news 5 l Banking & Finance


l Commercial Property l Corporate


l Dispute Resolution l Employment Law


l


Making commercial law make sense for the last 50 years


l


Environmental & Business Regulation


Restructuring & Insolvency


Region is least supportive of new flexible working law


At the end of June – in what must be one of the biggest steps towards better working conditions for years – a new law came into effect giving employees with six months continuous service the right to request flexible working.


However, it seems the majority of companies are unaware of this ruling and how it might affect their business. Research by online career portal Jobsite, released earlier this month, revealed that: • 53% of British businesses are still unaware of the forthcoming changes, and


• over 75% of employees do not realise they can now ask for flexible working.


The same report revealed that 35% of the UK workforce cite flexible working as the most important employer attribute, and


66% would request it given the opportunity to do so.


Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that 4.2 million of us in the UK now work from home and that figure is set to rise sharply.


According to the Government, the changes are designed to make the workplace “fit for the 21st Century“, while the Department of Business Innovation and Skills predicts the changes will bring overall economic benefits of £475 million through improved business efficiency and employee satisfaction in its first 10 years.


Encouraging as this new ruling might seem to government and employees though, ONS figures reveal that less than one in 10 small businesses in the South East


Research swings debate on the high street


The University of Southampton’s Professor Neil Wrigley has been presented with the Outstanding Impact in Business award by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for his research which has transformed thinking on food retail development and the future of UK high streets.


Wrigley leads a research team whose sustained and innovative contributions have changed the debate on retail sector practices, contributed to government policy, and helped convince key industry players of the value of large-scale, high-quality academic research.


A three-year ’before/after’ study into the impact of new ’in-centre’ and ’edge-of-centre’ supermarket


developments found that – contrary to widely-expressed fears – these developments do not necessarily lead to less trade in town centres, but conversely often play a critical role in sustaining the economic health and vitality of those centres.


Wrigley’s research is now relied upon not only by retailers but by the urban planning community and other stakeholders.


More recently, Wrigley’s work on the impact of the global economic crisis on UK town centres, and his work as the sole academic member of the Government’s Future High Streets Forum, has helped shape thinking on the future of Britain’s urban centres.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JULY/AUGUST 2014


believe these rules will have a positive impact on their business.


A YouGov survey on behalf of Citrix showed, just over a week before the new legislation took effect, that only 35% of small businesses in the South East supported the new rules, lower than any other region in the UK. What’s more only half of these businesses (54%) had a flexible working policy in place.


Interestingly, the ONS survey found distinct generational attitudes to flexible working across


NEW WINCHESTER OFFICE


T: 023 8022 6891 E: enquiries@ericrobinson.co.uk www.ericrobinson.co.uk


the UK, with SMB bosses aged 25 to 34 twice as likely to support the new legislation than those over 55.


In conclusion, many employers are not prepared for the realities of offering flexible working. As Jobsite found, almost a third (29%) are worried they will be understaffed due to flexible working, and almost a quarter (23%) are worried they will not be able to fulfil employees’ requests – which could include requests for part-time working, flexi-time and job sharing, compressed hours and working from home or remotely.


But like it or not, flexible working is here, and no doubt gathering pace.


BRAIN TUMOURS KILL MORE CHILDREN AND MORE ADULTS UNDER 40 THAN ANY OTHER CANCER


Every tile on the ‘Wall of Hope’ represents a day of brain tumour research that needs funding.


Sponsor a day.


Save lives.


www.braintumourresearch.org Tel: 01296 733011 | info@braintumourresearch.org


The Business Centre, Padbury Hill Farm, Padbury, Buckingham, Bucks MK18 2BN


Please mention this publication when responding www.businessmag.co.uk


Registered charity number 1153487 (England and Wales) Company limited by guarantee number 08570737 (England and Wales)


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48