INFORMATION IN BRIEF


Record employment levels struggle to boost UK output


The UK labour market is booming as unemployment hits a new 42-year low, according to the latest Business Trends Report by accountants and business advisers BDO LLP. The report shows that while


firms are continuing to hire more staff, business output is stagnant, highlighting the UK’s long- standing productivity problem. BDO’s Output Index has


remained stagnant at 95.1, close to the point of contraction. The figures reveal the severe difficulty the UK economy is having boosting productivity during this period of economic uncertainty, which in turn is holding back pay growth. Richard Rose, Midlands Tax


Partner, BDO LLP, said: “These employment highs show that even in these uncertain times, businesses are really very happy to continue to hire. “However, although new


employment in the UK has increasingly consisted of proper, full-time jobs, these seem often to be low skilled and low paid. We’ve seen a decade of anxiety post the GFC and, no doubt, have many years to come of Brexit-related uncertainty. In this context, one can understand that employers have been happier to create low-skilled jobs, which can quickly and easily be removed, rather than invest in expensive equipment, which might stand idle for years if demand forecasts prove over- optimistic.”


The work-life balance challenge


According to the Office for National Statistics, the East Midlands ranks fourth when examining the average number of hours worked each week by UK region. Pressure on people to


improve their lifestyles and work hard can result in less time at home, with the extra strain causing dissatisfaction at work. A study carried out by the


University of Warwick found that happiness led to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy workers proved ten per cent less productive. One easy thing to do is to


encourage people to take a proper lunchbreak. Research has shown that taking a break improves productivity, even if it’s just for 30 minutes. Another option is to empower your workforce to work flexibly by introducing flexible hours or home working.


50 business network October 2017


Keeping your company safe from data breaches


By Ollie Piddubriwnyj, Managing Director of Fifteen


The subjects of hacking and data breaches have been making headlines for the past couple of years. If your IT team tells you it’s impossible to apply updates due to the way in which your infrastructure has been developed, this should ring alarm bells. The world is changing fast. We’re


living in a business landscape that is seeing huge rates of technological innovation – such as new smart devices and cloud computing – but these often represent new ways into a company’s network. The number of


opportunities for criminals to access your data or your systems is increasing every day. That means it could be a matter


of time until you get hacked, and the consequences are serious. Not only do you risk a big PR nightmare, but there are real costs in financial terms, the loss of customer data, and the task in cleaning up afterwards, not to mention the risk of sensitive customer data being in the wrong hands. The future will be worse, as the Government looks to bring “last resort” penalties to companies that


‘The number of opportunities for criminals to access your data or your systems is increasing’


do not prove they’re taking steps to prevent attacks from happening. So, in the war against cyber criminals and to protect against a breach or hefty fine, what can you do? Basic steps include making sure


you’ve got antivirus software installed on employee computers - and that it’s up to date with the latest versions. Next is to ensure you have a robust firewall - a barrier that uses security rules to control traffic to and from your network. Ask staff to use passwords that


are long and complex, using symbols or capitals. As strange as it sounds, passwords should not be memorable. The influx of password management software available is a huge step in the right direction for IT security. The use of SSL certificates and encryption in your communication protocols is also imperative. Stay in touch with what your


staff or users are doing, and control the flow of traffic with firewall rules and company policy. Keeping your company’s infrastructure secure doesn’t have to be a painful, expensive task; apply sensible rules and guidelines and don’t go overboard, keep things simple and maintainable.


Lack of security is the biggest concern for freelancers


Forty-seven per cent of freelancers and contractors have revealed that 'lack of security' is the most difficult aspect of self-employment, research by Qdos Contractor, of The Qdos Group, has suggested. Forty-seven per cent believe lack of


security is the most challenging aspect of freelancing, while 32% find the complicated tax system the most difficult part. Ten per cent find separating work and personal life as the biggest difficulty and six per cent believe other aspects such as planning holidays, lack of professional respect and irrational Government decisions create the most difficulty.


Seb Maley, (pictured) Qdos


Contractor CEO, said: “Freelancing and contracting offers greater freedom, control and independence, but unfortunately does not bring those brave enough to strike out alone a huge amount of security. That said, ongoing skills shortages in the UK, and the changing nature of work means that demand for independent workers is consistently strong. “It’s important that Government


focuses on building a fairer environment for those working independently, one where the benefits of self-employment balance the risk and lack of security.”


‘The changing nature of work means that demand for independent workers is consistently strong’


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