Now in its 12th year, the annual tourism and leisure business survey asks all business from the tourism, hospitality and leisure sector to join forces and take part.
The tourism and leisure business survey was launched today by chartered accountants and business advisers, Larking Gowen and is supported by organisations such as Visit East Anglia, Visit Norfolk and Visit Suffolk.
All businesses in the tourism, hospitality and leisure sector including restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions as well as retailers in the tourism hotspots are being encouraged to participate in the independent survey.
The sector is the largest in East Anglia and one of the biggest employers and estimated to be worth around £10BM to the East Anglian economy. Participants have the opportunity to fill in the questionnaire and gauge their achievements, they can also receive a tailored report which analyses their yearly performance and gives them a valuable benchmarking planning tool.
Those who fill in the 15 minute survey remain anonymous in the published report which provides an annual snapshot of the sector across East Anglia. The survey includes questions about the short and long term impact of things like Brexit, the National Living Wage (NLW), the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and delves into questions around, wellbeing, profit margins and more generally how businesses have performed in the last year.
The survey is published as an annual brochure and includes features and news stories about participating businesses who have chosen to publicise their successes.
The Larking Gowen summer snapshot survey indicated that the vast majority of businesses had performed better over the summer of 2017 than during the same period in 2016. This was great news as it highlighted that visitors to our region are not so worried about the weather. We also know in recent publicity that the last quarter of 2017 many tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses reported growth in the shoulder months of September through to December, with 2017 ending strong for many, as families were keen to escape the stress of the festivities and opt to holiday within East Anglia with increased of 28% on the previous year for some businesses.
Many of the businesses that provide services to this sector fully support the annual survey and this year the survey is sponsored by Adnams, Camplings, Howes Percival and Hugh J Boswell.
Ambassadors of the survey include; Martin Dupee, Chairman Norfolk and Suffolk Tourism Attractions Association; Greg Munford Chairman of Boards Tourism; Tarnia Robertson, Managing Director Ufford Park;
The long-heralded automatic enrolment of workers into pensions has finally commenced for the largest employers, with effect from 1 October 2012. Employment Principal Lorna Townsend provides an overview.
The requirement to automatically enrol all eligible workers into a qualifying pension scheme will eventually apply to all employers, but is being gradually phased in with the largest employers (120,000 or more employees on the payroll as at 1 April 2012) required to comply with the new duty from 1 October 2012.
Employers will be required to make minimum employer contributions into a scheme, or provide a minimum level of benefits. A qualifying scheme can either be an existing pension scheme (provided it meets the necessary qualifying conditions), a new scheme set up for this purpose by the employer, or a scheme set up by the Government known as NEST (National Employment Savings Trust).
Eligible jobholders must be automatically enrolled into a pension scheme; non-eligible jobholders may also ‘opt-in’ if they choose to do so. Employers must also provide information to workers about their new rights, generally within one month of the worker’s automatic enrolment rights arising.
Workers will have a statutory right to opt-out of the scheme within one month of becoming active members of the scheme, and will be entitled to a refund of any contributions. Workers cannot opt out of the scheme in advance of being automatically enrolled. Eligible jobholders who opt out of a scheme must be automatically re-enrolled every three years, and will have to opt-out again if they don’t want to stay in the scheme.
Automatic enrolment will apply to all employers over the next five years or so. The next staging date (for employers with between 50,000 and 120,000 employers) is 1 November 2012. Employers should check the applicable staging date for their organisation on the Pensions Regulator website.
The penalties for not complying with this new duty are severe, and employers should ensure that they take the necessary steps to comply as a priority.
On Friday, November 9th, Wymondham College is holding a “Futures” event at the Kings Centre in Norwich. This is a careers information day aimed at providing year 10 GCSE students (of three local schools) with information about routes into career opportunities in various sectors before they choose their post-16 study options.
The day runs from 10am-3pm, and we’re looking for speakers for thirty-minute slots that would run throughout the day which students would sign up to attend.
The aim of the talks would be to provide students with information about the various routes into your sector of employment, from apprenticeships, A-levels, degrees and vocational qualifications through to the ‘soft skills’ they would need to succeed, such as communication or presentation skills.
We can offer various time-slots to suit what works best for you:
10.45 – 11.15 11.30 – 12.00 12.00 – 1.00 = lunch break, although some talks can be scheduled during this time if contributors wish. 1.00- 1.30 1.45 – 2.15 2.30 – 3.00
Please get in touch if you are interested in speaking or hosting a stall.
While pensions might seem like a complicated topic, understanding the basics is the first and most crucial step toward securing a comfortable retirement.
At its core, a pension is a long-term savings plan with one simple purpose: to provide you with an income when you stop working. Unlike a standard savings account, a pension is specifically designed for retirement, so the money you put in can’t be accessed until you reach a certain age.
Types of Pension
In the UK, there are three main types of pensions:
· The State Pension: This is the basic pension provided by the government. To qualify, you need to have paid National Insurance contributions for a certain number of years. It acts as a safety net, but it’s typically not enough to live on comfortably. The State Pension age is also rising, so you can’t be sure of when you’ll be able to access it.
· Workplace Pensions: If you’re employed, you’re likely “auto-enrolled” into a workplace pension scheme. You, your employer, and the government all contribute to it. This is a powerful tool because your employer’s contributions effectively give you free money.
· Personal Pensions: If you’re self-employed or simply want to save more, a personal pension allows you to manage your own retirement savings. You choose the provider and how your money is invested.
The Main Issues: Why Pension Planning Is Crucial
Despite the clear benefits, many people put off pension planning.
Here are the main issues we see:
· “Set It and Forget It” Mentality: While auto-enrolment is great, many people contribute only the minimum amount and then forget about their pension. This can leave them with a much smaller pot than they need.
· The “Pension Puzzle”: Over a career, you may have multiple jobs, leaving you with several small, scattered pension pots. Keeping track of them and knowing how they’re performing can be a huge headache, leading to billions in unclaimed funds.
· Inflation & Cost of Living: A pension pot that looks healthy today might not buy as much tomorrow. The value of your savings can be eroded by inflation, making it essential to ensure your money is invested effectively to grow over time.
The Three Pillars of a Strong Pension Plan
So, what can you do to take control in this confusing environment? It’s simpler than you might think, and it all starts with a proactive approach.
Pillar 1: Find Your Missing Pots
This is often the easiest and most rewarding first step. Over a career, it’s common to lose track of old workplace pensions. Do you have old paperwork in a drawer? Do you remember a pension from a job you had a decade ago? These small pots can add up to a significant sum, and locating them is the first step to consolidating your retirement savings.
Finding these pots and bringing them together into a single, manageable fund offers a host of benefits:
Clarity: You get a single, clear view of your total retirement savings.
Simplicity: Fewer accounts mean less paperwork and less to manage.
Reduced Fees: You can often save on fees by combining multiple small pots into a larger one.
Pillar 2: Understand Your Goals
What does a comfortable retirement look like for you? A few more holidays? A new hobby? Simply living without financial stress?
This is where a good financial adviser becomes your most valuable partner. By understanding your goals, we can help you calculate exactly how much you need to save to make that dream a reality.
Pillar 3: The Power of Independent Advice
The final and most crucial pillar is seeking professional help. A good, independent financial adviser is worth their weight in gold.
We can:
Consolidate Your Pensions: We have the tools and expertise to locate your old pension pots and handle the paperwork to bring them all together.
Create a Holistic Strategy: We look at your entire financial picture, from savings and investments to your attitude to risk, to build a pension strategy that is tailored specifically for you.
Navigate the Complexities: We stay on top of all the political and legislative changes so you don’t have to. We’ll help you understand how potential reforms might affect you down the line and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Pensions Awareness Week: Your Moment to Act
Pensions Awareness Week is a reminder to take charge of your financial future. While politicians will continue to debate, you have the ability to act right now. Take this opportunity to check on your pension, find those old pots, and start thinking about the future you want to create.
How We Can Help
Get on the front foot of your pension.
At Brancaster House Financial Planning, our team of independent advisers is here to help. Are you retirement ready? Book a free financial healthcheck to see what you might need.
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Super Break Announces Launch of Exclusive Short Breaks from Norwich Airport New for 2018: Super Break launches new overseas short breaks from Norwich Airport European Capital of Culture for 2018 ‘Valletta’ among the new destinations Chartered flights to seven destinations now available from Norwich Airport Super Break has today announced the launch of a series of exclusive short breaks from Norwich Airport, with flights scheduled for take-off in 2018, giving local holidaymakers the chance to visit even more of Europe’s most exciting destinations. Following the sell-out success of its inaugural flights in February 18 to Akureyri in Northern Iceland, which provide the first direct routes to this incredible part of the country from the UK, Super Break has expanded its offering with an even bigger flight programme scheduled for Winter 18/19. What’s more, Super Break is now offering a not-to-be-missed Midnight Sun experience in North Iceland this summer, for a once-in-a-lifetime getaway and the chance to experience the natural phenomenon of an ‘endless day’. Now Super Break announces its biggest ever flight programme for 2018, as the short break specialist expands its exclusive services further to launch new flights and travel experiences to some of the hottest locations in Europe: Malta: Mdina & Gozo – Including Capital of Culture 2018, Valletta, Gozo Calypso Island Full Day Tour and Mdina at Nightfall Tour Verona, Venice and Lake Garda – Including Lake Garda Discovery and Venice, Jewel of the Adriatic Tour Florence, Pisa and Tuscany – Delights of Tuscany, Siena, San Gimignano & Pisa Tour and 24hr City Sightseeing Florence Hop-on-Hop-off-Tour Madeira: Funchal & Island Experience – Including Madeira Island Highlights Tour and Funchal Sightseeing Tour Montenegro, Croatia and the Adriatic Coast – Including Dubrovnik – Pearl of the Adriatic Full Day Tour and Best of Montenegro Full Day Tour Iceland under the Midnight Sun – Midnight Sun Whale Watching and Lake Myvatn Adventure Nature at its Best Tour Incredible Iceland – Including the Search for the Northern Lights Tour and Lake Myvatn Land of Fire and Ice Experience Gibraltar: The Rock & Beyond – Including a full day Rock tour with WWII tunnels and a Dolphin Adventure excursion Katherine Scott from Super Break said: “We’re incredibly proud and excited to be launching our new chartered flight programme, providing holidaymakers from East Anglia with a brand-new selection of incredible travel experiences to choose from in 2018. Following the huge demand for our exclusive flights to Akureyri, Iceland, we have expanded the schedule from Norwich Airport to now offer unforgettable travel experiences in seven of Europe’s most exciting destinations, helping to connect more holidaymakers to new locations on the continent and beyond, all from their local airport.” Richard Pace, Managing Director at Norwich Airport said: “This is great news and a major expansion of Super Break’s charter flights from Norwich, giving local holidaymakers even more choice for short breaks across Europe from their local airport in 2018.” All exclusive breaks with Super Break include in-destination experiences, central accommodation, return flights, 20kg of luggage, 5kg hand luggage with transfers also included. To book the trip of a lifetime, visit the Super Break website, call 0800 042 0288 or visit your local travel agent.
Norwich Airport Travel Show – 20 January 10.00 – 14.00 Over 20 tour operator and airline representatives will be on hand throughout the day offering first hand destination and product advice on their departures from Norwich Airport. Pop along for some holiday inspiration and talk to the experts; it’s the only time you are likely to find so many collectively in once place in this region and its right on your doorstep! Don’t miss your chance to enter the airports free prize draw to win one of the fabulous prizes on offer including: – Flights to Alicante & Malaga, Flying lessons plus much more! Travel Norwich Airport will be offering 5% off all holiday bookings made on the day plus Free holiday parking at Norwich Airport. Free parking available for visitors to the show, please use the short stay car park.
Delia’s Canary Catering are delighted to welcome England Manager, Roy Hodgson for one special evening at Carrow Road.
This is your chance to attend our first ever ‘Football Nights’ event at Carrow Road and enjoy an evening with the England Manager. Following a three-course dinner you can put your questions to Roy and learn more about the man who took charge of the Three Lions in the lead up to Euro 2012 and his mission to qualify England for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
Multilingual Roy has managed teams from around the world and you can find out more about his experiences managing at international level with England, Switzerland and Finland along with his impressive Club management CV at Malmo, Copenhagen, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Inter Milan.
For those of you who want to get a little bit closer to the man himself we are offering a limited number of VIP tickets which include a pre-dinner drinks reception and the very best seats for dinner.
Where? In the Norfolk Lounge from 7.15pm, dinner in the Top of the Terrace from 8pm. Pre-dinner drinks for VIP guests, from 6.30pm in the Norfolk Lounge. How much? £95 VIP tickets, £75 standard tickets.
Please call 01603 218704 to book your tickets.
Football Nights at Carrow Road with…Roy Hodgson Menu
Potted Crab from Cromer
Boeuf Bourguignon Beef steak slowly braised in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and shallots Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Buttered Leeks and Carrots
Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Pecan Sauce
Coffee with Chocolate Coffee Beans
Please note that this menu is subject to change. Vegetarian option available.
It was great to be back working with Town Close again and creating a new, updated school film. Our initial conversations with the team there led to the concept of ‘A Day In The Life’ whereby the film would enable prospective parents and pupils to really visualise and understand what a day can be like for a pupil at Town Close Prep School. The proximity of the school to us, being local, made it possible for us to shoot the material we needed over the course of a whole school year, capturing all that is special for the different seasons and the cycle of the academic, the arts and the sporting calendar. A flavour captured in 90 seconds and using a variety of graphics techniques to introduce the values and ethos that makes the school stand out. Contact us at www.eyefilm.co.uk.