- Post-pandemic, 62% of line managers in the survey said they were ‘more willing’ to consider employee requests for part-time working.
- Almost all (96%) said they were more flexible about where their employees worked, and 87% about how they scheduled their working hours.
- Over half of the organisations surveyed expected remote and flexible working to increase in their organisation over the next two years (60% and 58% respectively). A significant proportion (46%) also expected part-time working to increase.
- Almost half (45%) believed the use of flexible furlough has helped line managers learn how to design and manage part-time working more effectively.
- Similarly, 46% believed line managers have learned how to better match resourcing with periods of peak demand for their business activity as a result of using the flexible furlough scheme.
- Prior to the pandemic, most part-time working came about as the result of employee requests, with a proactive approach to recruiting new employees considered a secondary benefit.
Employers more open to part-time working post-COVID-19
The furlough scheme brought in by the Government during the COVID-19 pandemic did not just save millions of people from unemployment and economic hardship, but may have had a lasting effect on the ways in which their employers allow them to work in the future, according to a new report.
Introduced in March 2020, and further modified in July that year to allow for a part-time furlough option, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) enabled organisations to reclaim up to 80% of the wage costs of employees who could not work during the pandemic.
Successful in avoiding mass redundancies during a time of crisis, the scheme may also have ongoing benefits, according to the first wave of a survey conducted by Cranfield School of Management and CBI Economics which found increased employer openness to and knowledge of how to facilitate part-time working.
A ‘fundamental’ change in perceptions
Data from whole-organisation representatives and line managers in 208 UK businesses was collected in February this year and showed that the flexible furlough scheme – which enabled employers to bring staff back to work on a part-time basis and for them to be furloughed the remainder of the time – has impacted employers’ perceptions around working practices, increasing openness to part-time working and other forms of flexible working as viable options for their business.
Key findings include:
Relative Insight adds new board members, Kristin Luck and Richard Thornton
Leading text analysis company will work with Luck and Thornton to continue its expansion, whilst helping companies to get the most value out of their data
Relative Insight, a comparative text analytics software company with an office in Lancaster, has engaged two new board members following a £5m investment backed by Leeds-headquartered private equity firm YFM Equity Partners (YFM) in March 2022. Kristin Luck has joined the Advisory Board and Richard Thornton has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Both will focus on company growth and help to scale the business for continued international expansion.
“Our growth has recently accelerated sharply; driven by demand from companies seeking to get more value out of their text data and helped by our recently announced Series A funding,” said Ben Hookway, CEO of Relative Insight. “Kristin and Richard both have deep industry knowledge and experience when it comes to quickly scaling high-growth technology companies. We are looking forward to tapping into their expertise as we continue to expand, with a focus on the United States.”
Luck, a serial technology entrepreneur, is the founder and managing partner of ScaleHouse, a growth advisory firm for technology and services companies in the insights and analytics sector. She will work closely with the company’s executive team to uncover expansion opportunities for Relative Insight’s offerings in the market research and marketing industries. She will also help to guide the company’s growth strategy in the United States, following the company’s recent investment from YFM.
Thornton, previously of Cint’s executive team which led the company to a successful IPO, now heads up an advisory and services firm working with tech-enabled, high-growth companies to help them to realise their potential. At Relative Insight, he will be focusing on sales efficiency, strategic partnerships and further optimisation of operations. He said, “Having recently closed a successful funding round, the company is now perfectly poised to capitalise on what is still a nascent market opportunity in AI-driven comparative text analytics, at scale. With the calibre of team, product and customer base already in place, I firmly believe Relative Insight has great market fit and the best proposition to become a category leader.”
Dan Freed, partner at YFM, added: “As Relative Insight accelerates its growth journey, bringing on board two such experienced and respected industry experts will further boost an already strong team as the business expands in the UK and US.”
Relative Insight’s technology helps insights and research professionals, marketers and brand specialists, and human resources departments uncover more value from the language data they already have. This data can be gleaned from online language of any kind; enabling comparison and benchmarking with competitors. It can include open-end questions in primary research, data from insights tools, social media and product reviews, and any other text assets – with analysis generating rich audience understanding for company decision-making. BHP Digital Finance appoints new senior manager
BHP has appointed a new senior manager to its Digital Finance team.
James Houseman has worked in BHP’s Tax team since 2020 and has extensive industry experience, including a previous role at McLaren Automotive where he worked as a Finance Manager prior to joining BHP.
James now joins the Digital Finance department, which supports businesses throughout their growth and development using the latest in accountancy technology. He said: “Digital finance is an exciting and fast-moving field. I’m delighted to be joining the team and look forward to sharing my experience.
“I’m keen to be part of the wider finance function and the problem solving that comes with this new role, which is something I really enjoyed being involved with at McLaren.
“I’m ready for the challenge of having a big team to look after and being a trusted business advisor for clients.”
BHP’s team of digital finance specialists has expanded substantially in recent months, adding five new starters since the beginning of the year, and now totals 39 people.
Dermot Lucid, Digital Finance Partner at BHP, said: “James has been a key member of the BHP team since he joined us two years ago and his tax expertise will be an asset to Digital Finance. I’m looking forward to seeing the team move forward and build on the huge progress we’ve made in recent months.”
BHP is ranked the second-best accountancy firm to work for in the UK, and the 35th best company to work for across Yorkshire and the Humber in the Best Companies Survey 2021.
Plans for new, revitalised market at heart of Brighouse revealed
Plans for a new, revitalised market at the heart of Brighouse have been revealed as part of the £19 million Brighouse Deal investment in the town due to be delivered over the next few years.
The Brighouse Deal Board, made up of representatives from the town’s private and voluntary sector, community and residents’ groups, and Calderdale Council, are now consulting the public on the latest proposals.
The Government Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has to receive summary business cases for these proposals by the end of June and, assuming funding is provided, construction is expected to begin in 2023 and be completed by the end of March 2026 at the latest.
The Market Revitalisation will include a distinctive new market building on the existing canalside site with around 20 fixed stalls, each with water, drainage and power, plus a flexible central space which can be used for events or additional pop-up shops.
Alongside spaces to sit, rest and meet in the concept designs just unveiled, there will be new public toilets plus storage, to create a modern, attractive and vibrant market with the aspiration to open more days of the week.
The new market will sit alongside the Canalside & Thornton Square ‘public realm’ project which will improve links between the Calder & Hebble Navigation and the town centre, and create a community and events space in Thornton Square to accommodate events, parades and more pop-up market stalls.
The current plans are still being developed by a team led by global construction consultancy, Turner & Townsend, which also includes Bond Bryan Architects, Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects, Aspinall Verdi Regeneration Consultants and Marketplace Europe Market Consultants.
Once finalised, the business cases will go to the Brighouse Town Deal Board and Calderdale Council for approval before being submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The Market Revitalisation and Canalside & Thornton Square projects are two of the five projects being developed. The others are:
- Brighouse Welcome – creating a welcoming, vibrant and thriving town which encourages walking, cycling and public transport while recognising the importance of roads to residents, businesses and visitors.
- Retail & Leisure Offer – encouraging more people to come to the town centre by giving them more to do at all times of the day and night meaning they spend longer and spend more.
- Industry 4.0 & Skills – building on Brighouse’s manufacturing heritage to ensure industry is as important to the town’s future as it was to its past. Achieving this by providing access to education, apprenticeships and jobs.
JV acquires site for over 1,000 apartments in Leeds
Cole Waterhouse and Tonia Investments have purchased a 3.8-acre brownfield site in Leeds city centre having recently secured planning for 1,012 apartments, over five separate blocks.
Currently referred to as ‘Leeds City Village’, the triangular site sits opposite Leeds’ cultural district, Quarry Hill. Bound by Marsh Lane to the west and Shannon Street to the north, it was formerly home to the Marsh Lane Goods Yard.
The joint venture sees Cole Waterhouse and Tonia Investments working in partnership for the first time.
Speaking about plans for the development, Damian Flood, CEO at Cole Waterhouse, said: “We seek to build developments where placemaking is central to the design to help deliver places that are desirable destinations as well as great places to live.”
Commenting on the acquisition, JV partner Tonia Investment Principal Charlie Qian said: “Tonia is excited to work with Cole Waterhouse. We hope the delivery of this impressive scheme will add to the continued expansion of the City Eastwards. It will provide an acre of new public realm that we hope will complement the success of the neighbouring cultural quarter.”
The JV partnership now aims to progress the scheme with Leeds City Council. They plan to make a series of design changes to enhance the residential offering and public realm space.
The revisions to the submitted planning application will ensure that the development meets occupiers’ expectations now and in the future; proposed changes include adjusting the balance of studio apartments for larger 1-bed apartments as well as providing a sharper focus on the communal areas and the overall scheme design. Enhancements to the public realm will seek to address functional improvements that enable better use of outdoor spaces for entertainment, exercise and leisure.
Damian Flood said: “Understanding the area’s culture and the community’s future ambitions is crucial and we will be appointing a local cultural lead to help us shape the scheme to ensure it meets the aspirations of local residents. This community-first approach has been hugely successful for us at other schemes, helping to really connect and engage with the local market from the earliest stage of the development.
“We’re really excited to be working in Leeds at a time when it is undergoing a significant period of transformation and we will be appointing a primarily Yorkshire-based team to deliver the project over the next 6 years. We will be submitting the revised planning application by the end of 2022 with the intention to start on site as soon as planning is granted.”
Record breaking year leads to senior recruits at regional law firm
Wilkin Chapman Solicitors has expanded its Beverley office with three strategic appointments following a year of significant growth.
Two partners and a solicitor have been recruited to the firm, which is the largest in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ranked in the Lawyer’s Top 200 law firms. In its last financial year, the Beverley office reported record-breaking turnover for its services provided to businesses and individuals.
Corporate and commercial law expert Alistair Latham joins as a partner along with Katie Wright who specialises in agricultural law. Probate specialist Lindsey Rhodes joins as a solicitor.
Alistair will focus on family and owner-managed businesses, providing services which include advice on structures, succession and commercial contract matters. With more than 25 years’ experience, he excels in his understanding of the issues of importance to business clients and says that the sector specialisms of Wilkin Chapman will help him to deliver an outstanding service.
“The opportunity to work with experts across the firm to find the best solutions to clients’ needs attracted me to work here, along with the friendliness and enthusiasm of colleagues. The firm’s culture sets it apart and, ultimately, the clients benefit,” he said.
Katie Wright will work in the thriving agricultural law department alongside farmers and landowners involved in diversification of which she has significant experience. “My new role will allow me to focus on helping farmers with their renewable energy projects which is of great interest to me.
“Wilkin Chapman has a national reputation for agricultural law, and I saw this job as a superb long-term opportunity. I take great pride building strong relationships with my clients and getting to know their businesses so that I can offer the best legal solutions.”
Lindsey Rhodes, who joins Wilkin Chapman after a period working for an East Yorkshire firm, says that being a good probate solicitor requires more than an understanding of the legalities. “It is about delivering an exemplary, ethical service in a language that people understand, at what can be a difficult time in their lives.”
Partner James Marsden, who is head of the Beverley office, said that demand for services by business and private clients had increased dramatically over past two years.
“We are very pleased to have Alistair, Katie and Lindsey on board as we look to expand our capabilities and fulfil our aim to be the number one choice of law firm for the people of Beverley and East Yorkshire,” he said. “We hope that they can fulfil their career ambitions with us and make a significant contribution to our clients’ success.”
Wilkin Chapman has nearly 400 partners and staff working across five offices. The Beverley office opened in 2005 and now employs 46 people.
Rural broadband specialist relocates East Yorkshire headquarters
Rural broadband specialists Quickline Communications has revealed plans to relocate its headquarters in East Yorkshire as part of its growth strategy.
Quickline has doubled the size of its workforce in the last six months and has outgrown its current offices in Hessle. Work has now started to transform The Mills in Willerby into the company’s new home.
Chief Executive Sean Royce said: “It is an essential move on our part and a huge expansion which will also allow us to manage our next recruitment phase. We’ve already doubled the number of staff we have to 100 and we expect to double that again very quickly to 200. We simply don’t fit where we are anymore.
“The search for the right property has been complex and we are delighted to say that Albion Mills fits the bill perfectly. Whilst our team is located all over Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, the majority are based in and around Hull so we needed it to be easy to get to and close enough to local amenities.
“Our people are important to us and we want a happy work force. We want them to continue to work from home when they choose to, but also to have a dedicated workspace where they can collaborate, create solutions together and build strong relationships.”
Hull-based Chameleon Business Interiors has been commissioned to design and fit-out the interior. Shaun Watts, chairman of Chameleon, said: “We’re proud to be teaming up with a fellow Hull and East Riding business on this project and we’re delighted to get to work on creating a new inspiring workspace for the Quickline team. It’s particularly exciting given the nature of the site and the challenges of working on it.
“More than ever, businesses are putting a huge focus on the space their teams work in. Our work prioritises health, wellbeing, safety and the delivery of inspirational work settings creating a collaborative and engaging workplace environment. Quickline has embraced the future of working and I can’t wait to see the space start to take shape.”
Quickline was drawn to the rustic brick and outdoor space at the Albion Mills site which it feels really embodies its ethos and will make the business feel even closer to the rural communities it serves.
Meanwhile, the move is further evidence of progress in the growth of the business following the £500m investment by new owners Northleaf Capital Partners. The investment has allowed Quickline to accelerate its plans to bring lightning fast broadband speeds to over 500,000 homes and businesses in rural communities where a significant digital divide still remains.
The new headquarters is expected to be ready by August.
Humber Business Week event set to focus on individuals’ workplace resilience
Employers from across the region are signing up for a Humber Business Week event which will look at redefining resilience both personally and within the workplace plus protecting people and organisations from the legal pitfalls arising from the Equality Act, with a special focus on the impact of neurodiversity in the workplace.
Rollits, which has offices in Hull and York, has brought in Josh Connolly, one of the UK’s most influential mental health advocates, to speak at the Employment Workshop – Boosting Resilience in your Teams, which takes place in the Circle Restaurant at the MKM Stadium from 11am until 2pm on Tuesday 7 June.
Josh regularly features on BBC, ITV and Channel 5 news and also speaks at the House of Commons in order to contribute to government mental health policy.
Ed Jenneson, head of Rollits’ employment team, said Josh was hand-picked for the event because of the impact of his work as a resilience coach. Josh runs workshops and coaching clinics with a unique style and an incredible ability to engage his audience and invite them to think of new ideas in respect of resilience.
During lockdown, Rollits supported colleagues and clients with a series of online events which included social activities and input from HEY Mind.
He said: “The demands of life and work have never been greater. Stress can result in absenteeism, burn out and staff turnover. Avoiding stress in modern life is impossible and therefore ways to manage stressful situations is increasingly important.
“A survey by Mind highlights that 54 per cent of sick days are due to stress, depression or anxiety, 25 per cent of people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year and 21 per cent of adults in the UK have had suicidal thoughts.
“We will look at the personal, business and legal issues around this. We’ll cover the steps that employers can take to mitigate against potential discrimination claims, in particular we will focus on the impact of hidden disabilities including Neurodiversity and provide guidance in respect of equality, adjustments and an employer’s duty to ask further questions around an employee’s health where appropriate.
“In respect of resilience, Josh will share his personal story and journey of self-discovery. Josh suffered a number of childhood traumas which have shown up later in his life. His raw honesty and ability to look inwards will leave the delegates with a new idea of resilience.
“This in turn can empower individuals and teams to discover their inner resilience, enabling them to become self-aware, connected and effective.”
Freya Cross, Head of Business and Corporate at The Deep and national chair of the Flexible Space Association, said the event would help to drive further improvements in stress-busting techniques.
The Deep Business Centre houses more than 40 businesses who between them have over 200 employees, not all of whom were able to work from home.
One of the steps Freya took was to appoint a mental health First Aider as a mental health champion, and they embarked on communicating key messages about Covid safety and on leading staff and client online birthday celebrations complete with video of The Deep’s penguins and organising regular visits to the site by the Business Centre’s wellbeing dog.
Freya said: “The absolute priority was to make sure clients were safe and we approached that with the realisation that not all the challenges people are facing will be visible.
“We worked on simple steps to promote wellbeing and we shared those with colleagues nationwide as part of the Flexible Space Association. I’m looking forward to the Rollits event as another learning experience because the focus on health and wellbeing is here to stay.”
Places are limited and booking is essential by Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boosting-resilience-in-your-teams-including-equality-and-neurodiversity-tickets-277575725467 or by visiting the Humber Business Week website
DSP-Explorer acquires Claremont to extend data management capabilities
Oracle Cloud and Database technology specialist DSP-Explorer has completed its 5th acquisition, the purchase of UK-based Oracle Applications Partner Claremont, materially extending its services capabilities.
With offices in London, Nottingham and Leeds, DSP-Explorer is an enterprise database infrastructure and managed services specialist that has established a reputation as a trusted partner for companies that want to invest in Oracle, Microsoft, and indeed multi-cloud technologies.
Following funding and investment from YFM Equity Partners in 2018 and 2021, DSP has grown revenues from an initial £5m to an expected group out-turn of £30m in 2022.
Simon Goodenough, CEO of DSP Group, said: “DSP and Claremont already have several clients-in-common, so when the opportunity arose for us to work together as a combined business I was hugely excited.
“We share similar cultural values, especially those of responsiveness and customer success, and both want our businesses to be great places to work for our employees. Where DSP has traditionally been known for its strength in core database and cloud infrastructure, they have been successful in building a first-class Oracle application management business.
“In an industry where both skills and experience are in high demand, this merger allows us to offer a wider variety of complementary services to our customers, whether they are on a journey to the cloud or in the cloud, and whether that have on-premise application workloads, or hybrid models.”
Founded in 2004 and with offices in Guildford and Newcastle, Claremont is an Oracle Managed Services Provider. They are best known in the marketplace for the provision of Oracle E-Business managed services, their infrastructure cloud offering Claremont CloudTM, and the delivery of business-critical Oracle E-Business migration and upgrade projects.
Mark Vivian, CEO of Claremont, who joins the board of the DSP Group, said: “As a provider of complementary services in the Oracle marketplace, DSP-Explorer is a known quantity to Claremont, and a well-respected Oracle partner.
“I am very excited about the fusion of the Claremont and DSP businesses, combining our applications and technology strengths together with a comprehensive multi-cloud services portfolio.
“The breadth of our combined service offering, along with our shared delivery excellence ethos, will enable us to deliver an even more compelling proposition to customers. I’m looking forward to working with Simon and the team.
“I think that this corporate union presents a really invigorating opportunity for the Claremont team as we join forces with our new DSP colleagues to help to shape and grow the combined business going forwards.”
Simon Goodenough added: “Whilst this acquisition hugely broadens our Oracle portfolio, and takes our client base to well over 500, it also gives us greater opportunities to increase our share of the other fast-growing markets that we address through our Any Database | Any Cloud proposition, both here in the UK and globally.
“I already know a number of the Claremont team and it’s going to be a real privilege to start working with them, and indeed learning from them, as we look to grow our mutual business.”
Grade II listed former specialist school in Leeds sold
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold a unique Grade II listed property, recently renovated as a specialist school, in Leeds.
Armley Grange School, a site recently renovated to a high standard for SEMH provisions, comprises an early 19th century mansion house with original features, and a separate, recently renovated annex extension set within approximately 1.23 acres of secure mature grounds.
The site is located in Armley, a densely populated suburb to the west of Leeds city centre, close to St Marys Hospital and a range of community facilities.
Following a confidential sales process, the site has been sold to a nationwide childcare group.
The sale was handled by Vicky Marsland and Courteney Donaldson from Christie & Co.
Courteney Donaldson, Managing Director – childcare & education, says: “The former Armley Grange school generated much interest from a wide range of buyers, and we wish the new owner every success with their plans for this site.
“The specialist childcare market remains incredibly buoyant with a wide range of well-funded buyers seeking schools and children’s homes on both an operational and vacant possession basis.”
Armley Grange was sold for an undisclosed price.
