Member News

E-cigarettes (also known as personal vaporizers or electronic nicotine delivery systems) are becoming increasingly more prominent in society. Whilst met with odd looks only a few years ago, they are now widely accepted as ‘the norm’ for those who are trying to give up smoking. The fundamental distinction between e-cigarettes and the traditional tobacco cigarette is that the former contains nicotine, without the tobacco. As it stands, e-cigarettes fall outside the scope of domestic smoking legislation – meaning that it is legal to smoke them indoors.

Employers are often uncertain to what extent they can prevent their employees from smoking e-cigarettes in the workplace. The fact that it is legal to smoke e-cigarettes indoors is often cited by employees for reasoning as to why they should be allowed to use them at work. In fact, it is useful to remember that just because e-cigarettes can legally be used indoors, employers can lawfully prevent employees from using them in the workplace if they so choose to.

Employees are under a duty to obey the reasonable and lawful instructions of their employer. For example, if an employer wished to prohibit employees eating at their desks, for health and safety reasons or otherwise, an employee would be under a duty to abide by that instruction to the extent that it was reasonable and lawful. Failure to do so would be a breach of that duty, and could be treated as a disciplinary matter.

There is therefore nothing to stop employers (if they so wish) from preventing employees from using e-cigarettes in the workplace. It would be a reasonable management instruction that employees must obey. If an employer has a concern that the vapour from the e-cigarette may irritate other employees, or the employer’s clients, is unsure about the health implications of such use, takes the view that it looks unprofessional or has any other sensible reason, it is absolutely justified in prohibiting use during working time.

Conversely, it may be that in an effort to help or encourage its workforce in stopping smoking tobacco cigarettes, the employer decides to allow the use of e-cigarettes at work.

Either way, it is important that an employer is clear about its rules on smoking e-cigarettes in the workplace. We recommend that employers communicate their position on the issue to employees, and some may wish to put a policy in place to govern smoking at work (including the use of e-cigarettes). It is important that employers set out the consequences of use of e-cigarettes at work (if that use is prohibited), which may well include disciplinary action for failure to follow instructions.

If you would like more information on any of the above, please contact a member of our Employment Team on 01603 281139.

Note: The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken in any specific circumstance.

Pure is the very proud sponsor of the ‘Employer of the Year’ award at the Cambridge Evening News Business Excellence Awards. And as the big night approaches on Thursday March 19th we think now is a good time to look at tips on how to be a great employer!

We often talk to our clients about engaging employees, supporting their careers, providing flexible working options and other positive practices. But how much attention do employers give to the physical working environment? The places we work affect our ability to work, so it’s just as important.

Here’s some advice on how you can use your office space to help people do good work and to boost their wellbeing.

Improve air flow It’s official! A well ventilated office can boost business. Research claims that a flow of air and reducing pollutants benefit employees’ health, and reduces sick leave. All of this can result in better productivity and concentration levels among everyone in the office.

Go green Introducing more plants into the environment will improve air quality, and they’re also lovely to look at! They’re a fabulous way of bringing more life to the office (literally!) without costing the earth. Carefully placing potted plants around the office so everyone has one in eye shot can make a big difference to people’s moods. But if you want to be more ambitious, and impress staff and clients, why not opt for a swanky living wall?

Let there be light! Letting plenty of good quality light into your office is one of the keys to keeping people’s energy at optimum levels. Employees tend to be happier (and therefore better workers) if lighting is designed with their wellbeing in mind. Natural light coming in through big windows is ideal – especially if there are also lovely views. Whatever you do, avoid ‘glary’, flickering or dim bulbs – they’re a health risk, potentially causing migraines and eye strain.

Inspiration from feng shui If convincing your boss to hire a feng shui (pronounced ‘fung shway’) expert is going to be a long shot, you can still draw a few tips from this ancient Chinese practice. By simply clearing clutter and encouraging people to organise files so they have their most important documents at their fingertips, the office should feel less chaotic and easier to work in.

Tidy cables A simple task such as tidying cables can spruce up an office no end! Ask your IT team to hide wires and make sure they’re not posing a health and safety hazard.

Space to relax Not every office is suited to having a ‘chill out zone’, but the concept of a space where people can go to take a break from the buzz is great. Over the years, workplaces have become less formal environments as wellbeing influences office design. Whether you create an area where people can go to read, enjoy lunch or just to get away from office activity, there’s no doubt that dedicating a space to calmness can only help employees maintain positive mental health.

Essential ergonomics Back pain, sore necks, aching muscles, eyesight problems, headaches and repetitive strain injury can all be minimised or prevented by good ergonomics. It’s not just another HR buzzword – it’s actually critical to workers’ health. Although it’s a legal requirement to set up employees’ desks correctly, ensuring people maintain a comfortable working environment between assessments is just as important.

Colours create moods Choose the colour for your office very carefully. You might want to include some of your brand colours in the décor, but think about the impact of those shades may have on employees. Some colours are more calming and more grounding, while others are more inspiring. Red tends to bring out the more cautious side to people, while blue seems to make people more creative!

Of course there’s a lot more to it when it comes to being a good employer! But creating an excellent quality working environment can help your business succeed and increase the chances of people staying longer. After all, the days of dull, grey office blocks are long gone!

UK regional airline, LinksAir, operator of the North-South Wales air-link between Cardiff and Anglesey has today announced a new Daily Weekday Norwich service from Cardiff Airport, commencing in April.

With effect from Monday 20th April, LinksAir will commence the new daily service on weekdays, with competitive air fares from just £59.00 one-way including all taxes and charges.

The Cardiff-Norwich service will depart Cardiff Airport, South Wales at 10:20 AM each morning, arriving at Norwich Airport a little over an hour later at 11:25 AM, saving over 4-hours on existing rail or road journey times.

With a well-timed 2:20 PM return service (1.20 PM on a Friday), this new air-link will allow significant time and cost savings on the current difficult cross-country journey so many have to endure.

Spencer Birns, Aviation and Business Development Director, Cardiff Airport said “It is great to see LinksAir adding new routes from Cardiff and taking advantage of the opportunity to connect Wales even further. Norfolk and the East Anglian region will appeal to both business and leisure customers as well as bring visitors in to Wales.”

Norwich Airport Chief Executive Andrew Bell commented “The introduction of the Cardiff route and the new onward connection to Anglesey is another positive step in the airport’s strategy to deliver regional connectivity to both leisure and business travelers as it will not only benefit those working within the energy sector but other industries and those wishing to travel to visit friends and relatives in Wales.”

This service continues LinksAir’s expansion in Wales adding to their recent Welsh Government award of the 4-Year Anglesey-Cardiff service which operates twice daily in each direction in both the morning and evening.

The new Norwich link will also be bookable from and to Anglesey via Cardiff connecting the Energy Island of Anglesey and North-Wales to the East Anglian region which is one of the UK’s busiest regions in the energy sector, especially with gas and offshore renewable developments.

LinksAir Commercial Manager, Roger Hage, added “We are committed at LinksAir to growing the accessibility to both North and South Wales and the UK regions so are delighted to add this new link to our growing network for Wales. With the combination of affordable fares, flexibility in booking and quality service we expect this route to be popular for business and leisure alike to compliment our new twice-daily weekday Cardiff-Anglesey service alongside our other charter and contract flying commitments as a growing regional airline.”

Councillor Ieuan Williams, Leader of Isle of Anglesey County Council, said, “I warmly welcomed the introduction of the new additional flight option from Anglesey, which extends the Cardiff service, through to Norwich. Both locations play an important part in the energy sector, therefore, having efficient transport links between these areas with a common interest can only be of benefit to Anglesey and Norfolk.”

Flights are available to book from today at www.linksair.com or via 0844 8002411 or via your local travel agent on all GDS systems as Flexflight. A special “launch” fare of £99 return including a free bag each-way is bookable via our reservations line only until February 13th, for travel between 20th April and 31st October 2015.

What is parental responsibility?

All mothers and most fathers have legal rights and responsibilities as a parent, known as parental responsibility. Parental responsibility gives parents rights to make important decisions in their child’s life. For example, naming the child and agreeing to any change of name; choosing and providing the child’s education; agreeing to a child’s medical treatment; the child’s religion; and disciplining the child.

If a parent has parental responsibility for a child they do not have contact with, the parent with whom the child lives has a duty to keep the other parent up to date about the child’s wellbeing and progress.

Who has parental responsibility?

A mother automatically has parental responsibility for her child from birth (unless surrendered through adoption).

Married parents

A father has parental responsibility if he is married to the child’s mother at the time of birth, or later becomes married to child’s mother. Both will retain parental responsibility if they later divorce.

Unmarried parents

In respect of unmarried parents, if the child was born on or after 1 December 2003 and the father is listed on the birth certificate, he will have parental responsibility.

If the child was born before 1 December 2003, only the mother will automatically have parental responsibility. An unmarried father can, however, acquire parental responsibility through one of the following:

• Subsequently marrying the mother of the child;
• Entering into a parental responsibility agreement with the mother’s consent;
• Obtaining a parental responsibility order from the Court;
• Applying to the Court for a Child Arrangements Order;
• Being appointed the child’s guardian.

Emma Alfieri, Chartered Legal Executive in Steeles Law’sfamilylaw team and specialist indivorce, separation andchildren matters, commented: “Whilst it can be difficult, making arrangements for the children following separation or divorce should be done in an amicable way, if possible. Family mediation must always be considered if matters in relation to children cannot be agreed between the parties. Court intervention should always be a last resort.”

For further advice in respect of parental responsibility or advice relating to children, pleasecontact us.

We’re now less than 5 weeks away fromNorDevCon 2015and the Early Bird tickets are available until the 13th February at £95 + fees – less than half the standard ticket price!

This year, not only will the conference be a gathering of some of the brightest minds from the tech community, but over 100 business representatives from businesses in and around the county.

With some business based sessions and the opportunity to network with investors, designers and everything in between, the conference is the perfect chance to mingle with like minded folk and attend interactive sessions demonstrating how technological advances can add efficiency and value to a company’s business model.

Ali Clabburn, of Norwich based Liftshare, will be speaking on “How to get the best from developers when you haven’t got a clue.” which promises to be an insightful session and may be of particular interest to members.

Norwich International Airport’s travel show, which is now in its sixth year, achieved record visitor numbers last weekend with circa 2,000 people attending, all keen to find out as much as possible about the wide range of holidays and flights available from their local airport.

Over 20 airline and tour operator exhibitors attended the event including KLM and Thomson with many commenting that Norwich International’s event is one of the busiest and most successful they attend across the UK and all were delighted with the response this year.

The evening prior, Norwich International, the airlines and tour operators hosted a local travel agents event with over seventy travel experts enjoying an informative, fun evening at Sprowston Manor Hotel. Andrew Bell, CEO, Norwich International Airport commented “This year’s show was undoubtedly the best we have put on in the six years the event has been running, with record visitor numbers. Its a fantastic opportunity for everyone within the Airport’s catchment area to meet airline and tour operator representatives and obtain first-hand knowledge and advice on the destinations they offer from our airport. Our travel show and travel agent event are the only time each year we have so many key travel industry personnel together collectively in Norwich and its testament to the support local people give to these events that they are willing to come. “

An added attraction at the year’s show was the unveiling of ‘Wish you were here’ the airport sponsored dragon which will be part of Break’s 2015 GoGo Dragon trail in Norwich.

The success of last weekend’s travel show comes as an added boost for the airport following recent announcements of new flights for holidaymakers in 2015 to Menorca, along with the news that Thomson Holidays will be offering twice weekly flights to Tenerife next winter.

We are pleased to announce that two of our divorce law practitioners,Amanda Owens, Solicitor, andEmma Alfieri, Chartered Legal Executive, have both been accepted to become members of the family law group Resolution.

Resolution is an organisation of 6,500 family lawyers in England and Wales who believe in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to divorce, separation and other family disputes. Resolution also campaigns for improvements to the family justice system.

A cornerstone of Resolution membership is adherence to their Code of Practice, which promotes an approach to family law that is sensitive, constructive, cost-effective and most likely to result in an agreement. The principles of the Code are widely recognised and have been adopted by the Law Society as recommended good practice for all family lawyers. The Code requires solicitors and other legal advisers to deal with each other in a civilised way and to encourage their clients to put their differences aside and reach fair agreements.

Amanda Owens, Solicitor and Head of the Family team at Steeles Law commented: “I am pleased that my colleague Emma and I have become members as, whilst we have always conducted our work in a constructive, non-confrontational manner, it is great to have our beliefs and working practices supported by Resolution, which can only be a positive thing.”

To find out more about the work that Resolution does, visitwww.resolution.org.uk.

To contact Amanda or Emma about adivorce, separation or other family matter, please emailfamily@steeleslaw.co.uk.

MigSolv, the specialist data centre consultancy, welcomed a class of A-level computing students from City Academy Norwich, the specialist digital technology and English school to see its state-of-the-art data centre on Barnard Road, Norwich.

Commenting on the visit, Alex Rabbetts, CEO MigSolv said: “I was thrilled to host a visit from one of the area’s top-performing technology schools and hoped the experience was invaluable to the students. As well as providing a fascinating tour of The Gatehouse students also got the opportunity to understand the relevance of the data centre, which plays a pivotal role in our digital lives.”

“Everything we do on our tablets, smartphones, wearable tech, laptops or anything in the Cloud goes through a data centre and back to a device. It was an intriguing session, a glimpse of the digital future, that I hope inspired many of them to think about exploring careers in IT or technology,” continued Rabbetts.

Jez Thompson, leader of learning at City Academy Norwich added: “We have always embraced innovation while being transformational with education at Norwich City Academy. The Gatehouse has a rich history in Norwich and the opportunity for our students to see its change into one of the country’s leading purpose-built facilities was one we couldn’t turn down. “Our computing curriculum has always embraced the constant change in industry and strives to marry technology advancements with the underlying academic principles of Computing Science”

A copy of Digital Fortress, a techno-thriller novel written by American author Dan Brown was presented to students.

The Gatehouse occupies 6,000m2 in 3.64 hectares of campus and provides affordable and reliable data centre space for regional and national businesses. Businesses, local, national and international can choose from a range of services that will help them do better business, expand globally and make them safer and more secure.

Previously, the site belonged to Aviva plc, the Norwich insurance group. The Gatehouse has won environmental accolades for its design: the EU Green Light and EU Code of Conduct awards.

City Academy Norwich is a secondary school in Norwich, England. It opened in September 2009, replacing Earlham High School. It is located near the University of East Anglia in Norwich. The Academy, an 11-16 school, is a local partnership, led by City College Norwich and working with University of East Anglia, Norfolk County Council and Norwich School. The academy specialises in Digital Technology and English.

MigSolv was founded in 2002 as Migration Solutions and became Europe’s leading specialist data centre consultancy, providing advice based on real life experience in all aspects of data centre design, operation and, as the name suggests, migration. In 2011 the company acquired its own data centre, branded the operation as MigSolv, and now operates a colocation facility offering very high quality, low cost and totally flexible data centre space to clients seeking exceptional service from the people who wrote the majority of data centre operation best practice in use today. For more information about MigSolv please visit www.migsolv.com

We’ve had the great pleasure of working with local company KSG on their Sequin Art products for a number of years now and 2014 saw our busiest time yet in preparation for Winter half term and Christmas, both key periods for craft-toy sales.

KSG and JMS both wanted a ‘step up’ for the 2014 campaign and so we aimed high, bringing to life the ‘Sparkling World of Sequin Art’ with 3D animation. From a living room setting 3 girls and a mum are transported to a magical world where the Sequin Art creations come to life and interact with their makers!

Written and Directed by Luke Witcomb, the commercial consisted of a two day shoot with living room and green screen sets – both of which were built and filmed in JMS’ TV studio. In post Motion Graphics Artist Hugh South set to work bringing to life sequinned dolphins, leopards, butterflies, dinosaurs and even Paddington Bear, with what must be at least a million sparkles! Despite the complexity the post-production had to be completed in well under 3 weeks as the German retailers needed their version (a 20 seconds cut down) broadcast asap. Working a bit in reverse JMS produced the cut down first, with German end-frame and soundtrack, delivered in HD to Super RTL in Germany ready for airing.

We then moved straight onto production of 6 sponsorship bumpers for Sequin Art’s sponsorship of CITV’s ‘Share A Story’ programme over Half Term. Bumpers complete and delivered (along with Compliance and Hardings Tests) we then moved onto finishing the production of the UK 30 seconds TV commercial in time for broadcast on several channels including ITV and Nickelodeon. And finally we were back doing a second retailer-tagged version for Germany and a pre-roll for Germany’s Disney Digital.

You can view the commercial in the video below or catch it on CITV throughout January!

We’ll leave Stephen Ducker of KSG to have the final word on what has been a busy, sparkling, fun-filled time at JMS.

“We are absolutely delighted with the results of both TV commercials and the six sponsorship bumpers. You have really pulled out all the stops for us this time… they look great… I am so pleased in fact I am dead chuffed with them.”

A familiar face returns to Bramley Lakes.

2015 sees the return of Kat Tindall as General Manager of Bramley Lakes Learning and Development in Norwich. Kat brings a diverse range of experience to Bramley Lakes having spent the majority of her career in consultancy and corporate Learning & Development roles.

In addition to taking responsibility for running the centre, she will work with the facilitation team to continue developing innovative leadership programmes that make a real difference to clients’ team effectiveness. Her considerable experience in Graduate Development, Assessment Centre design and delivery and Executive Coaching means that Bramley Lakes can continue to offer solutions that support the whole employee lifecycle with a consistent set of behaviours and values.

“Having worked for Bramley Lakes in the past as both a Facilitator and Business Development Manager it is exciting to be back heading up the centre at a time of growth” Kat said. “The really great thing is that in addition to the Leadership programmes and Team Building events we deliver as our core, we are working on more and more Recruitment Assessment Centres and Graduate Development programmes. Whilst this is a reassuring result of the improving employment picture, to me it more importantly signals that more organisations are assessing behaviours and attitudes at the point of recruitment which will improve their retention and team effectiveness. I am looking forward to reconnecting with the East Anglian business community and feel proud to be working with a passionate team who live our values and the models we share every day.”

When not at work, Kat enjoys acting and singing, cooking up a storm for friends and family and exploring the North Norfolk coast that has been her home for the last 8 years with her Husband Chris and 5 year old son Sam.

The New Year signifies an opportune time to reflect on the previous 12 months and plan ahead for the upcoming year (and beyond). With January drawing to a close, it’s time to pin down the right resolution for you in 2015. Leathes Prior Solicitors has come up with some suggestions we can help you with, to provide a little extra support when the initial enthusiasm for the New Year begins to wane. Our resolutions aim to cover various aspects of life; compiled to highlight important considerations which may not necessarily spring to mind, but are capable of having a significant positive impact on you personally, your business and on those around you:-

1.Location, location, location: Although the post-festive period has a reputation of being a time to scrimp and save; talks of an improving housing market, the recent changes to stamp duty land tax rates and the introduction of help-to-buy schemes mean that now is a good time, whether you’re making a move or you’re a first-time buyer, to take advantage and start planning.

2.Move on up: Make this year the year you take action and utilise one of the many options out there for business start-ups and expansion. You may choose to operate as a sole trader, partnership, limited company or franchise; each one has its unique benefits and tax implications – but just make sure you fully consider which option will best suit your circumstances.

3.The bottom line: Pursue your debtors! Now is the time to recover monies owed to you to improve the chances of getting paid before the end of the financial year. Not only will this improve cash flow in the typically slower months, but it will also result in a more impressive End of Year Profit and Loss Statement.

4.Peace of mind: Although it is never a particularly cheerful topic to begin the year with, having an up-to-date will is fundamental to achieving absolute certainty for those who are left behind. You should consider writing a will if you do not currently have one, or updating your existing will if your circumstances have since changed.

5.Failing to plan is planning to fail: Writing a will is only one part of estate planning; there are a wide range of options available to ensure assets pass tax efficiently. There may be other considerations such as preparing a Lasting Power of Attorney or putting in place an Advance Directive (Living Will) where early organisation would prevent future complications.

6.Review and renew: If you are responsible for a business, you should consider reviewing your standard terms and conditions of trade if you feel you have lost money in recent months due to gaps in your current wording. Having terms tailored to your business will ensure water-tight transactions and help prevent uncertainty and further unnecessary financial loss in the future.

7.The ‘A team’: Providing your business is eligible, you might wish to consider introducing a share option scheme to recruit, incentivise or retain key staff. There are a number of flexible tax-advantaged share schemes available, such as EMI (Enterprise Management Incentives) which offer employees the opportunity to earn shares in the business if they, for example, attain a specified length of service or hit performance-related targets.

8.Spring clean: When at the helm of your business, it can be easy to forget (or simply not have the time) to review current contracts, policies and other agreements. It is important to check your business is compliant with the current legislative requirements. To help with this, we offer a FREE legal audit of your business to review such documents and systems and provide a report detailing your level of compliance at no cost.

If you want to take on board any of these resolutions or simply learn more about the topics dealt with above, please get in touch with our team of experienced solicitors on 01603 610911 or email info@leathesprior.co.uk.

Note: The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken in any specific circumstance.

Are you recruiting for a new role at the moment? Are you having problems finding the right candidate? Maybe there’s a candidate shortage in that area. Perhaps you could consider employing someone from a different professional background.

Whether it’s insurance, retail or technology, understandably, you want candidates to bring the best possible expertise for your particular industry. You need them to help your organisation develop and become stronger in the marketplace.

But in some industries such as IT, we’re seeing significant skills shortages around the UK. There are times when employers and recruiters need to look beyond sector-specific experience and consider applicants who can transfer their skills to the vacancy.

The benefits include an employee bringing fresh ideas and perspectives, enabling the organisation to grow and develop in new ways.

But how can you identify a candidate with good transferrable skills and qualities that’ll fit the bill? Well, we’ve listed a few ‘signs’ to look out for to help you find the right person.

1. They’re good leaders

If you’re recruiting at management level, you’ll be looking for a candidate who has worked in leadership and management roles before. Such experience can be gained from a variety of jobs in different industries. For example, a store manager is likely to have managed customer-facing staff in a fast-paced environment, handled sensitive customer and staff issues, and possibly driven their team to hit targets. This sort of talent can be transferred to other roles where tenacity, focus and a goal-orientated personality is required.

2. They know how to manage projects

Unpack many project management roles and you’ll see that many of the skills can be applied to lots of jobs. Excellent budget management, strategy development, and monitoring and evaluation skills are invaluable to a whole range of roles. If you receive a CV that doesn’t exactly match your expectations, but there’s good project management experience on it, it may be worth exploring further.

3. They communicate clearly

An employee with excellent communication skills can build positive relationships quickly. And as businesses become ever more connected through digital channels, firms now need staff who can hold productive conversations on the phone, by email and by video. They also need to know how to listen. So, crystal-clear communication has become an essential ability for job applicants.

4. They are tech savvy

Following on from the above, knowledge of digital resources and other technology is very important. Regardless of level of seniority, your new employee should be able to transfer knowledge of various tools and software, which businesses now rely on.

5. They’re a keen (and quick) learner

Look at a candidate’s history to find out if they’ve ever experienced a steep learning curve or two. If so, even without the specific skills you’re looking for, they are more likely to be able to cope with taking on lots of new knowledge in a short space of time. And are eager to get their teeth into a job and hit the ground sprinting!

6. They have relevant personal qualities

Although a candidate may not have skills that exactly match your job description, they may still possess traits that are key to the role. Do they seem determined yet level-headed? Do they do a sport that demands a lot of concentration and motivation? Perhaps they enjoy independent travel in their free time, indicating a confident and curious personality.

7. They’re open to training

If you think an applicant needs a skills-boost, from the very first conversation with them, make sure you know whether they’re prepared to undertake training. With lots of passion and drive, a new recruit could really upgrade their knowledge for the job through carefully chosen learning and development.

Opening the door to job seekers with non-specific skills can bring fresh energy to your organisation, which in itself can help innovation and creativity. So, who may seem unsuitable on first glance, might actually grow into the perfect person for the job!