CHRISTMAS CLOSING TIMES FOR CHAMBER OFFICES
The Chamber Offices including the International Trade Documentation Section are closed over the Christmas & New Year holidays as follows:
Friday December 24th
Monday 27th December-Friday 31st December
Monday 3rd January
ARE YOU WASTING MORE CASH THAN EVER BEFORE?
We all know that steep increases in our energy and water bills are a fact of modern business life. Gas and electricity prices have spiralled by an average 40 per cent over the past year, according to the CBI, which warns of further price rises in the pipeline. But did you know that around 20% of an average company’s energy consumption is wasted?
Put these two facts together and it means your business is probably spending more cash and wasting more profit than ever before. It’s time to find a more competitive deal and to use your energy more efficiently by tapping into the Chamber Utilities™ service. This cost-cutting service is delivered in partnership with Utility Auditing Ltd, which is recognised as market leader in utilities management providing a comprehensive range of specialist services, totally independent of the utility industry's suppliers. The company manages over £100 million worth of gas and electricity contracts and represents members of 70 UK Chambers of Commerce and trade associations.
CHAMBER UTILITIES™ - THE BENEFITS
• FREE analysis of gas and electricity bills by expert analysts to find the best possible deal.
• Expert technical support to check for billing errors and ensure customers have the right tariffs and supply capacity to suit their needs.
• Energy management – dealing with the power suppliers on your behalf to save you time, effort and frustration.
• FREE Carbon Trust funded on-site energy efficiency surveys for qualifying sites.
• Interest FREE Carbon Trust loans and information on Enhanced
Capital Allowances for qualifying companies.
• Energy saving products and equipment.
• Water analysis and management service to identify overcharges, possible reliefs and allowances and leak detection.
• Chamber Fuel Cards – to help cut the cost of national motoring and ease the administrative burden.
• Competitively priced bulk fuels and lubricants
For your FREE Chamber Utilities™ assessment phone visit www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk and click on Services/Chamber Energy
COUNTING THE COSTS OF THE CHRISTMAS PARTY
With the Christmas season almost upon us, it will soon be time for the Christmas party! A recent survey has shown that 8 in 10 employers have put an end to Christmas parties because of employees' 'booze-fuelled antics' but as an employer, should this be a concern?
A recent case has just gone through a tribunal whereby an employee claimed for constructive dismissal when the pay rise he had been promised during a Christmas party did not materialise. This case went to an Employment Appeals Tribunal where it was held that the conversation between the employee and his manager at the annual dinner dance did not amount to an enforceable contractual promise to increase his pay because it took place within the context of a social event.
That said, there are other dangers in having the Christmas party: potential discrimination, harassment and constructive dismissal claims and potential claims against employers for failure to comply with their general duty of care. The Christmas party, with the alcohol flowing could be just the type of environment highly conducive to sexual or racial harassment or harassment on grounds of religion or sexual orientation. Employers have a legal obligation to ensure their employees work in a healthy and safe environment and to protect them against harassment. Remember, you may be legally responsible for harassment, which occurs outside the office environment at a work-related social event.
NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE
The recent announcement of a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places to be introduced in Scotland by the spring of 2006 has got many employers thinking about banning smoking in the workplace and some are even considering refusing to recruit smokers.
The concerns arise from the health risks associated with both active and passive smoking, but the question now is; Does this amount to discrimination?
Current employment legislation discrimination claims can only be brought on grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief. There are no laws that directly prohibit discrimination against smokers and there is nothing to prevent employers from refusing to recruit smokers.
Does addiction to nicotine count as a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act?
Because this addiction to nicotine is considered to be self-inflicted, there is no protection for smokers under this Act. A smoker who's job application was rejected could only claim disability discrimination if they had other health problems associated with smoking, such as lung or heart disease and that was why their application had been turned down.
DTI's NEW 5-YEAR PLAN
This new document sets out the case for action to address the challenges of the Global Economy and the role to be played by the Government and the DTI in particular.
The main headings are:
o Stimulating the industries of the future through science and technology
o A new partnership with industry
o A new approach to regulation
o A new drive for reform in Europe
o A new DTI
Link to full document: http://www.dti.gov.uk/about/fiveyearprogramme.pdf
Business Women's Link Networking Evening
Date: 13th January
Time: 6pm-8.30pm
Venue: Holiday Inn, Leicester
Cost: £17.63
Informal networking evening for the Business Women’s Link group.
Export Foundation Course
Date: 20th January
Time: 9am-4.30pm
Venue: Chamber Offices, New Walk, Leicester
Cost: £160 +vat Members/ £200 + vat Standard, includes lunch
Beginners course giving an overview of export documentation procedures and practices.
Business Networking Evening sponsored by Wilson Browne Solicitors
Date: 25th January
Time: 6pm-8.30pm
Venue: TA Centre, Loughborough
Cost: Place only: £25 Members / £35 Standard; Place & space for a display stand: £55 Members/ £65 Standard
Hosted by the East Midlands Reserve Forces this event gives members an opportunity to reserve space for a stand and exchange company literature over a glass of wine and delicious buffet. During the evening delegates will be invited to place their business cards into a hat after which several will be selected, allowing the card holders the opportunity to give a short presentation on their business.
Export Documentation Course
Date: 26th January
Time: 9am-4.30pm
Venue: Chamber Offices, New Walk, Leicester
Cost: £160 + vat Members/£200 +vat Standard, includes lunch
Covers the preparation of export paperwork including transport documents, methods of payment and banking procedures.
For more details or to book onto Chamber Events please contact the Events Team on Tel: 0116 247 1800. You can also visit www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk and click on What's On/Events.
Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce networking events are
sponsored by Wilson Browne Solicitors
FREE GRADUATE RECRUITMENT SERVICE
Success Matrix, the new agent for Getonwithgraduates in Leicestershire, is able to offer a FREE graduate recruitment service for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).
With the New Year in sight your company may be thinking about recruiting. Success Matrix can provide you with high quality candidates for your vacancy - and the service is completely free. Getonwithgraduates, supported by East Midlands Development Agency (emda), is a regional programme designed to assist companies in optimising the contribution graduates make to regional businesses and competitiveness. The scheme particularly helps employers who are unfamiliar with recruiting and developing graduates, as well as companies who already benefit from employing higher-level skills.
If you would like to find out more about Getonwithgraduates, or if you have a specific vacancy you need to fill, contact Getonwithgraduates Adviser, Penny Waterfield, on Tel: 0116 2587332 or email: penny.waterfield@successmatrix.co.uk
UPONOR'S SUCCESS SECRETS KEPT UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS
Winning the Sales and Marketing Award at the Leicestershire Business Awards in May was a wonderful reward for Lutterworth based Uponor Housing Solutions Ltd. As a smaller provider of flexible pipes among larger competition they proved that implementing an innovative sales and marketing strategy can produce brilliant results.
To share the secrets of their success with local business people they will be hosting a Business Showcase at their Training Academy on 5th January 2005. Places are available for the event, which will include a presentation about the business and its strategies, a tour of the facilities and ample time for networking. To book your place or find out about the other events in the series contact Caroline Birchall at Leicestershire Business Awards Ltd on 0845 130 2866.
RADIO OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS
Mark Peters, Breakfast Show Producer for the morning crew "Rae and Kev" at local radio station Leicester Sound, has an opportunity for local businesses to get their names on air with a new competition that has been launched on the show.
The competition is called "Are you awake in .... !" and every morning a different area of Leicestershire will be selected and listeners will be asked to call in only if they can prove that they really are in that area. It’s a quick fun competition that has become incredibly popular in a very short space of time and gives companies in the chosen area who have offered prizes a couple of mentions on the air during the breakfast show.
For example on a recent show the selected location was Wigston and the winning caller won a meal for 2 at Subway in Wigston. The prize always has to be local to the area featured on that morning and have ranged from fish and chips to beauty treatments. If you would like to get involved contact Mark by email at: mark.peters@creation.com or by telephone on 0116 256 1324.
IS IT THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS?
The customary bottle of booze given to staff and customers at Christmas to say 'thank you' is doing more harm than good, according to online retailer www.inscentivise.co.uk
The retailer’s survey, which questioned staff as well as customers of large UK corporations, was carried out in order to discover the most common corporate gift, as well as ascertain what recipients thought of them. 42% of employees and 55% of customers said that last year they received an alcohol-related gift at Christmas. Interestingly, 54% of those employees and 74% of customers said they were unimpressed with their gift - citing lack of imagination as the reason. Food hampers and gift vouchers were the two other common corporate gifts highlighted by the survey. Presents which were less widespread, but just as unpopular, included motivational gifts and corporate stationery. Jason Zemmel at www.inscentivise.co.uk, said: "Corporate gifts tend to be either really touching and personal or completely devoid of any care or imagination. Most gifts seem to be falling into the latter category and as a result do more harm than good. It's not that people are being ungrateful, it's that they're fed up with receiving the same thing each year.
"Businesses need to give it more thought because Christmas corporate gifts aren't just there to say thank you, they're there to provide an incentive for the future. The consequences of getting it wrong can be significant."
NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS LAUNCHED
The prestigious National Business Awards Regional Programme recognises outstanding businesses that display exceptional success, innovation and ethics. The programme provides companies with a platform from which to promote their competence in their own regional sphere and to a wider audience. For further details on the registration or the entry process visit: www.nationalbusinessawards.com.
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