Business News

New research by Acas has found that over a third (35%) of British employers have not spoken to their staff about their mental health and wellbeing over the past year during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Acas commissioned YouGov to ask businesses in Britain about whether they had personally talked to their staff about their mental health in the last 12 months during the pandemic. The poll found that:

A leading Birmingham industrialist has welcomed the recent ‘electrification’ investment into the West Midlands but called for the region to do more to make sure ‘local content supply’ is on the agenda.

Grayson Thermal Systems’ Stuart Hateley believes we are poised to miss a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to ensure that all tiers of the supply chain have the chance to benefit from the move to more sustainable vehicles.

According to new national research published by the UK’s leading pub company and brewer, Greene King, more than a third of UK workers today have never met their colleagues in person.

Despite the inevitable uncertainties of returning to the office, 85% of British office workers say they are looking forward to a return to the office and getting to spend more time with colleagues – with work social events high on the agenda.

The Chief Executive of a leading mental health charity has been nominated for a prestigious business award. Monica Shafaq of the Kaleidoscope Plus Group has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Corporate Achievement of the Year category at this year’s British Muslim Awards.

A total of 300 men, women and businesses have been shortlisted in the awards, which recognise the wide achievements of British people of Islamic faith, in fields including business, charity, law, and education.

Infrastructure engineers Crown Highways have received the top prize at this year’s Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield & Tamworth and Cannock Chase Chambers of Commerce annual awards. Crown Highways, the winners of the Large Business of the Year award, received the award alongside eight additional category winners in a grand ceremony at the Drayton Manor Hotel, supported by returning headline sponsors Amazon.

Following growing concerns over its conduct in recent months, from its handling of Sarah Everard’s death and the discovery that officers had photographed the bodies of two murdered sisters, to its initial decision to not investigate the Downing Street parties held in lockdown, the Metropolitan Police has triggered yet another wave of public outrage after a new report uncovered “a culture of misogyny, harassment, racism and homophobia” within the force.

Downtown in Birmingham (DIB) hosted their first event of 2022 at the Riva Blu Italian Bar and Restaurant, in Birmingham.

A lunchtime filled with relaxed networking and lunch with the professionals in the city, the first Birmingham event of the year got off to a great start as attendees were able to re-connect, mingle and get introduced to new members and prospects.

Birmingham's ambitious plans to address the climate crisis will be in the spotlight this week when the city plays host to the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC).

Chaired by Lord Deben (former Environment Secretary, John Selwyn Gummer), the CCC is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008 with the purpose to advise the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

A record 92 businesses will be chasing excellence at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards on Friday, 4 March.

The local business community will gather at the ICC in Birmingham next month to recognise those who have gone above and beyond in the last year.

This will be the first time the event, one of the largest business occasions in the UK, will have been held live for two years.

Wolverhampton’s brand-new National Brownfield Institute has been visited by the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP during a whistle-stop tour of the city's university. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities met with University and Council leaders during a visit Wolverhampton, which is home to the department’s second headquarters.

At the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus on January 28, Gove toured the recently completed £17.5m National Brownfield Institute (NBI) which is a flagship initiative backed by central and local government to transform the construction and housing sectors.

Employers should think carefully before reducing sick pay for isolating unvaccinated staff, says a leading employment solicitor. Joanne Stronach, who is Head of Employment Law and HR at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, said employers could put themselves at risk of contract or discrimination claims if they introduce rules without first seeking legal advice.

Covid-19 has cost some city and large town centres in the West Midlands more than half a year’s worth of potential takings since March 2020. This is according to Cities Outlook 2022 – Centre for Cities’ annual economic assessment of the UK’s largest urban areas.

Central Birmingham is worst affected, losing 46 weeks of sales between the first lockdown and Omicron’s onset. Businesses in Coventry and Stoke city centres are also among the worst hit.

FareShare Midlands is building on its overall mission to fight hunger and tackle food waste, by creating opportunities through their employability programmes. With an ambition by 2024 to support​400 people into vocational training, placements or paid work, this year the charity has already shown impressive success across the schemes.

In Birmingham, the I-CAN employability programme in partnership with the PURE Employment Service (funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund) is a six-week programme of classroom and work experience to help individuals aged over 25 to develop the skills, knowledge and expertise they require to enter training and employment in the warehousing and logistics sector.

Major Midland employers including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Severn Trent Water will be amongst the organisations at next month’s apprenticeship open day at Make UK in Birmingham, which will also feature apprentice vacancies with immediate starts.

As well as the chance to speak to potential employers and members of the Make UK team, the free event on Saturday February 12th will spotlight the incredible opportunities available in engineering and manufacturing, and include several ‘have a go’ activities - including a Lean Tyre Challenge, F1 Track and 3D printing.

German heating, industrial and refrigeration systems manufacturer Viessmann has bolstered its heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) expertise with the acquisition of Durham-based Pacifica Home Services Ltd (PHS) – with the support of Midlands law firm Shakespeare Martineau.

PHS is a specialist in both installation and maintenance of integrated HVAC solutions with a further specialisation in heat pumps, and is well-known to end customers under the brand 0800 Repair.

The Chancellor held a virtual roundtable with small businesses to launch Help to Grow: Digital, designed to support smaller businesses adopt new tech to help them thrive.

Rishi Sunak hosted the call with over 30 businesses from across the UK at CineBowl in Uttoxeter on January 20th to mark the launch of the scheme, where he spoke to people on a big screen about their experiences before taking part in a Q&A session. The scheme includes a dedicated website providing free advice and support and software vouchers to boost productivity and help businesses grow.