BREXIT
“A benefits package that helps ease the financial difficulties of the sector’s workers could incentivise workers to pick up additional shifts. By implementing a tangible benefit such as a flexible pay solution that allows nurses, care assistances and workers across healthcare to access their earned pay as soon as a shift is finished, healthcare organisations could see workers motivated to cover empty shifts as they see an immediate link between work completed and money available. As a result, employers should also see attendance and productivity increase. “Existing solutions allow workers to access a percentage of their pay as soon as they have earned it through a simple to use smartphone app. When financial difficulties arise, such as an unexpected bill or an unplanned expense that creates worry in a worker’s life, they can access some of their earned pay instantly without dipping into the red or relying on a credit card or even worse, a payday loan (NHS staff are the most frequent users of payday loans in virtually all regions of the UK). Instead they will be accessing money that is rightfully theirs; money that they have earned, without having to wait until pay day or risking borrowing their way into debt and further financial stress.” Herbert suggested that offering flexible pay could also reduce reliance on agency staff by encouraging existing staff to take on more shifts. NHS Trusts have been known to spend up to double the amount they would usually on normal payroll when filling rotas with agency staff.
“Such solutions can be implemented without any impact on the cashflow of the business or the traditional payroll processes,” he said. “Any money withdrawn by the
worker is simply deducted from the sum they receive on pay day. But employers must consider the impact of employee burnout and ensure workers are only taking on additional hours in reasonable quantities. They are also encouraged to take responsibility over how workers use flexible pay and can set limits in place to ensure workers are withdrawing reasonable sums. The cost of the service can either be payed for by the worker through a small transaction fee on top of each withdrawal, or fronted by the employer through a subscription fee.
“While the healthcare sector faces many challenges, filling rota gaps can be eased by implementing a flexible pay solution that increases attendance, retention and productivity while motivating workers to take on more shifts with immediate access to the pay they’ve earned.”
‘Irresponsible’ and ‘disorganised’
Brexit itself cuts off the UK from the majority of its export customers. However, a no-deal has the potential to be an exponentially greater issue, as it alienates all the UK’s trading partners, and puts at risk Great Britain’s place in the world. Robin Chater, secretary-general of the
Federation of International Employers (FedEE), a specialist organisation for multinational companies, founded in 1988 with financial assistance from the European Commission, believes a no deal makes the UK appear: “irresponsible, disorganised, almost comic and not a nation to trust.” He continued: “Any vestige of respect in the international community has gone. It is a nation already in decline, moving ever downwards to join the ranks of
Venezuela, Moldova and Greece. “Then we come to the shameful statistics.
So far, Brexit has led to the loss of a quarter of a million UK jobs and the transfer by banks of over one trillion Euros to the European continent - and we have not even reached the final Brexit deadline yet. That is not counting in all the jobs and wealth that would have been formed if Brexit had never happened. “Overall, at least a million UK and Irish jobs are at risk over the year following October 31st. “Most UK-based companies think they have already factored in Brexit for the short- medium term. But they have, in the most part, seriously underestimated a ‘no-deal outcome’, and the very fact that they retain operations in the sinking ship that is Britain remains more an act of faith than judgement. It is, however, too late to look for alternatives.” According to Robin Chater, being inside the EU is now going to be an even greater advantage than in 2016 when the advantages still easily outweighed the disadvantages. “In the last three years, huge trade deals have come to fruition - between the EU and Canada, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Vietnam and recently the main south American economies,” he said. “Agreements with Australia and New Zealand are currently underway. All the UK has in prospect is a botched deal with the USA that will leave it economically as little more than a Puerto Rico, just a poor satellite state. “The Brexit vote was largely about immigration from the European Union. As the economy contracts and more people lose their jobs, the blame for the economic collapse will again be placed on foreigners who are seen to have taken UK jobs. “This is happening in the USA without the help of Brexit, thanks to a form of state- induced xenophobia. A similar pattern will emerge in the UK, and employers will need to find ways to contain it - especially where it erupts into threats and violence against ethnic and national minorities.” Chater continued: “Many people ask me how will it be possible to recognise on the ground that a no deal Brexit is affecting not only the economy, but UK society in general? In fact, it is already happening and the isolationism that comes as a consequence of such a savage rupture from the European continent will just speed up current trends. “This will be seen on the surface in the more rapid spread of ‘chav’ culture and millennials’ inarticulate use of language, the breakdown of language itself, and growth of entitlement attitudes. At a more fundamental level it will be seen in a greater incidence of violent crime (now very evident in the sharp rise of knife crime), more frequent incidents of racial abuse, rising absenteeism and falling levels of productivity.” Chater concluded: “At least the British people will be able to enjoy the satisfaction that they have done such a crazy thing all by themselves. The very epitome of free will. Well done.”
24 I
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM SEPTEMBER 2019
CSJ
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