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WITH LESS THAN 100 DAYS TO GO, RHENUS URGES BUSINESSES TO PREPARE FOR BREXIT COUNTDOWN Rob Mulligan, UK customs manager and project
K businesses need to act now to ensure they are operationally fit for the end of the
Brexit ‘transition period’ on 31 December 2020, says the leading logistics provider. Challenges surrounding the coronavirus
outbreak should not stop UK companies making plans to manage the new import/export regime due to become reality in under three months’ time. That is the advice from Rhenus, the global freight forwarder that operates road, air and ocean freight transports across the world. Rhenus is encouraging companies to act now to
avoid trading challenges after 1 January 2021. The UK Government published its blueprint for
how the UK-EU border will operate after the Brexit transition period in July 2020 and this has subsequently been updated on 8 October 2020. Known as the Border Operating Model (BOM), this
document describes how companies should manage imports and exports after the UK effectively leaves the EU single market and customs union on 31 December 2020. Rhenus is urging businesses to understand the
requirements of the BOM document as a matter of urgency so that meaningful planning can continue – whether that is something they do internally or through the right logistics partner. Available as a download, the BOM explains the key areas of new bureaucracy and customs processes that will be phased in over a six-month period. To afford the industry extra time to make necessary arrangements, the UK Government has taken the decision to introduce the new border controls in three stages up until 1 July 2021, when it is planned that the new border will be fully operational.
lead at Rhenus, said: “We know that many UK businesses have understandably had their focus on dealing with the immediate effects of the COVID- 19 outbreak. However, businesses need to factor the milestone of the end of the year into their operational planning and keep Brexit firmly on their boardroom agendas. “Things are clearly going to be moving quickly
over the next few months, so there is no time to sit back and wait. Those that have well- developed, flexible plans and freight models in place will emerge with significant competitive advantage come next year.”
For further information on Rhenus and a Brexit preparation checklist, visit
www.rhenus.group/brexit/uk
SAGE DOCUMENTS REVEAL NON-ESSENTIAL STORES HAVE ‘VERY MINIMAL IMPACT ON R VALUES N
ewly released documents from the Government's top scientific advisory group, SAGE, reveal the closure of non-essential stores
has 'very minimal impact on R values’. ParcelHero says High Street retailers must never again be included in Tier 3 restrictions or new national lockdowns. New documents released by SAGE, the Government’s scientific advisory
group for emergencies, reveal the closure of non-essential stores has ‘very minimal impact on R values’. The home delivery expert ParcelHero says that this finding means no future restrictions, such as Tier 3 regional restrictions or a second national lockdown, should include the closure of most non- essential High Street stores. ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks MILT, says: "SAGE
has drawn up a table listing the impact of emergency restrictions on the R number, the rate at which Covid is multiplying. While some measures can have a significant impact – working from home could reduce R by 0.2 to 0.4 and closing all schools by 0.2 to 0.5 – SAGE found the closure of non- essential stores has only a 'low impact' on reducing the rate of infection. "SAGE’s analysis reveals non-essential stores create only limited social
interaction. It says the short duration of most visits, the ability to keep customers distanced in most settings and the use of face covering will mitigate the risks 'well'. "The documents reveal that non-essential shops were included in
previous lockdown measures because their closure: “Improves consistency of policies, particularly if other interaction is to be restricted in addition (e.g. seeing family members in their homes).” "To be clear, retail is worth £394bn to the national economy and
employs 2.9 million people in the UK. The impact of the previous Covid closures of non-essential stores means that, by the end of the year, 20,622
stores will have closed and 235,704 jobs will be endangered. "Non-essential retail must never again be included in blunderbuss
lockdown measures just for the sake of ‘consistency.’ By the end of last June, more bricks-and-mortar retailers had gone into administration than in the whole of 2019. Retail cannot afford a needless second lockdown. "The document also acknowledges that even the closure of businesses
with close personal contact will have a ‘low impact’. It says: “Each event is likely to be high risk as it involves prolonged, close, face-to-face contact. However, use of these services is relatively infrequent, so the overall impact on R is more limited. Potential reduction in Rt of up to 0.05, though precise estimation very difficult.” "The list does state the closure of cafes and bars could have a moderate
impact and would create a potential reduction in the R rate of 0.1 to 0.2. We acknowledge that this kind of retail does present different kinds of risks but, as SAGE’s document makes clear, other High Street non-essential stores do not present the same problems. "The document discusses an approach to keeping non-essential stores
open that should have been considered back in March: “If kept open, the rationale for doing so should be communicated clearly in terms of the lower risk of transmission.” ParcelHero completely agrees this is a sensible approach and one that should have been taken right from the beginning of the first lockdown, to avoid the current collapse in town centre retail. "We believe indie retailers still have a chance of surviving the pandemic
and prospering again, but that is only if they source home delivery services quickly and develop an integrated in-store and online sales strategy." For more information on how retailers can compare and contrast carriers’ prices and services, see ParcelHero’s continuously updated guide at
https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/uk-courier-services
TEMPORARY WORK SET TO INCREASE BY A QUARTER AS FIRMS STRUGGLE WITH FORECASTING DURING THE PANDEMIC N
ew research released suggests temporary work is set to surge as more
than a quarter of firms (27 per cent) in the UK reconsider the role agency workers have in their business. At the moment, just one in six firms (15 per cent) rely on a flexible workforce according, with 1.5m temporary employees in the UK. The figures, released by digital staffing
platform Coople also reveal that a fifth (20 per cent) of respondents said they plan to implement a headcount freeze over the next 12 months, while almost a fifth (19 per cent) said they plan to reduce hours. The new reliance on agency workers is
grounded in inability to effectively plan for the business long-term, due to constantly shifting market conditions as a result of the COVID-19
epidemic. On average, half of respondents (50 per cent) state the situation has led to profits slightly or significantly declining. The number of respondents who do not utilise agency workers and reported losses was almost double that of the respondents who do hire them (63 per cent v 39 per cent), suggesting short term work can alleviate some financial pressures. Despite recognition that companies will have
to rely on agency workers in the coming months, almost half (50 per cent) of management heads and HR leaders who currently hire them do not understand the rights and benefits flexible workers are entitled to. The biggest gaps in knowledge were around
pay and holiday with over a third (35 per cent) believing agency workers aren’t eligible for holiday pay and slightly fewer (30 per cent)
/ IRISHMANUFACTURING
believing casual workers aren’t eligible for the minimum wage. Kit Glover, UK MD at Coople said: “With so
many priorities competing for the attention of CEOs and HR teams at such a demanding time, it’s natural less is known of more irregular members of the workforce. With the surge in casual workers that’s expected; it is important firms recognise the value their flexible workforce brings in terms of added flexibility and financial results. Employment by a staffing platform not only ensures that they receive minimum wage and are entitled to a number of employee benefits. Business leaders can benefit from the flexibility and busines opportunity their flexible workers bring, while knowing that the solution is equally beneficial for the workers.”
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