Be brilliant not mediocre
Just before I went on
holiday I read an article
on the BBC website.
To say I disagreed
with it would be one
of the year’s major
understatements. The
title of the article was
‘Why firms don’t want
you to be brilliant at your
job.’ The gist of it was
that companies valued
other qualities more than
brilliance – specifically,
good judgment, an
ability to fit in, getting on
with clients and knowing
when to keep quiet. The
BBC is entitled to their
own opinion but I can’t
think of a single client of
ours who wouldn’t want
his or her staff to be
brilliant; and on a regular
basis!
For me, brilliance
is a combination of
Stay Safe
Young people in the workplace
Businesses should be extra vigilant with regards
to health and safety when taking on young
people in the workplace.
For most school leavers, when they enter the workplace in
their first job or through apprenticeship programmes, it will
be their first time in a working environment. Employing young
people or students should be straightforward - a young person
is anyone under 18 and above the official minimum school
leaving age (MSLA).
Andrew Baines, health and safety and training partner at Qdos
Consulting said: “In September 2014, we saw a number of calls
to our advice line involving incidents in the workplace with
young workers. One young worker actually lost a finger in an
accident at a manufacturing business.”
Legislation
Under Health & Safety Law, employers must assess the risks to
young people before they commence work, advise them of those
risks in the workplace and if there are any prohibited activities or
equipment they are not allowed to use. In particular, there may be
age limits on the use of some equipment and machinery.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
state that an employer has a responsibility to ensure that young
people employed by them are not exposed to risk due to: lack of
experience, being unaware of existing or potential risks and/or
lack of maturity.
If you don’t currently employ a young person and you are thinking
of taking one on for the first time then you should review your risk
assessment before they commence work activities.
Induction
It is important that all young people receive induction training,
especially during the first few weeks of their employment or
work experience. This includes:
■■ Site rules
■■ Prohibited equipment
■■ Machinery
■■ Fire procedure and precautions
■■ Welfare arrangements
■■ First aid arrangements
■■ Details of ongoing training programmes
■■ Introduction to colleagues and line managers
■■ Supervision arrangements.
Working Hours
Companies also need be aware of the total hours worked by each
young person to ensure they are not exceeding the limits imposed
by the working time directive and that they have a sufficient rest
period. Andrew added: “Many young workers have second jobs in
bars and shops and may continue to do these jobs in addition to a
full time or apprenticeship position.”
If a young worker is required to work more than four and a halfhours at a time, then they are entitled to a break of 30 minutes.
A young worker is also entitled to 12 uninterrupted hours in each
24-hour period in which they work and there are restrictions to
working hours; eight hours per day and 40 hours per week.
For further information and employment advice, contact your local Chamber: 08455 240 240
36
EMPLOYMENT
West & North
Yorkshire Chamber
of Commerce
Hudson heading
in the right
direction
Health and well-being
provider, Benenden,
has announced the
appointment of a
new Head of HR
and Organisational
Development, Sonia
Hudson. Sonia will
lead the organisation’s
HR team based in
York, managing
the development
of HR strategy
and organisational
development
throughout the business.
Tailormade Conference
Management have
appointed Tom Metcalfe
as Sales and Operations
Manager for the lead
management arm of
the business and Ben
Phillips starts as a new
Account Manager for the
conference management
side of the business.
Pictured from left to
right are Ben Phillips,
Chris Wilson (MD) and
Tom Metcalfe.
Two by two join
Abrahams
Joiners and shop fitters,
Abrahams & Carlisle,
recently recruited
four new apprentices.
Director Jonathan
Hemingway commented
that: “Abrahams &
Carlisle has a long
tradition of employing
apprentices and many
existing staff started
their apprenticeships
with the company. Work
is definitely picking up
and A&C has recently
been awarded two bar
fit-out projects in the
Grand Arcade Leeds,
plus a million pound
contract for a new health
gym concept in Walsall.”
For our clients ‘good
enough’ just won’t do.
Far from not wanting
you to be brilliant at
your job, the SMEs that
we deal with would like
exactly the opposite.
Encourage brilliance and
I am sure you will have a
prosperous 2015.
Suzanne Burnett is
managing director at
Castle Employment.
Here come the
boys!
Apprentices get
into gear
Motor retailer JCT600
has recruited more
apprentices than ever
before, welcoming 35
young people to the
business in September
2014 in a variety of roles
across its 47 dealerships
In total, JCT600
employs 94 apprentices
throughout the business.
commitment, energy,
focus and talent. Putting
out the message that
businesses don’t value
talent or ‘brilliance’ is
simply wrong. If there
are any candidates or
potential candidates of
ours reading this blog
let me say categorically
that we do, and every
business that we work
with does.
Juliette joins
Jordans
appointment
heralds growth
for Approach PR
Approach PR, has
appointed a new senior
account manager,
Katy Barraclough,
to its award-winning
team. Katy brings 13
years consumer and
business-to-business
communications
experience. “I have
admired the agency’s
work and its awardwinning client
campaigns for many
years and am looking
forward to throwing
myself into some great
new projects,” said Katy.