Author: Direct Response Employment

Job Hunting in Lockdown:

 Our Top Tips 

This is a very challenging time for all of us, especially if you are unemployed or have been made redundant as a result of the current COVID19 pandemic. Looking for a new job can be a stressful experience at the best of times, so searching for your next role during a global pandemic is bound to leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Whilst many companies have put recruitment on hold, there are many others that continue to recruit remotely or are actually experiencing increased need for staff. If you are currently searching for work, take a look at our top-tips on how you can make the most of your job-seeking time…

Be Prepared

While lock-down is in place, some of us have more time on our hands than usual. You can use this time to make yourself as employable as possible. Make sure you have updated your CV, if you have LinkedIn, make sure your profile is representing you well online. There is plenty of free online training at the moment. 

If you need help check out our CV writing tips

Check out our website

Be Flexible and Open-Minded

Be open minded, it is unlikely to be the case that you can walk straight into your dream job. It may be that companies in your chosen sector are not likely to recruit until the national lock-down has come to an end. This may mean that you will need to be more open to trying something new or maybe a temporary role that you may not have considered before. Some industries are experiencing an increase in the need for extra staff, so staying flexible for the time-being may be the best way forward for you. When things begin to return to normal, potential employers will be impressed that you had the attitude and flexibility to take on a new challenge during this time.

Do not get Disheartened

The job market has changed drastically since the Coronavirus outbreak and it may be harder and take longer than usual to find work. Be patient and do not be discouraged to continue with your job search if you do not succeed right away. It is certainly not impossible to find work at the moment  many employers are adapting to this new way of life and are recruiting for roles where you can work remotely from home so be prepared to take-on this new challenge! You can read our tips on working from home. 

We are here to help

Remember to keep in touch with your recruitment consultant if you have  registered with an agency like Direct Response Employment Services. Our teams are working from home and are continuing to do all they can to help as many people find work as possible during these difficult times. If you are not yet registered with us, please do get in touch, you can find our out-of-office contact numbers on our website

We wish you all the luck in your job search.

Please get in touch with the Direct Response Team and  we will do all we can to help you with your hunt for

Whilst at present there are no formal end to the government’s restrictions on work or travel, other countries have started to ease restrictions, so when will the UK government follow suit and what restrictions will be lifted? In addition to this, the Coronavirus job retention scheme is in place until June 30^th 2020, so businesses will be needing to plan to bring employees back to work either before or on 1^st July. 

So how should Employers and Employees prepare for the return to the working environment after a lengthy time off?

When the government furlough scheme ends on June 30^th, your business may still not need to bring all its existing workforce back at once. In this case you essentially have three options:

1. )Agree reduced working hours with some or all staff
2. )Furlough staff for a further period at your own expense
3. )Consider redundancies 

Reduced working hours

If your business has work for its staff but not a full level before restrictions, you may want to consider or ask staff to reduce their hours on a temporary basis. As with furlough, as this will be a temporary contractual change, you will need to have this agreed and signed in writing. Should you need to reduce workers hours, you will need to be clear about the reasons for it and be prepared to respond to questions from your staff. 

Further Furlough

Should the coronavirus job retention scheme finish on the 30^th June, that may not necessarily fit in with your own business timescale. It may be that you wish to or prefer to keep some staff on furlough for a further period as you implement a passed return to normal working. 

If your furlough letter to individual employees did not include a specific end date, then you can continue to keep staff furloughed on the same terms as the CJRS, although your business would need to bear the full cost of their 80% payment and other employment costs. It would be sensible to write to employees to explain that you are continuing furlough for them (with an estimate of how long for if you can give it) as many will expect the end of the government scheme to mean a return to more normal working.

If your furlough letter did include an end date or linked furlough to the CJRS, you will need to seek further agreement from staff to continue being furloughed. Again, you will bear any employment costs and it would be sensible to give an estimate of how long the further period is likely to be.

Redundancies

Your business may need to seize trading, or you may only have enough work and requirements for less staff. In such a situation, at the end of the CJRS you may have no choice other than to make redundancies. While you need to follow the correct legal process, take any steps can to support employees through this process as redundancy will be a crushing blow to many people when they have just been through a challenging time. 

Employees returning to their working environment

If you have been placed on furlough or been asked to work remotely, it is likely that you have come out of your normal routine and become comfortable for the last few weeks/months knowing you do not have to get up and travel to work in the morning. So, what are the best ways for you to prepare to get yourself ready for returning to work?

1. )Have a couple of early nights, go to bed at a time you would normally and set your alarm for the time you would be getting up to go to work and stick to it because otherwise it will be a shock to the system when that time comes
2. )Eat healthier and drink plenty of water – a healthy and clean eating helps you feel good about yourself and you will not feel sluggish and tired. 
3. )Prepare for your day/week ahead. Get your work attire out and ready. Act as if it were your first day on the new job. What do you need to take to work? Is there anything specific you need? 
4. )Check with your employer and see if it is 100% save to return to work.
5. )Prepare yourself mentally – having had some considerable time off and not having been able to go out as often as you will have liked, your mindset must be focused and ready to give your all for when you return to work. If you feel you are not 100% then speak with your boss or colleagues about this as they may be able to offer you some comfort and positivity to help you. 

We hope that you are all keeping to the government guidelines and remain social distancing, and once we are back to some form of normality, we see you all again. Remember to remain kind to others, help others when you think they need it most and always check in on others because you never know, that one call or message may be the boost that they need to put a smile on their face. 😊

What does the removal of the Swedish derogation mean? 

• Abolition of the derogation means that all agency workers will be entitled to pay parity (see below).
• By no later than 30 April 2020 TWAs must provide workers whose existing contracts contain a Swedish derogation provision with a written statement telling them that with effect from 6 April 2020, those provisions no longer apply. Agency workers can bring a claim in the Employment Tribunal where their TWA fails to provide that statement on time.
• Workers asserting rights under the new Regulations will be protected from detriment and unfair dismissal.

 What is pay parity?

• An agency worker is entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions as direct recruits of the same business (including pay) once he/she has undertaken the same role with the same hirer for 12 continuous calendar weeks.
• “Pay” includes any sum payable in connection with the agency worker’s employment, including certain bonus payments, holiday pay, overtime, shift allowances and unsociable hours premiums, but excludes company sick pay, maternity/paternity pay, adoption pay, pension contributions and redundancy pay.
• It does not include bonuses which are not directly attributable to the amount or quality of the work done by a worker, and which are given to a worker for a reason other than his/her personal output, such as to encourage the worker’s loyalty or to reward the worker’s long-term service.

3 Top Tips to keep you motivated whilst working remotely! 

With most employees over the past few weeks having to work from home, it has certainly seen a lot of changes in the way we work, interaction with colleagues, clients and customers and the change in how a company has had to operate. 

In this difficult time, not having our normal routine of getting up and going to the workplace can leave us a bit out of sorts and de-motivated so we have come up with some tips to keep you positive and motivated through these unusual times. 

Having your own workspace at home: 

As easy as it may be to go sit on the sofa with your laptop and attempt to work while the TV is on, it can be highly distractive and often cause a lot of employees to be less motivated. 

If you are able to try and set up your own office space whether this is in a spare room, a corner of the kitchen table or somewhere quiet in your household, then do it. 

It may be simple but having somewhere where you can place your laptop, work gear, telephone etc away from where you would normally sit in the evening makes you feel more motivated, less distractive and not have that feeling that work is invading your home life. 

Keep in touch with colleagues: 

We often forget we spend a number of hours a week with our colleagues at work and its those conversations, team meetings and general support we miss whilst at home.

It’s important you keep in touch with colleagues whether this is by daily catch-ups on the phone, having a team meeting online using video chat and keeping each other involved in what you are doing day to day helps. 

With the number of digital tools we have at our fingertips, there is no reason why team meetings can’t happen, catching up with colleagues or having a good old team quiz to keep employees spirits high. 

A to-do list: 

Whilst being at home it is often hard to keep track of time and things to do like we normally would in the office, which is why it is handy to have a daily to-do list. 

Each morning set out what you need to get done for the day by writing a task or to-do list and let this support you throughout your day. This way it helps you keep on track, sets out what you want to achieve for the day and gives you satisfaction and that thought of accomplishment when completed. 

Remember it is important during these times you look after yourself and your mental wellbeing so keep in touch with colleagues, friends, and family and keep safe.

Coronavirus Update.

In these unprecedented times, we are operating as best we can to keep business going as usual. We are working remotely and will do our utmost to find you staff where possible. 

We appreciate that many businesses are facing huge financial and staffing challenges, so if we can help utilise staff that are currently not working for you and place them elsewhere, we will do our best.

If you have any questions, please contact our office on 01225 776500.

We will of course continue to update you with any further information and follow the government guide lines.

 Thank you for your continued support.

All the team at Direct Response Employment Services

With the uncertainty that is currently surrounding Covid-19, businesses having to close and workers concerned and worried what this means for their job, you have probably heard the word Furlough be used more often than usual and might wonder what it means for you. 

We have set out a few common questions below and a quick guide to what Furlough is and what it means.

What is Furlough and what does it mean? 

Furlough is essentially a leave of absence given to staff who may temporarily are not working for their employer but still remain on their books. Historically this has been done in cases were businesses may have a slow period and therefore furlough staff, this saves the business money during this short period and to help cut costs during a difficult time within a business without having the make staff redundant. 

Due to the impact of the coronavirus and the impact this has had on businesses the Government has introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as a temporary measure to support businesses and employees during this difficult time.

The Job Retention Scheme allows businesses to furlough staff and claim 80% of wages back through a job retention portal, allowing businesses to Furlough staff with temporary leave and limit job losses as well as given some financial support to employees by paying 80% of their wages.  

Are you Eligible?

The Job Retention Scheme covers all employees who are paid via PAYE and have a UK bank account. All employees must have been active on the employers payroll on the 28^th of February. 

Any employees who started employment after the 28^th of February unfortunately will not be able to qualify for the job retention scheme. 

If you were made redundant after the 28^th of February 2020 you may still be eligible for the scheme.

 Your employer can agree to re-employ you and place you on furlough instead. They’ll still be able to claim a grant to cover 80% of your monthly earnings, up to a monthly cap of £2,500.

Check the Government website to see if you are eligible or for further advice on what to do if you don’t qualify for the scheme, such as claiming universal credit. 

How much will I Get? 

The Employer will be able to obtain a grant to cover 80% of your monthly earnings, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. 

Employers will also be able to claim the cost of National insurance and Pension contributions which are paid by the employer up to a total of £300 per month. 

You will still need to pay tax and national insurance contributions and any other deductions necessary on the wages you receive even while on the grant.

Your employer can choose to top up your pay by 20% so you receive full pay however this is not compulsory and is down to the individual employer. 

If you are furloughed you are still covered by your usual employment rights that includes Statutory Sick Pay entitlement, maternity rights, other parental rights, rights against unfair dismissal and to redundancy payments.

How are your monthly earnings calculated?

If you’ve been employed (or engaged by an employment business in the case of agency workers) for a full year, employers will claim for the higher of either:

• the amount you earned in the same month last year
• an average of your monthly earnings from the last year

If you’ve been employed for less than a year, employers will claim for an average of your monthly earnings since you started work. The same arrangements apply if your monthly pay varies such as if you are on a zero-hour contract.

If you started work in February 2020, your employer will pro-rata your earnings from that month.

How long can I be on the scheme? 

As a furloughed employee you will need to be on the scheme for a minimum of 3 weeks up to a 3 month period, however this could be extended by the government. 

Can I still work for my employer if I am 7ofurloughed? 

No, you cannot work for your employer or carry out any work for them if they have out you on Furlough. 

You can keep in touch with colleagues, managers and HR to keep updated on regular updates but you should not be carrying out any duties. 

Don’t be tempted to log in and check your emails or give a client a quick call as this won’t help you or your employer and could result in your employer not being able to claim the grant on your behalf if you continue to do work them.

If you would like to find out more about being furloughed or what you may be able to claim to help you in these difficult and unchartered times then pleas take a look at the Government website for all the latest advice.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees#furloughed-workers

With all the uncertainty, which is currently sweeping across the UK, here at Direct Response Employment Services we wanted to let you know we are open and for us its business as usual. 

As the country is slowing down and taking necessary precautions to protect the nation against the pandemic which is currently affecting everyday lives and has had a crucial impact on employment. Employees are being asked to work from home, to employees having reduced hours or not be required to work due and redundancies it is certainly a worrying time. 

Direct Response have been established for 22 years and we want to let you know we are here, and we are open for business and actively recruiting candidates to work on a temporary basis across Wiltshire and Somerset. 

We have several roles at present mainly within food production or within a warehouse capacity where they are looking for staff to get on board immediately. 

If you have found your employment affected by the current circumstances and want to find some temporary work to keep you going through this difficult time, then we are certainly on hand to help and we can offer just that. 

Please get in touch on 01225 776500 to have a chat with us and see how we can help.

On 31 January 2020 at 11pm, the United Kingdom left the European Union and entered a transition period, due to end on 31 December 2020. During this transition period, Europeans can continue to live and work in the UK and are entitled to freedom of movement right as they did before Brexit.

That said, EU citizens and their family members who wish to remain living in the UK after 31 December 2020 will need to apply for an immigration status to remain legally resident.

A specific scheme called EU Settlement Scheme has been introduced for all the EU citizens. Please keep on reading if you would like to find out more.

Who can apply for the settled and pre-settled status?

If you’re a European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss citizen, you and your family will be able to apply to get either settled or pre-settled status. The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Applicants currently outside the UK can also apply for Settled or Pre-Settled Status. The deadline for the applications is the 30^th of June 2021, for anyone who wants to remain in the UK.

Please note: You will be required to apply for the Settled or Pre-settled status even if you were born in the UK, but not a British citizen.

What’s the difference between settled and pre-settled status?

EU nationals who have lived in the UK for at least five continuous years have to apply for settled status (permanent) to secure their right to stay after Brexit. While those who have been in the country for less than that or they have not been in the UK continuously for 5 years can get pre-settled status (temporary) and build up their five years. People granted pre-settled status have the same rights to work, study, receive healthcare and benefits as those with settled status.

People who have obtained pre-settled status will have to go back on the same application system and apply for settled status once they have completed the 5-year residence period.

Where do I apply and what do I need?

To apply to the EU Settlement Scheme people will either need to fill in an online form at GOV.UK website or download the app on your smartphone or tablet.

However, the app is currently only available for Android phones, but the government is looking to introduce the app for Apple devices as well. 

When applying you will need:

• an identity document – your passport, national identity card, biometric residence card or permit.
• a digital photo – you can take a selfie during the application.
• your National Insurance number or proof of how long you’ve lived in the UK.
• a mobile phone number.
• an email address.
• proof of your relationship if you’re applying for a child or another family member. 

What if I already have permanent residence or ILR?

If you currently hold UK permanent residence, you can apply to transfer to settled status. 

If you already have indefinite leave to remain or enter, you will not be required to apply for settled status. However, you may consider this option since settled stouts permits absences of up to five years without loss of status, whereas ILR is limited to two years out of the country.

How much does it cost to apply?

There will be no application fee for those applying for settled status or pre-settled status.

If you currently hold UK permanent residence, transferring to settled status will also be free of charge. Also, if you have accumulated five years’ residence and are applying to transfer from pre-settled to settled status under the scheme, again there will be no charge.

Can a family member join me in the UK?

Existing close family members living overseas will be able to join you in the UK in the future in the same way as they can now, provided your relationship with them began before 31 December 2020 and you are still in the relationship when they apply to join you.

A close family member includes a spouse, civil partner, durable partner, as well as a dependent child, grandchild, parent or grandparent. This includes the child, grandchild, parent or grandparent of your spouse or civil partner.

We hope this article formed in a question and answer format has helped you to gain more information on the EU Settlement Scheme. 

Direct Response Employment Services is constantly providing support to its employees with applying for the settled and pre-settled status. If you are having any problems with your application and you are working with us then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

With the National Living Wage and National Minimum wages being increased this week, we have set out the increases below and a few easy mistakes which employers often don’t take into consideration when thinking about the minimum wage. 

The National Living Wage: 

The National Living Wage came into effect in 2016, providing legislation for employers to pay anyone over the age of 25 years and above a minimum amount. 

Currently the living wage is set at £8.21 per hour but this is set to increase to £8.72 an hour from the 1^st of April 2020 providing those who fall into this bracket an extra £1000 a year to their pay. 

The National Minimum wage: 

The National Minimum wage covers 4 age brackets and falls into 4 basic categories those aged 21 – 24 years, 18 – 20 years, 18 and below and those students who are currently earning though their apprenticeships. 

The table below sets out current minimum pay for the above brackets and the increases set to take place on the 1^st of April 2020.

Although most companies aim to always remain compliant when it comes to the above minimum wages, there are some common mistakes employers can fall short on.

• Including Tips as part of their wage. 
• Uniform requirements that push employees below the minimum wage. 
• Not updating an employee’s wage when they move into the next age bracket or keeping track. 
• Not including time to change into uniform, team meetings and briefings and traveling between work meetings or different work sites. 

These are easy enough mistakes but they have a big impact on employees being paid less and a big impact on you as the employer, not only does it take time to correct these mistakes, it can also have a detrimental effect on the business reputation and even cause legal cases to be raised and prosecution against the company. 

Its imperative employers make sure processes and procedures are in place, good systems and technology and that HR and Payroll staff are fully up to speed with any updates and changes. 

If you are getting set for the increase and would like some further advice, please get in touch and we would be happy to assist.

Recruiting new employees can be a costly and time-consuming process for many organisations; it often uses a lot of time and resources, but doesn’t offer any guarantees. No matter what size organization, a recruitment agency can help meet the changing needs of your business by finding quality candidates and assuming a variety of staffing needs.

There are a number of reasons why an employer may decide to outsource their hiring process; we have outlined some of the main advantages below:

1. Recruiters save employer’s time.

Hiring talent into your business can be long and often stressful. Advertising and screening CVs is often the most time consuming process and can be difficult to manage, as you can only tell so much from a CV. Working with a recruitment agency will help, as this would be taken care of and only the suitable candidates will be sent for you to look at. This means you have more time to get on with your actual job and it will also give you a peace of mind that you will be receiving only the right candidates for your vacancy. 

This is a great advantage that can significantly shorten the full recruiting process. In other words, you can hire the best candidate much faster!

2. Advertising made simple.

Advertising jobs can often be a frustrating process for companies, especially due to the skills gap in the current labour market. Firstly it tends to be quite expensive, as job boards tend to charge a lot more for job posting if you are not buying in bulk. 

Secondly, just because you have advertised your job on multiple job boards doesn’t mean that you will attract the right candidates. Sometimes when employers advertise vacancies, they do not receive applications with the skills they are looking for. They are recruiting for an experienced candidate with certain skill set, but the CVs they receive simply don’t hit the mark. Often, this is down to poor marketing; the high-calibre people they need simply don’t see the advert. And if they aren’t aware of the opportunity, they can’t apply for the job.

Also, working with a recruitment agency offers you the ability to reach a huge number of highly relevant and talented candidates through their database and existing relationships.

3. Good knowledge of the market.

Any great recruitment agency will have great recruitment consultants who have in-depth knowledge of the market. Firstly they will know the current recruitment trends. This will offer you insight into what competitors are offering for similar positions ensuring you are not setting yourself up for a difficult and sometimes impossible task of attracting talent into your business. 

Secondly, any great recruitment consultant will have a solid understanding of the professions and industries they are supplying. This really helps to target the right candidates for the position and means that when a CV is put in front of you it will most of the time be a quality and highly relevant CV. 

Employers don’t need to go alone, when it comes to hiring. The benefit of a recruitment agency, such as Direct Response is that we can help businesses and organisations access the skills and experience they need, in good time, without breaking the bank. If you are currently recruiting and would like to discuss the services we offer, then please don’t hesitate to contact one of our friendly consultants.