Blogs by tag - Legislation & Regulation

National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage will be increasing this April, offering workers aged 16 and over a higher hourly wage. As a busy Hiring Manager, you’ll need a quick summary of the changes and how this could affect your business – this is the blog for you. ​Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment DirectorNMW and NLW Increase and the Spring StatementNMW and NLWThe new rate starts on 1 April 2022. The increase comes as part of the Government’s target of a national living wage set at two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. In October 2021, the Low Pay Commission (LPC) put forward the recommended hike in wages following new data on the UK’s recovering economy. The LPC report also found that the lowering of the NLW age from 25 to 23 went smoothly and that it should be further reduced to 21 by 2024. Spring StatementThe income threshold for at which point people start paying National Insurance will rise to £12,570 in July, which Mr Sunak said was tax cut for employees worth over £330 a year Mr Sunak pledged to cut basic rate of income tax from 20p to 19p in the pound before the end of this Parliament The Employment Allowance, which gives relief to smaller businesses' National Insurance payments, will increase from £4,000 to £5,000 from AprilHow is National Insurance changing and what is the Health and Social Care Levy? Employees, employers and the self-employed will all pay 1.25p more in the pound for National Insurance (NI) from April 2022. Employees pay NI on their wages Employers also pay extra NI contributions for staff The self-employed pay NI on their profits But from April 2023, National Insurance will return to its current rate. Instead, the extra tax will be collected as a new Health and Social Care Levy.Whilst 1.25p in the pound doesn’t sound too much it takes the employer's current rate of 13.8% up to 15.05%, an increase of 9%. When combined with the increase in NMW the cost of employing staff has never been higher. NMW and NLW Increases in 2022The Government has confirmed that: The National Living Wage (for over 25-year-olds) will increase by 6.6% from £8.91 to £9.50. The National Minimum Wage will rise across all age groups, including: Rate from April 22Current rate (April 21 - March 22)IncreaseNational Living Wage£9.50£8.916.6%21-22 Year Old Rate£9.18£8.369.8%18-20 Year Old Rate£6.83£6.564.1%16-17 Year Old Rate£4.81£4.624.1%Apprentice Rate£4.81£4.3011.9%Accommodation Offset£8.70£8.364.1%​April 1st Falls on a Friday – How Will That Work?Thorn Baker Group's Payroll Manager Emma Craig has confirmed that it will be payable on the next ‘pay reference period’. So if you run a weekly payroll (this will be most likely if you hire temporary workers) the NWM and NLW will apply as follows:The pay reference period will start on the 4th of AprilFirst payment where the worker receives their increased wage will be the 15th of AprilThe Recruitment and Employment Confederation's response to the Spring StatementThe Chancellor has given his spring statement today, setting out a number of measures including cutting fuel duty and confirming the increase in National Insurance is going ahead. Responding to the statement, Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said:“Today’s spring statement comes after the announcement that inflation is at its highest for 30 years. There are also many tax rises coming into force next month, and the war in Ukraine is causing further uncertainty. Now is not the time to be raising National Insurance, the UK’s biggest business tax. Raising the threshold for employees is sensible and will help to soften the blow, but 60% of National Insurance is paid by businesses – this tax rise will place an extra heavy burden on them, especially in labour-intensive sectors like hospitality which are already struggling. “The Chancellor’s cuts to fuel duty and business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are welcome. And his plan for incentivising business investment, including looking at the failed apprenticeship levy, sounds promising. But employers have been promised change before – this time, he has to deliver. It will require a real end to policy thinking being restricted to Whitehall. The recruitment industry is ready to come to the table and help government to ensure these new measures work.”We're holding NMW & NLW consultations in your area free of charge! If you’d like to discuss further how these changes will apply to your current or future supply of temporary workers you can book an appointment withyour local branch right here.

The National Living Wage increase this April will be extended to 23-24 years for the first time. As a busy Hiring Manager, you’ll need a quick summary of the changes and how this could affect your business – this is the blog for you. Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment Director Overview The Government announced in November increases to the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates which will come into force from April 2021. For workers aged under 23, Commissioners recommended smaller increases in recognition of the risks to youth employment which the current economic situation poses. Read the Low Pay Commission’s 2020 summary of findings   NMW and NLW Increases in 2021 The Government has confirmed that: The National Living Wage will increase by 2.2 per cent from £8.72 to £8.91 and will be extended to 23 and 24-year-olds for the first time. The National Minimum Wage will rise across all age groups, including: ​ April 1st Falls Mid-Week – How Will That Work? Thorn Baker Group's Payroll Manager Emma Craig has confirmed that It will be payable on the next ‘pay reference period’. So if you run a weekly payroll (this will be most likely if you hire temporary workers) the NWM and NLW will apply as follows: The pay reference period will start on the 5th of April if your week runs Monday to Sunday The first payment where the worker receives their increased wage will be the 16th of April You can read more about this from Acas here   How Will This Effect Businesses? In a report from Personnel Today Paul Holcroft, Managing Director at HR consultancy Croner, said:  “The impact of this is that those aged between 23 and 25 currently on the minimum wage rate for 21 to 24 year-olds will see a pay rise of nearly 9%, which employers will need to facilitate. This also suggests that the government are to continue with their plan of providing the national living wage to everyone aged 21 and over within the next few years.” Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Taken together, these minimum wage increases will likely benefit around two million people. A full-time worker on the national living wage will see their annual earnings increase by £345 next year. Compared to 2016, when the [NLW] policy was first introduced, that’s a pay rise of over £4,000.”   We're holding NMW & NLW consultations in your area free of charge! If you’d like to discuss further how these changes will apply to your current or future supply of temporary workers, you can book an appointment with your local branch right here.

There may still be time to submit an application to the EU Settlement scheme but the government have said that It is taking longer than usual to process applications because of coronavirus (COVID-19). So, if you haven’t sent your application yet, now is the time to do it.Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment DirectorIf you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you and your family can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. You can also apply if you’re the family member of an eligible person of Northern Ireland.If your application is successful, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status. (The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.)You may be able to stay in the UK without applying - for example, if you’re an Irish citizen or already have indefinite leave to remain.Who Should ApplyExcept in a few cases, you need to apply if:you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizenyou’re not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, but your family member is (or is an eligible person of Northern Ireland)The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.This means you need to apply even if you:were born in the UK but are not a British citizen - you can check if you’re a British citizen if you’re not surehave a UK ‘permanent residence document’are a family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who does not need to apply - including if they’re from Irelandare an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen with a British citizen family memberIf you have children, you need to apply for them separately.If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and you have a family member who is an eligible person of Northern Ireland, you may be able to choose which way you apply.When Can You Apply?The EU Settlement Scheme is open. You can apply now if you meet the criteria.The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021. You must have started living in the UK by 31 December 2020.Which status you get may depend on when you apply. You can check you settlement status here.Does It Cost Anything to Apply?It’s free to apply to the scheme.Where Can I Apply to the EU Settlement SchemeRemember, it’s taking longer than usual to process applications because of coronavirus (COVID-19).You can apply using any device, for example, a laptop, Android device or iPhone but don’t forget to check what you’ll need before you apply.When you’re ready to complete your application you can do it right here

The current situation that Leicester is finding itself in could happen anywhere, especially with the bars and pubs about to re-open similar lockdowns could happen across the country in the next few weeks. Do you have a plan in place for your business? In this blog we’ll look at some of the provisions we’ve been helping our clients put in place and how working with a specialist, local recruiter can be the key to providing the additional support when you need it most. Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment Director Now more than ever we, as a business as well as our clients, must be able to adapt. COVID-19 has made us all aware of how not being prepared can have a drastic effect on your workforce and business – but how could anyone have been prepared for an event like this? Temporary staff have historically been a means of providing a solution for sudden drops or increases in business. In these unique circumstances we’ve found ourselves looking at our current recruitment process – where can we improve? What else can we be doing for our clients? How can we help our candidates more? Flexibility is a term used a lot these days but it truly is something that the teams have excelled in during the last three months. And the proof is in the pudding as they say, to their credit our teams have 26% more people working right now when we look at a year on year comparison. Given the circumstances, you might be surprised but the reasons why are clear… Bespoke Recruitment: When One Size Doesn’t Fit All Every business and every site are different. You have different products, systems, machinery even down to simple things like your canteen. As we navigate our way into a ‘new normal’ I’m proud to say that our teams have succeeded in supporting the bespoke recruitment needs of all of our clients How have we achieved this? COVID-19 Health Questionnaire completed for our sites Tailored pre-induction of candidates to include specific COVID-19 H&S On-site inductions Creation of one-way system at our on-site and office locations PPE and temperature checks Health screening of candidates Pre-booked appointments only Telephone interviews WhatsApp video interviews Extensive referencing We’ve even helped one client to arrange all workers arrive with their own crockery to further avoid contamination! We've helped well over a hundred clients recently and it’s certainly something we can help your site with too. By continuously recruiting and inducting candidates we can ensure that should a lockdown occur, like it just has, we are fully prepared. Just under a quarter of our staff at one of our onsite locations live in Leicester – this is not a problem for our team. Thanks to their recruitment process they have additional staff ready to start immediately, the result is that our client will have no disruption to their business. Richard Borland, Branch Manager Nottingham & Loughborough said; ‘It’s all about being there to support your client and their business needs. We’ve implemented a new induction process, a one-way system, made changes to the canteen and even added screens in our office. We like to do spot checks throughout the day so we know that all of our workers are safe and following all of the new site rules. It’s no problem for us – we’re here to help as much as we can.’   Temporary to Permanent: The Best of Both Worlds The REC reported last week that: Employers’ intentions to hire permanent staff in the short term (over the next three months) improved by 11 percentage points from May, and returned to positive territory at net: +6. Although it might not seem the right time to make any big hiring decisions this really could be the perfect time. Over the last year, 24 of our clients have taken temporary workers on permanently. In perspective that’s 68 people that have found their perfect job, people that made a great impression with our clients and helped improve their business output. Great news – how have we helped our clients and candidates get to this point? We offer clients the opportunity to recruit take workers on a temporary to permanent basis Supplying thorough Key Information Documents so there are no surprises when someone arrives on-site Candidate health screening Video interviews Interview prep Flexible start times to help candidates on public transport Up to date with how to use video software Helping candidates be fully prepared for starting and assignment or for an interview is just the norm for us – technology and inductions may have changed but our core values of being solution-focused, positive-minded and people-focused remains a solid foundation. Rose Joseph, Branch Manager Chesterfield commented; ‘Candidates need a lot of support right now – people don’t always think of it this way but they’re our clients too. I have a candidate that has an interview this week for a permanent job but they want to use Microsoft Teams and she didn’t know how to use it. So if I need to download it and figure it out so I can explain it to her and support her in her interview that’s what I’m going to do. It’s not an issue for me I just want her to do well in her interview.’   As a business we’ve been building our database for over 30 years and having access to that is priceless. Combining this with local market knowledge, bespoke recruitment and our Proven Process you can be sure that your business really will have the best people working for you. Of course, there’s no obligation to take your workers on permanently. The benefit of temporary workers is that we look after everything for you – giving you a ‘try before you buy’ opportunity.   Do you need help in making sure your workers are fully screened? Are you struggling with your new recruitment process? Maybe you need support in create a more bespoke recruitment method – we can help your company in a number of ways. When you’re looking to fill or find a job in food production, manufacturing, warehouse and logistics, contract packing, print and packaging, office support and waste and recycling, we’re proud to be your go-to recruiter. Contact your local team today to discuss how we can support your temporary worker needs.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve spent a fair amount of time engaging with our clients, talking about how they’re returning to their working environments safely. As of this week, we’ve got 90% of our typical client base back open and using workers from our Industrial teams. In this blog, I’ll be sharing the top 10 best practice tips we’ve identified…Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment DirectorA couple of weeks ago we wrote our blog: Our Top 3 Tips to Help You Implement Social Distancing in the Workplace. In this, we looked at effective ways that all sites could get their message across to their workers regarding social distancing at work. Since then we’ve been having a lot of conversations with our clients about these tips; have they found them useful? Were they already in place? What else are they doing on their site? And as promised we’re going to share the results with you.The majority of our clients operate in the food production, manufacturing, warehouse and logistics, contract packing, print and packaging and waste and recycling sectors. Although there are different requirements on each site there is definitely a common themeHere the top ten changes our clients have been making on their sites:Providing their workers with individual hand sanitiser and/ or hand sanitiser stationsStaggering their breaks with a maximum capacity allowed in the canteen and smoking sheltersProviding their staff with additional PPE: masks, snoods, face visors and glovesStaff health check-ins including questions about the workers’ family healthAdding signage throughout the site and marking out work areasAdded more/ staggering shiftsTemperature checks when entering the siteIncreased cleaning, this included: staff cleaning their personal work stations and crockery, contact points cleaned throughout the day and hourly cleaning of common areasRe-inducting workers with the updated Health & Safety policyNo visitors to the siteAdditional answers we received included;Schedule for hand washingReduced delivery serviceScreens in place for receptionOne-way systemEnsuring all employees follow the WHO and GOV.UK guidelines and instructionsNo business travel outside of the UKRequesting workers to have the flexibility to cover shiftsDoes this sound familiar? Have you implemented anything different on your site that you think other businesses could use? Let us know!The Government announced this week that from the 4th of July the social distancing measurement from ‘where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’. How will this affect your current set-up on-site? Will this make your day-to-day running easier? Will you keep the same measurements you’ve put in place?We’d love to hear from you. We'd like to continue getting your feedback so that we can share ideas, best practices, and general feedback. If you’d like to have a chat with your Consultant feel free to call us or ask for a call back (at your convenience).

Working from home as an Industrial Recruiter didn't seem possible pre-COVID-19. It’s not something we thought we could achieve and even as we went into lockdown armed with the tech there was some fear of the unknown. In this blog, I’d like to share with you what we've found both positive and challenging working remotely as a busy Industrial team.Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment DirectorAs lockdown approached we, as a business, invested in technology, took a leap of faith and started to work from home. As Covid-19 has swept the globe I think the glimpse of our future has become even clearer: what started as a few weeks of working from home has evolved into a facilitator for changing how we work and live – what seemed scary before no longer does.We recently conducted a survey of our own staff to find out how they’re doing during lockdown. How were they coping with working from home, did they prefer it? What had they found challenging, what did they like? Of course, these conversations can be had with someone’s Manager at any time but a survey does allow time to reflect before commenting.Our results were interesting and have definitely given us a lot to think about regarding what our ‘new normal’ will look like.Some highlights from the survey include;91% of people said that they had minimal interruptions that didn’t materially affect their ability to work from home90% of people said that whilst lockdown remains as it is they would like the option to continue working from home as much as possible84% of people said that post lockdown they would still like the flexibility to work from home regularlyPositives they had found working from home:No commute/travel time to and from workBetter work/life balanceMore productive at homeLess distractions/interruptionsFlexibility to deal with childcare issuesChallenges they had found working from home:Less personal interaction with colleaguesMore IT issuesLack of self-motivationMiss the office atmosphereCovid-19 has really only expedited what was already on the horizon. It’s important to look at how we work currently in terms of offices and remember that ‘cubicle style’ offices have only been around since the ’80s. And even before Covid-19, this style of work was already being questioned and its future wasn’t too bright.In September 2019 The HR Director wrote an article stating that ‘According to the 1999 Labour Force Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the percentage of people working flexible hours in the UK was 9.5% at that time. Recent statistics from CIPD, however, show that this number has drastically increased, with 54% of workers currently having the option to operate outside of typical nine-to-five office hours.’But how could this work for people in Industrial environments?Feeling a slight Nostradamus moment, we starting discussing this with our clients last year and we wrote a blog on the subject, Can Flexible Working Be Applied to the Modern Industrial Workplace?.Flexible working could be a great solution to social distancing within an Industrial workplace.What does flexible working mean?I’m sure we all have a thorough understanding of the term now. There are a lot of ways that you can implement these changes:Remote working: Working from home or another out-of-office location, such as a coffee shopJob sharing: Responsibilities of a role are split between two peopleCompressed hours: Allowing employees to work longer hours and fewer daysAnnualised hours: A certain number of hours are spread flexibly throughout the yearStaggered hours: Staff members work the same number of hours but can have start and end times that better suit their lifestyleFlexitime: Employees must work ‘core hours’ but can take advantage of flexible start and finish times when necessaryEngage for Success have reported that manual and service roles can still benefit from certain types of flexible working – such as compressed hours and job sharing – and 53% of employers have said that they believe all industries should make it an option for their workers.In our blog last week we shared: Our Top 3 Tips to Help You Implement Social Distancing in the Workplace. If you haven’t read it yet take a look – our data comes from our clients and your competitors.We'd like to get your feedback and to share ideas, best practices, and general feedback on how you're finding the 'new normal'. What did you as a business see as scary but you’re now embracing? Do you have positives that you can share?Our survey is open and there’s still time for you to put your view across and share ideas that have been put in place in your business.Click here to share your top tipsIf you’d rather have a chat with your Consultant that’s fine too – feel free to call us or ask for a call back (at your convenience).

Last week we looked at how we are supporting our clients and candidates during COVID-19. This week I'd like to know how have you overcome the challenges faced in implementing social distancing in your workplace? What are your top three tips?Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment DirectorHaving worked closely with a number of our clients over recent weeks, here are some of our thoughts;Create new shift patterns: Meaning fewer people entering and exiting the building at the same timeBe creative with how you plan breaks: If you have three, reduce it to two and make them longerCreate a workplace one-way system: Maybe have different entry and exit points for your buildingOne of the simplest and most effective tools we have found is delivering a consistent and regular message to your workers.Daily reminders of the basics, both in person and via posters and messages, such as;Social distancing rulesHand washing/ sanitisingWearing the correct PPEThese are just some of our experiences, we’d love you to tell us what you’ve been up to. What have you found easy/ hard to implement? Have you made any big changes to your normal shift patterns? We're running a quick survey (it's only one question!) to get an idea of what your thoughts are. If you'd like to take part all you need to do is click the link below. All answers are anonymous.Click here to share your top tipsWe'd like to get everyone working together to share ideas, best practices, and general feedback on how you're finding the 'new normal'. We're all in the same boat and your feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

It’s safe to say that in January none of us would’ve predicted 2020 this way. We’re seeing that new ways of working can be achieved and we know more than ever that the welfare of our workers is paramount. How do we keep them safe in the workplace? How can we ensure we retain the best people during COVID-19? In this blog, we’ll look at how we’re supporting both our clients and candidates during the pandemic.Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment DirectorOver the last 10 weeks, we’ve seen unprecedented levels of change – the way we run our offices, how we support our clients and candidates as well as how we see our friends and family. It’s shown that in times of pressure we can (and do) rise to the challenge, our core values as a business have been a strong foundation and there’s no doubt that as a team we are positive-minded, solution-focused and people-driven.But how does that translate into real life?Here are some key stats of what has been happening with us, the industry our clients, and candidates over the last 10 weeks.​By making the most of the furlough scheme we’ve been able to support both our clients and candidates. There are two sides to every coin and in these circumstances is obvious what the benefits are: ClientsYou’ve got the best workers for your business. They’ve been inducted, trained and they’re working fantastically – naturally, you don’t want to lose them. Being able to use the furlough scheme has allowed us to retain the very best staff for you. You don’t need to worry about having to start from scratch when business picks back up.The government guide to working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found right here.Logistics Consultant Davies & Robson has compiled an excellent and detailed guide to warehouse social distancing, with practical ideas to support essential warehouse operations to maintain or recommence some level of activity whilst following Government guidance and WHO recommendations. You can read it here.CandidatesYou’ve found a job that works for you, you’re comfortable and happy in your job. The scheme has allowed you to remain secure in your role. Money worries can be the worst kind, using furlough has allowed our candidates to feel secure, and happy to know that as soon as businesses start to increase their productivity levels that their job is there waiting for them.What more could we ask for right now?'I would, first of all, like to say thank you for helping out with the furlough predicament, it helped keep me afloat during this time, and I was able to return to my job following lockdown being eased, I'm happy to be back and feel very safe at work with the measures they've put into place. Sarah was very good at communicating what was going on with the payments and was helpful in trying to find other suitable work. I appreciate the help I've received from Thorn Baker, and the skills I've gained whilst working for them.'Candidate testimonial'I lost my job at the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic that forced my workplace to temporarily close. While I was worried about my future during these hard times Thorn Baker contacted me saying that I would be put on furlough which I didn't consider an option at the time. I got clear communication from Thorn Baker through email that was followed up by a call to check that I consented. I really do appreciate Thorn Baker doing what they can for their workers to secure their jobs and support their clients the best way they can. Great job!' Candidate testimonialThe overall message I'd like to give to our clients and candidates is that simply when you are ready and business levels are picking up we're here to support you. Whether you need staff on-site, advice, and support on supplying PPE or if you're a candidate who's not sure how furlough could work for you - contact us.The service we provide is built upon our core values: Solution-focused, Positive-minded, and People-driven. That's what we do and who we are. If you need support don't hesitate to contact us right here.

Both the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage will be seeing its biggest rise in April this year. As a busy Hiring Manager, you’ll need a quick summary of the changes and how this could affect your business – this is the blog for you.Matthew Dann: Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment DirectorOverviewThe new rate starts on 1 April 2020 and nearly 3 million workers will benefit from the increases to the NLW and NMW rates for younger workers. The increased rates were recommended by the Low Pay Commission, an independent body that advises the government about the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage.NMW and NLW Increases in 2020The Government has confirmed that:The National Living Wage (for over 25-year-olds) will increase by 6.2% from £8.21 to £8.72.The National Minimum Wage will rise across all age groups, including:AgeCurrentFrom April 1st 2020Increase %Over 25 year olds£8.21£8.726.2%21-24 year olds£7.70£8.206.5%18-20 year olds£6.15£6.454.9%Under 18’s£4.35£4.554.6%Apprentices£3.90£4.156.4%​April 1st Falls Mid-Week – How Will That Work?Thorn Baker Group'sPayroll Manager Emma Craig has confirmed that It will be payable on the next ‘pay reference period’. So if you run a weekly payroll (this will be most likely if you hire temporary workers) the NWM and NLW will apply as follows:The pay reference period will start on the 4th of April if your week runs Saturday to Friday or the  6th April if your week runs Monday to SundayFirst payment where the worker receives their increased wage will be the 17th of AprilYou can read more about this from Acas here​How Will This Effect Businesses?​​In a report from Personnel TodayMatthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director said that although business shared the ambition for a higher wage economy, affordability was a key issue: “While it’s the right thing to do and many workers will feel the benefit, some firms will find this rise challenging in the face of tough economic conditions.“It’s vital that the Low Pay Commission has the full range of tools at its disposal to judge the evidence base, pace and affordability for any future rises to ensure the UK’s successful job creation story continues into the coming decade.”We're holding NMW & NLW consultations in your area free of charge! If you’d like to discuss further how these changes will apply to your current or future supply of temporary workers you can book an appointment with your local branch right here.

Whether you hire directly or through an agency, this blog will be helpful for Managing Directors and Hiring Managers who need more information about how Modern Slavery can be a risk to their business. Matthew Dann, Director of Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment Compliance… A dull subject? Recent statistics from The Global Slavery Index suggest that there are over 136,000 people living in modern slavery in the UK – and in 2018 there were 2352 cases of labour exploitation. You can read the rest of the report from The Global Slavery Index here. Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking can be a potential risk to your business, whether via your direct recruitment methods or from a recruitment partner. Are you confident that your workforce isn't affected by Modern Slavery? We take compliance with legislation and industry standards extremely seriously. The people we recruit are supplied to the standards required by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). We have a dedicated central compliance team, checking worker eligibility and who monitor each aspect of the regulations. How can you spot the signs of Modern Slavery? The GLAA have identified six key areas where labour exploitation can be identified; Restricted Freedom Behaviour Working Conditions Accomodation Finances Appearance You can read the full report from the GLAA here. My team and I work closely with the GLAA, The Association of Labour Providers, and we're a supporter of the Stronger Together initiative. From the very beginning of our recruitment process, through to a worker being placed on assignment - we have their welfare central to our process. Face to face interviews, on-site audits, worker surveys, background checks – these are just some of the tools we use to keep our workers safe and happy. If you have any concerns for the safety of your workforce, feel free to call us for advice – if we can’t help we’ll certainly be able to put you in touch with an expert who can. If you’re interested in attending one of our forthcoming Modern Slavery seminars please register your interest by emailing me today: matthew.dann@thornbaker.co.uk   Want to hear the latest Industrial news, jobs and updates? Subscribe here

The BBC has reported today that wages excluding bonuses have risen at their fastest pace in nearly 10 years, official figures show. Pay rose by 3.1% in the three months to August, compared with a year ago, while inflation for the same period was 2.5%. Last week, Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said he saw signs of a "new dawn" for wage growth. The latest official data also showed unemployment fell by 47,000 to 1.36 million in the three months to August. The jobless rate remained at 4%. David Freeman, the Office for National Statistic's (ONS) head of labour market, said: "People's regular monthly wage packets grew at their strongest rate in almost a decade, but, allowing for inflation, the growth was much more subdued. "The number of people in work remained at a near-record high, while the unemployment rate was at its lowest since the mid-1970s." The ONS figures showed the number of people in work was little changed at 32.39 million, down by just 5,000. The average pace of wage growth was 4% before the global financial crisis. Economists have been puzzled why wages have grown so slowly even as unemployment has fallen sharply. Wages including bonuses rose at a pace of 2.7% in the three months to August. In August, the Bank of England said that it expected total pay to be growing at a rate of 2.5% a year by the end of 2018, climbing to 3.5% by the end of 2020. Public sector boost However, Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the latest wage growth rates were unlikely to be maintained. "The recent pick-up in wage growth has been driven partly by the loosening of the public-sector pay cap for some workers," he said. "For instance, most NHS workers received a pay rise of at least 3% in July. "But the government still is keeping a tight lid on pay rises in other departments, while this year's increase in NHS pay is the best in a three-year deal. Public sector pay growth, therefore, likely has reached a ceiling. "The recent upturn in wage growth also has been flattered by the recent rebound in average hours." Analysis: Andy Verity, economics correspondent Here's a reason to be cheerful. In the three months from June to August we had, on average, the biggest pay rise in nine years! But slow down. The fact that 3.1% is the biggest pay rise since February 2009 says more about how weak pay growth has been in the last decade than how strong it has been in the past year. Strip out the effect of inflation (as measured by the Consumer Prices Index) and you get pay growth of just 0.6%. Then look back at the last decade, the worst decade for living standards in 200 years. If you're a half-full person, well we're up by about £25 per week on average since the squeeze on living standards was at its tightest back in 2014. But if you're half-empty, we're still earning about £20 a week less than we did 10 years ago when the global financial crisis struck. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) also said it did not expect this trend to continue. Suren Thiru, head of economics at the BCC, said: "While wage growth increased again, the pace at which pay growth is exceeding price growth remains well below the historic average, meaning the current squeeze on spending power is unlikely to ease. "Achieving a meaningful improvement in wage growth will be an uphill struggle unless the underlying issues that continue to limit pay settlements are tackled - notably sluggish productivity, considerable underemployment and high upfront costs for businesses." Don't all of the latest Industrial news, tips and jobs  Subscribe here

The Independent reported this month about how the rise in wages will likely reassure the Bank of England its judgement about UK economy – that slack is almost gone and this will result in inflationary wage pressure – is correct. You can read the article below, are the stats reflective within your business? UK wage growth picked up by more than expected in July, official statistics showed on. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that average total pay in the three months to July rose by 2.6 per cent on the same period a year earlier. That was up from the previous reading of 2.4 per cent and higher than the 2.4 per cent City of London analysts had expected. Excluding volatile bonuses, pay was up 2.9 per cent. In the single month of July regular pay was up 3.1 per cent, the most rapid in three years. The rise in wages will likely reassure the Bank of England that its key judgement about the UK economy – that slack is almost gone and that this will result in inflationary wage pressure – is correct. The Bank raised interest rates to 0.75 per cent in August, forecasting that wage growth this year would be 2.5 per cent, rising to 3.25 per cent in 2019. “The labour market figures suggest that competition for workers is finally starting to provide greater support to wages,” said Andrew Wishart of Capital Economics. “Surveys of wage growth suggest that it will sustain a pace of about 3 per cent over the remainder of the year.” The ONS also reported on Tuesday that the UK’s strong employment growth this year is levelling off, with a quarterly rise in the numbers in work of just 3,000. However, the employment rate remained at 75.5 per cent, close to a record high. And the jobless rate was steady at 4.1 per cent. “With the number of people in work little changed, employment growth has weakened. However, the labour market remains robust, with the number of people working still at historically high levels, unemployment down on the year and a record number of vacancies,” said David Freeman of the ONS. Don't miss out on the latest Industrial news, tips and jobs Subscribe here

Your latest Industrial newsletter is out now  It's been a busy month for the Industrial sector; with minimum wage updates, Brexit, plastic law changes and GDPR - how have these changes affected your business? Matt Dann, Director, rounds up the last month for you... "May sees the start of the Industrial busy season with Easter well and truly behind us. The two Industry hot topics: GDPR  and how will the impact of Brexit on labour during the traditional sector seasonal peaks. In fact, we have already started supplying workers into local companies who are packing product ready for Christmas! Another area that I think will be a hot topic over the next few months is the single-use plastic debate. Is this already a big discussion for your business or are you ahead of the curve?'' Read your news in full by clicking here What else has been happening in the Industrial sector? Net migration of EU nationals to Britain falls.  Data suggests Brexit uncertainty is outweighing UK’s reputation as ‘jobs factory of Europe’, could this affect your supply chain? Nicola White, the ONS head of migration statistics, said: “The figures also show that non-EU net migration is now larger than EU net migration, mainly due to the large decrease in EU net migration over the last year. However, migration of both non-EU and EU citizens are still adding to the UK population.''                                                                                          Recycling Must Remain a Priority in Single-Use Plastic Debate.  How will the plastic law changes affect your production? Motivation for recycling must be bolstered as consumers turn their back on single-use plastics, according to a supplier of recycled plastic pallets. Recent high profile news articles on plastics polluting the oceans and conflicting reports about the success rates of recycling could result in a confusing message, warned Jim Hardisty, Managing Director of Goplasticpallets.com. Making the Apprenticeship Levy work for you.  Employers have seen the Apprenticeship Levy as a cost for a year now, and many have yet to realise any benefit from it, have you thought about how it could benefit your business? At the Talent in Logistics Conference 2018, Managing Director of Bis Henderson Academy, David Lynch, will outline the value the Levy can bring to businesses and discuss how it can be used to boost skills. Read your news in full by clicking here Don't want to miss out on any of the latest industrial news, updates and jobs? Subscribe here