Member News

This year’s Salary Survey has now closed – thanks to everyone who took part. We received over 2,000 responses and heard from people across the country (and beyond!). We’renow analysingthe resultsand combiningthemwith data from our own candidate interviews. The end result will be a high-quality brochure containing detailed market analysis as well as comprehensivesalary data.

Want a sneak peak at the results?

We observed strong hiring trends among companies respondents work for – 54% of respondents stated that the number of people at their company had increased in the last 12 months, with only 22% saying numbers had fallen.

However, we also found that 40%of respondents believe that their companydoes not employ enough staff.

The final Salary Survey brochure will be released in early-January 2016. Interested to see the current Salary Survey in the meantime? You can find ithere.

LSI Architects has been named in Building Magazines top 150 Consultants. The Practice came in at 113th out of 150, and 46th in the top 50 Architects.

The annual list compiled by Barbour ABI, sister company of Building, is ranked according to total chartered staff.

Partner David Andrews said “We’re delighted to once again be named in Building’s Top 150 Consultants. Building Magazine is one of the construction industry’s most respected and widely read publications and so to receive this recognition is something we are rightfully proud of.”

On the announcement of the top 150, Building commented that “Among this year’s top 150 consultants, optimism reigns supreme. Although by no means forgotten, the depressed years of recession are definitely gone, with 67% of the top 150 feeling optimistic about the UK’s economic outlook, and 58% expecting trading conditions to improve over the next year.”

The most effective tool an animal shelter has when it comes to getting pets adopted is the actual animals themselves. Battersea Dogs & Cat Home created a brilliant digital ad campaign that had dogs following potential owners from billboard to billboard (Digital Signage) as they walked through Westfield shopping centre in London.

The objective of the campaign was to highlight Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s continued mission to rehome its dogs, using innovative technology to engage emotionally with passing shoppers.The interactive advertisement was able to track the location of individual people as they moved thanks to a RFID chip-enhanced flyer and sensors setup throughout the mall. Depending on where they were or what direction they were walking, specific clips were played on various digital displays to create the illusion the dog was trying to follow them home.

Theterm‪#‎LookingForYou was used‬helping raise awareness across different social media platforms. Thecampaign was created by ad agency OgilvyOne, the brains behind the #LookUpcampaign designedforBritish Airways which had kidspointing up and following actual planes as they flew over London.

SaxonAir Charter Ltd based at Norwich International airport is pleased to announce the official partnership with Norwich City Football Club as the preferred air travel provider for the club having been supplying aircraft charter services to Norwich City FC since the company was formed over eight years ago.

SaxonAir’s charter service provides dedicated aircraft for individuals and groups of people to travel to destinations otherwise not served by airliners. Flying with SaxonAir enables customers to travel to their own schedule with people they want to fly with, not forgetting the ability to work or completely relax en route.

Alex Durand, SaxonAir CEO said “We are delighted to develop our relationship with Norwich City Football Club, as we welcome their return to the Premier League. Our partnership enables us to enhance our services to the club, players and staff, and also to develop travel options for supporters. We also welcome the initiative from the club to work closer with partner businesses to collectively strengthen the profile of Norwich and the local region.”

SaxonAir are based from headquarters at Norwich Airport, with aircraft located in Norwich, London and other key European cities.

Steve Hobin, Norwich City Football Club’s Head of Partnership’s says “We are really pleased to build upon our already great relationship with SaxonAir. The partnership see’s the clubs first team and backroom staff fly to a selection of away fixtures using aircraft based at SaxonAir’s headquarters at Norwich International Airport. He goes on to say “Our geographical location lends itself to flying to away games when travelling long distances to give the team the best possible preparation. As the partnership grows we are looking to work closely with the team at SaxonAir to extend their great services to our supporters and commercial business partners”.

One of the key issues to determine in the context of an outsourcing or re-tendering exercise is identifying those employees who will transfer under the provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).

If a service provision change occurs, the employment contracts of those “employed by the transferor and assigned to the organised grouping” automatically transfer to the new service provider on their existing terms. Any individuals who are temporarily assigned to that group are not included, but what about those who might be absent at the time of the transfer?

In a recent decision, BT Managed Services Ltd v Edwards, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decided that an employee on long-term sickness absence was not assigned to an organised grouping of employees and therefore did not transfer under TUPE.

Background

The claimant had been off work for over five years with a serious cardiac condition and there was no indication that he would ever be capable of returning to work. He remained on the payroll of a particular unit, which subsequently transferred to a new employer.

An employment tribunal held that the claimant’s employment had not transferred on the basis that he did not contribute to the economic activity of the relevant grouping of employees and was therefore not assigned to that grouping for the purpose of a service provision change under TUPE.

EAT decision

The EAT agreed with the employment tribunal and dismissed the claimant’s appeal.

In order to be assigned to an organised grouping of employees, it is necessary for there to be “some level of participation” by the employee, or an expectation of future participation. The EAT drew a distinction between an apparently permanent inability to work (as in this case) and temporary absences, including maternity leave and ordinary sickness absence. To be assigned to an organised grouping required more than a “mere administrative or historical connection”. It was a question of fact to be determined taking into account all the relevant circumstances.

Consequences of the decision

There will be relatively few cases where an individual remains employed in circumstances where there is no prospect of a return to work. In the majority of cases, an employee even on long-term sick leave will have some prospect of a return to work and is therefore likely to be assigned to the relevant grouping.

Following this decision those who remain employed but, having been assessed as incapable of work, are in receipt of permanent health insurance benefits are unlikely to be regarded as assigned to the organised grouping of employees for TUPE purposes. However, advice should be taken in any particular case.

The case is a reminder to all those acquiring staff as a result of a TUPE transfer to be alert to the risk that there may be employees who may be absent at the time of the transfer and who appear out of the woodwork at a later date.

Proper due diligence carried out prior to the transfer should highlight the existence of any such individuals, and appropriate provisions included in the contractual documentation in order to apportion liability between the parties to the transfer.

Join the experts from Birketts at the forthcoming HR Forum, “The mysteries of TUPE and outsourcing revealed”, who will guide you through a typical outsourcing exercise and highlight the key legal issues as well as practical considerations you should take into account.

The HR Forum will be held on 11 November 2015 from 2pm – 5pm at the Holiday Inn Norwich, Ipswich Road, NR4 6EP. For further details and booking instructions, see our events page.

Has the company you work for increased participation in sport and physical activity through workplace health programmes? If so why not nominate them for a Sports Award. Nominations for this year’s sports awards close on Friday 9 October so don’t miss your chance – nominate today. www.activenorfolk.org/sportsawards

We recently had an exciting opportunity, commissioned by Gecko Creative, to produce four promotional films for Abellio Group’s Stansted Express. Each video showed an entire customer journey, inbound and outbound in either first or second class.

The videos were to be aimed predominantly at international users of the train, so there was no speech or text involved in the main videos as it had to be understandable to everyone regardless of language. Everything needed to be shown clearly, and portray the high standard of the cabins and service that you would come to expect.

Filming in Stansted Airport and London Liverpool St presented a bit of a challenge, as they are both busy environments and on top of that we only had a very limited amount of time to film everything. (There’s always at least one helpful member of the public who decides it’s his duty to wave at the camera!) By using a tight-knit 4 person crew we were able to work at speed with minimal disruption, covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Shooting everything from the point of view of a passenger was a bit of a tricky one to negotiate, and getting the correct angles involved some contortionism from both the cameraman and actor involved! A Red 4K camera was used to enable us to time-ramp certain elements during post-production, quickly conveying distances.

It was a long three days of filming but well worth it to see the end result, we’re proud to have made videos that clearly convey all the key points of the customer’s journey in beautiful HD.

And now as a follow up we’re currently producing a series of 6 x 30 seconds cut downs with on screen text in multiple languages for Facebook as drivers to the main Stansted Express website, and to play out on smaller monitors and ticket machines in the airport. Phew!

Mr Nick Dion has been appointed as Account Executive of leading insurance broker Hugh J Boswell Ltd in Norwich.

Nick, 48, is a qualified Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and has more than 25 years’ experience in the insurance industry. During that time he has worked for major insurance companies and local independent insurance brokers.

Peter Foster, Managing Director of Hugh J Boswell said: “We are delighted that Nick has chosen to join our company. His wealth of experience brings immeasurable benefit to our organisation and its clients.”

Nick says: “I am really excited about my new role at Hugh J Boswell. It’s a fresh challenge working for the longest established insurance broker in Norwich that is driven by a young and dynamic management team.”

Nick lives in Norwich and is fan of NCFC.

BBA Digital Media had the great pleasure to work alongside Pop-Up-Pictures, a 1950’s American style drive in Cinema event hosted acrossNorfolk & Suffolk. Pop-Up-Pictures is the first of it’s kind to come out of Norwich offering itsviewersall time classic movie featuresfrom the comfort of their own car: hot dogs & popcorn, roller skating waitresses.

The intention was to increase brand awareness and ticket sales in the build up to the events which will take place between 1st Oct-1st Dec 2015. The advert was displayed in front of captive audiences at two different locations: one being at Carrefour Health & Fitness located at Longwater, and the other screen is located at 24/7 Fitness at the Riverside complex, with both screens totalling an audience of 10,000+ people.

The advert was of static content advertising details of the event, contact & sign up information as well as links to the company profiles on social media sites. The advertisement was displayed on our eye-catching digital screens in one of our twelve advertising slots for duration of 10 seconds every 2 minutes.

Arjan Meijer, Managing Director at KLM UK Engineering, was delighted to present Patrick Peal, Chief Executive of East Anglian Air Ambulance, with a cheque for £1,400. KLM UK Engineering holds an annual golf day for its customer and raises money for charity during the event. A special thank you goes outto KLM, Air Livery, Aero People & Qualitair for theirsponsorshipand to all the attendees for their kind donations. Arjan Meijer ‘We look forward to continuing to support the East Anglian Air Ambulance and raising more money at the 2016 golf day’.

OK so we’re a bit early – consider this a timely reminder to start booking your Christmas digital advertising now! It may be four months away, but the busy Christmas period is probably something you’re starting to think about. The same is true of all the major brands across the UK, so now is the time to secure your digital signage advertising slotsbefore they sell out.

Timing is everything when trying to book on our digital screens, it’seven more important at peak times like Christmas. Companies like yourselves, especially in the retail sector, launch their big Christmas campaigns from the second week of November onwards. They’ll be starting to buy up large numbers of our space soon; some have started already!

The great news is that it isn’t more expensive to book during the busy Christmas period, but there are fewer advertising slots available due to high demand.It’s not too late to promote your business on our digital screens in prime locations across Norfolk, but you’ll need to get cracking!

The achievements of City College Norwich’s outstanding students from 2014-15 were celebrated at the College’s 11th annual Further Education (FE) Awards at the Assembly House, Norwich, on Thursday 10th September.

The high-achieving students, their parents, employer partners, teaching staff and other guests were treated to a glitzy reception with drinks and live music on arrival at the Assembly House, before enjoying a “posh picnic” in the Noverre Ballroom ahead of the award presentations.

Twenty exceptional students were presented with employer-sponsored awards in recognition of outstanding progress and achievements on their course of study, special achievements in going far above and beyond the requirements of their course, overcoming barriers to learning, and for outstanding community spirit.

The select group of students honoured at the FE Awards have truly stood out in their achievements, having been nominated by their tutors and lecturers from more than 5,000 students who studied with the college last year.

The award categories reflect the huge breadth of further education courses offered by the City College Norwich, from foundation learning, to GCSEs and A levels, an extensive range of BTECs, NVQs and other vocational courses, and Access to Higher Education.

Corrienne Peasgood, Principal, City College Norwich, said:

“Each of the students being presented with a Further Education Award has demonstrated inspirational qualities and exceptional achievements during their time at City College Norwich. They show just what can be achieved when you bring together talented students, expert teaching staff, and supportive employers who give our students invaluable opportunities to experience the world of work. We are immensely proud of our FE Award winners and congratulate them on all that they have achieved.”

Full list of City College Norwich’s 2015 Further Education Award winners

Outstanding Achievement at A Level Sponsored by Howes Percival Solicitors Rochelle Harper

Outstanding Achievement at AS Level Sponsored by Mills & Reeve Rachel Kitts

Outstanding Student Progression – Foundation Learning Sponsored by Norse Josh Southgate

Outstanding Student Progression – Supported Employment Sponsored by Holiday Inn Norwich North James Hood

Outstanding Achievement in Academic learning Sponsored by Federation of Small Businesses William Benstead

Outstanding Achievement in ESOL Sponsored by Serco Martina Matuleviciute

Overcoming Barriers to Success in Construction Sponsored by Kier Frank Kalume

Outstanding student achievement in Creative, Production and Performing Arts Sponsored by Norwich Theatre Royal Darijus Veselis

Outstanding Student Achievement for Business Sponsored by Arnolds Keys James Davis

Outstanding Progress and Achievement in Engineering Sponsored by KLM UK Engineering Dylan Taylor

Student of the Year for Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy & Make Up Artistry Sponsored by Mustard TV Abbie Hamilton

Outstanding Achievement in Hospitality and Catering Sponsored by The Forum Trust Rosalind-Bethany Rimington-Hall Hembling

Overcoming Barriers to Success in Health and Social Care Sponsored by Norfolk & Suffolk Dementia Alliance Morgan Bishop

Outstanding Commitment, Progress and Achievement within Sport Sponsored by Norfolk County FA Harriet Hicks

Outstanding Success in Access to Higher Education Sponsored by Snelling Business Systems Amrita Brown

The StartUp Lounge Award for Student Entrepreneur of the Year Sponsored by Nurture Financial Planning Callum Gibson

Teacher Development Unit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education and Training Sponsored by Norwich Gas Centre Luma Al-lmara

The Students’ Union Award for Enhancing the Student Experience Sponsored by Adnams Ellie Thompson

The James Barr Memorial Award Georgia Millard

The Governors’ Robert Walton Award for Outstanding Contribution to College Life Rand Hashim

The Governors’ Award for Outstanding Student Achievement Frank Kalume