Advocate | Spring 2014

advocate the magazine from the uk’s leading employee benefits advisory

visit us on your smartphone advogroup.co.uk

spring 2014 | issue#9 | advogroup.co.uk

cancer research uk discover their groundbreaking new smartphone game page 10

cipd is this the end of the pay rise? page 12

matt roberts

an exclusive interview with the personal trainer to the stars page 06 “There is a direct link between disease and inactivity. Unless we address this, no amount of pharma will make the difference to the population’s health”

advogroup.co.uk | what’s in issue #9?

meet the team at advo group larry bulmer chief executive Larry Founded ADVO Group in 1997 and remains fully involved in the day-to-day running of the business

lbulmer @advogroup.co.uk

colin boxall commercial director Colin joined ADVO Group’s board in 2008 and has over twenty years healthcare experience.

cboxall @advogroup.co.uk

kevin crew it director Kevin is constantly working to make sure that ADVO Groups awardwinning ADVO Online service is the best it can possibly be.

kcrew @advogroup.co.uk

chris mc cracken director Chris joined the main ADVO board in 2008 having previously worked in wider financial services.

cmccracken @advogroup.co.uk

gill mateo operations director Gill joined ADVO in 2006 becoming Operations Director in 2013. Gill has oversight of all ADVO Systems and procedures.

gmateo @advogroup.co.uk

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In this edition we are bringing you a fascinating interview with Hannah Keartland, Citizen Science Lead at Cancer Research UK to discuss their amazing new smartphone game

” what’s in issue# 9?

Welcome to the Spring 2014 edition of Advocate magazine bought to you by ADVO Group In this edition we are bringing you a fascinating interview with Hannah Keartland, Citizen Science Lead at Cancer Research UK to discuss their amazing new smartphone game. The app, called ‘Play to Cure: Genes in Space’ offers a truly groundbreaking concept; through people simply playing the game, extremely valuable genetic data is generated to help scientists in their battle against cancer. Hannah explains how the project began, from the ‘Gamejam’ event through to the launching of the app and it’s planned developments.

We are also bringing you an exclusive interview with Matt Roberts, personal trainer to the stars, and ADVO’s Nadiya Hasan discussing her fantastic award win at last year’s health insurance awards as well as the other awards that have been so important to ADVO over the years.

We also look at one of the issues that 58% percent of people believe could seriously harm their career… the office romance. The latest research from Monster provides some fascinating insights into today’s perception on relationships that originate at the workplace.

We also look at a recent study that suggests that while 71 percent of top executives believe gender diversity in the boardroom is always a good thing, nearly a third (29 percent) of all senior executives doubt its value altogether.

This is all in addition to the other major human resources and occupational news stories included in this issue of Advocate including The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s predictions on the future of the pay rise, the REED study showing that many UK businesses could risk losing their top talent, the health and safety heroes getting formal recognition, and the fantastic news from here ADVO Group that the company has been awarded Investors In People Silver accreditation.

advogroup.co.uk | who we are

advo group who we are and what we do...

Advocate magazine is produced by ADVO Group Advocate Magazine is produced by ADVO Group and published quarterly.

ADVO Group Ltd is an independent employee benefits advisory with a broad-based clientele. Our objective is to be seen as the UK’s most trusted adviser on employee benefits solutions.

ADVO can test prospective clients’ arrangements against our connectedhealthTM benefit benchmark. Please be in touch for further details.

We also offer a bespoke interactive online system for multi policy management and amendments. Employees can also be given access to their personal benefit details and Total Rewards.

Please follow http://soc.advogroup.co.uk for more information.

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T: 0845 2578833 F: 01622 769211 E: info@advogroup.co.uk

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advogroup.co.uk | contents

contents issue#9 spring 2014 health Page 06 Page 10

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Exclusive interview with Matt Roberts, Personal Trainer

An interview with Hannah Keartland, Citizen Science Lead at Cancer Research UK on ‘Play to Cure: Genes in Space’

human resources Page 12

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Page 14

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Page 18

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Page 16

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The Chartered Institute of Personel and Development discusses the future of the pay rise

A third of senior executives dismiss the merits of gender diversity UK businesses risk losing talent

58% think an office romance could harm their career

occupational health Page 20

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advo news Page 22 Page 24

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The unnecessary health and safety measures according to the Health and Safety Executive

ADVO Group win Investors In People Silver Accreditation

ADVO Group at the twelfth annual HR Directors Summit

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a third of senior executives dismiss merits of gender diversity page 14

advogroup.co.uk | contents

advo group interviews cancer research uk on their new smartphone game page 10

page 18 58% think an office romance could hurt their career

the end of the pay rise? page 12

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advogroup.co.uk | interview with matt roberts

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advogroup.co.uk | interview with matt roberts

Set a realistic achievable goal and where necessary take steps to achieve it matt roberts, personal trainer

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mattroberts.co.uk Matt Roberts’ personal training service has seen him boost the fitness of some of the biggest household names including Michael McIntyre, Amanda Holden, The Saturdays and Mel C, to name a few. The Londonbased personal training company has grown to become a recognised luxury service, as Matt explains ”The company started two decades ago at a time when gyms were really dark, dingy and a place people didn’t generally want to be. I could see there was no luxury, premium spaces for clients to work out so I combined training with a five star environment and fantastic service. It hit a real nice gap in the market and has grown from there.

Today there are five clubs across London (Mayfair, Chelsea, Hampstead, City and Belgravia) and the expert in-house team offers training, diet and nutritional programming and lifestyle management”. In the latest in our interview series we discuss the most common barriers to improved fitness and how to go about realising those new years resolutions to get in better shape.

What is it that makes your personal training services unique?

personal training provider in the UK and one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Over the years we have helped countless people to achieve their goals so there is very little we have yet to see. The fact we really listen to our clients and can draw upon our breadth of knowledge and expertise to deliver those people real results it what makes us different. It might sound simple but not many people actually achieve it.

What does your typical day involve?

My day starts with a good breakfast and into work to train my first client around 7:00am; I normally have about three to four clients per day. Between then I am mostly in strategy meetings talking about ways to grow and develop the brand plus the normal day to day issues of running a business.

Unsurprisingly food plays a big role in my day and I always make time for lunch and then I tend to train in the afternoon. My day finishes late afternoon after my last client and then home for time with the family around 7:30pm.

What part of your role gives you the most satisfaction?

We established ourselves in 1995 so are the longest running one-to-one

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advogroup.co.uk | interview with matt roberts It is two-fold; when a client hits their goals it is always really rewarding but equally seeing my team grow and develop is very satisfying. A number of them have been with me over ten years and seeing them flourish as individuals makes me proud.

What direction or increased specialisation do you see your training taking in the future?

Training is becoming more and more bespoke simply because we have the

technology and industry innovations to understand more about ourselves.

For example DNA testing is leading the way in terms of what it tells us about people and how we are able to programme specifically for that individual. It means the time is the gym can be used with optimum efficiency so help keeps people really motivated.

Tell us more about your training work with celebrities.

There is not a great deal to tell to be honest, the boring answer I know!

They are just the same as any other client walking through our doors albeit their timescales might be a little tighter if they are getting ready for a film or big event. Discretion in this business is absolutely key so I can’t say too much more!

What do you think are currently some of the main barriers or issues preventing people from being in better shape?

Unsurprisingly it is time and motivation. We all know what it is like when you are busy at work so finding the time and motivation to exercise is difficult. By doing something you enjoy and attacking it in small, intensive chunks can make it easier on both fronts.

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By doing something you enjoy and attacking it in small, intensive chunks can make it easier on both fronts

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People often set themselves new years resolutions to improve their fitness levels. What do you think is the best first step people could take to start this process?

Set a realistic achievable goal and where necessary take steps to achieve it. You might have a long term goal to run a marathon but if you have never even put on a pair of running shoes before there is little point scheduling one within the next three months.

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DNA testing is leading the way in terms of what it tells us about people and how we are able to programme specifically for that individual

”

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Instead break it down into smaller goals, so for example start with a 5 and 10km and gradually build up to a full marathon. Trust me you will get a great deal more satisfaction from completing a shorter distance than you will failing a long one. theworkfoundation.com.

For the latest interviews and news visit news.advogroup.co.uk.

For information on how an employee benefits package can impact on your employees and your business speak to one of ADVO Group’s expert and fully independent advisors today on 0845 2578833 or email info@ advogroup.co.uk

discover how advo perks can help your employees with every day high street costs find out more now on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | interview with cancer research uk

ADVO Group interviews Cancer Research UK on their groundbreaking smartphone game cancerresearchuk.org Cancer Research UK recently launched an incredible new smartphone game where people playing the game will actually generate important data to help scientists in the fight against cancer. To find out more about this amazing project we talked to Hannah Keartland, Citizen Science Lead at Cancer Research UK. What is the idea behind the excellent new app ‘Play to Cure: Genes in Space’?

Our scientists have huge amounts of data that they need to analyse – it can take years. A lot of this analysis needs to be done by the human eye – computers just aren’t accurate enough. And so the only way of getting through the data more quickly is by having more people looking at it.

We’d noticed the number of people playing mobile phone games and so we wondered if we could develop a game where they were analysing cancer data at the same time. We’ve developed a game which should appeal to people of all ages – but the exciting thing about the game is that it’s not just an enjoyable game, it’s also generating scientific analysis which is useful to our researchers.

How does a player’s interaction with the game actually create such useful

genetic data?

Last March we held a GameJam where we brought together our scientists Your mission in the game is to fly with academics, gamers, developers through space gathering up as much and designers. At the beginning of valuable Element Alpha as possible, the weekend our scientists shared steering your spaceship left and right their challenge – after that it was to where the densest clouds of Element about everyone working together to Alpha are. The really clever thing is generate mobile phone games which that where the Element Alpha is in could solve it for them. After 48 sleep space is actually determined by genetic deprived hours, 12 gaming prototypes data from cancer cells. The path that were made. The next step was to take you fly through space is what’s useful the output from that weekend and to our scientists – it helps them to turn it into the game which we’ve now identify where there are faults in launched – Genes in Space. That’s cancer cells which might give us clues where Guerilla Tea came in – with their about how to treat it. gaming expertise they’ve worked really closely with our scientists to develop a There is a very insightful video on game which is enjoyable but which will the Cancer Research UK website also be useful to our scientists. talking about the journey of the creation of the game from the When will scientists be able to initial idea and the collaborative make use of the data gathered from work of developers from Facebook, people playing the game? is this an Google etc. Can you explain how this instantaneous process? journey took shape and progressed?

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advogroup.co.uk | interview with cancer research uk Our scientists have already received analysis which has been carried out by people playing the game. We’re hoping to get an indication of how accurate this analysis has been in the next few months.

The game seems to have gotten a lot of great reviews, are you pleased with the reaction it has received?

We’ve been totally blown away by the amount of positive feedback we’ve had. We’re so pleased that people like what we’re doing. We think it’s a really exciting and innovative idea and it’s brilliant to know that the general public do to. The success of this game is down to lots and lots of people playing it – the more people play it, the faster we get through the data and the more accurate that analysis will be.

And so we’re really pleased that people are playing it and are enjoying it – that just means we’ll be able to have more of an impact in terms of accelerating research!

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the more people play it, the faster we get through the data and the more accurate that analysis will be

How can people play the game? Is it free to download and what devices can they play it on?

Genes in Space is free to download from the Apple App Store and from Google Play.

How important do you think it is now to utilise such technological and interactive means to enable people to contribute to Cancer research?

As a charity, Cancer Research UK is always looking for new and innovative ways to beat cancer sooner. We also believe that everyone should be able to get involved in the fight against cancer – if technology means that people are able to get directly involved in our research then that is really exciting!

How can people help spread the word for others to discover the game and contribute to the level of data collected?

upon the game in the future such as updates, expansion of the game or different games altogether?

We’ll be releasing updates over the next weeks and months to address some of the feedback we’ve already received. We’re currently working on our strategy for all of Cancer Research UK’s citizen science activity. We think there’s a huge opportunity to use crowd-sourcing as a way of addressing data bottlenecks and we’re working out the best way we can do this.

What are some of the other ways that people can make a contribution to Cancer Research UK aside form playing this game e.g. fundraising activities etc?

I’ve included the link to ways you can support us: http://www. cancerresearchuk.org/support-us

For more information about this amazing game please and Cancer Research UK please visit We’d love everyone with a smartphone www.cancerresearchuk.org. to download the game, play it and share it with their friends. Social For the latest health news as well as media is a great way to help others find the biggest stories in human resources out about the game – for example on and occupational health visit ADVO Twitter (#genesinspace) or Facebook. Group’s news feed at We’d also encourage everyone to news.advogroup.co.uk. review the game and send us feedback.

Will there be any development

The path that you fly through space is what’s useful to our scientists – it helps them to identify where there are faults in cancer cells

”

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advogroup.co.uk | the end of the pay rise?

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advogroup.co.uk | exclusive advogroup.co.uk interview with | the lucyend irvine, of the advo paygroup rise?

The end of the pay rise? real terms wage increases won’t be sustained until we increase UK productivity according to latest cipd report cipd.co.uk The CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, has released a report analysing the most sustained and severe fall in real wages since at least the Second World War, and warns that the decline will not be reversed until there is a substantial improvement in the UK’s poor productivity record. The report is accompanied by new survey data showing many employees expect pay rises in 2014 to be below inflation – a repeat of their experience in 2013.

‘Have we seen the end of the pay rise?’, which is the third in a series of four Megatrends surveys exploring the future of work and the economic challenges which lie ahead, examines the effects of average weekly earnings that are now between 7.8% and 10.2% lower in real terms (depending on the measure of inflation used) than they were five years ago, in January 2009, leading to a sustained squeeze on household finances.

improve standards of living.

This signals a period of further challenges for managers, who will need to find other ways of motivating improved performance amongst their employees without the promise of increased pay. Communication is vital. Employees are much more likely to be satisfied with their pay rise if the reasons behind it are explained to them. Managers will need to communicate effectively The survey also points to the US with their direct reports to manage experience as evidence that a return to their expectations and talk about the real terms increases cannot be taken benefits of a wider reward package, for granted, even if economic growth such as pensions or investment in does continue. For the median fulllearning and development. Here, time worker in the US, real earnings however, the ‘Employee Outlook: Focus are no higher now than they were in on employee attitudes to pay and 1979. According to the report, this pensions’ survey is not encouraging, is a trend that could take hold in the with many employees stating that UK, and indeed in other developed their employer is not giving them economies. the training that will allow them to progress to more senior and better Data from the CIPD’s ‘Employee paid roles.

Outlook: Focus on employee attitudes to pay and pensions’ survey, released Mark Beatson, Chief Economist at to accompany the Megatrends report, CIPD, said: “The politically charged reveals that a third of employees debate about wages and the cost of expect no pay increase in 2014, with a living won’t be solved by politicians further third expecting the same rise trading blows over statistical analyses. in 2014 as in 2013, when the median Instead, we need to recognise as a rise was a below-inflation 2%. Looking nation that real increases in pay will back, the survey found 54% of private only be delivered through increases sector employees had a pay ‘rise’ in in productivity – and that for this to 2013, and the same was true for 51% happen we need employers, employees in the voluntary sector and 43% in the and policy makers to come together public sector. However, only a minority in a combined effort to improve UK (36%) received a real-terms rise to productivity.

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we need to recognise as a nation that real increases in pay will only be delivered through increases in productivity

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“We need a shared agenda to produce the long-term improvement in productivity needed to make higher pay affordable and sustainable without pushing up unemployment. And government has a part to play too, with a more concerted effort needed to provide an improved supply of higher level skills and just as importantly encourage greater demand for and utilisation of these skills. This needs to be driven through integrated industrial and skills policies designed to equip the UK with the capability to compete more effectively through innovation, efficiency and quality, as compared to an approach that sees us attempting to compete excessively on low cost.”

For the latest human resource news visit ADVO Group’s news feed at news.advogroup.co.uk.

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advogroup.co.uk |Third of senior execs dismiss merits of gender diversity

a Third of senior execs dismiss merits of gender diversity executivesonline.co.uk New research from interim management and executive recruitment specialist Executives Online shows that while 71 percent of top executives believe gender diversity in the boardroom is always a good thing, nearly a third (29 percent) of all senior executives doubt its value altogether. James O’Brien, managing director of Executives Online, said: “These figures show that there are clearly still a significant number of senior executives who don’t support the theory that gender diversity in the boardroom is good for business. This comes at a time when gender diversity is a hotly debated issue and the number of females in top executive roles is still low, having dropped from 6.7 percent to 5.8 percent internationally.”

The research, conducted in November 2013 among Executives Online’s Global Talent Bank, also shows that three quarters of top executives believe that more appointments of women to

senior executive roles can be achieved without quotas, whereas less than a quarter (21 percent), believe that quotas should be introduced.

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O’Brien continued: “Our research shows that the vast majority of executives believe quotas would not be helpful as a way to increase the number of women in top executive

as being a key driver to changing views and behaviours; and over a fifth (21 percent) advocate the availability of flexible working arrangements.

O’Brien added: “Examining the detailed explanations given by respondents, it’s interesting to note that the majority of those opposed to quotas express concerns that important positions may be awarded to women despite there being better qualified male candidates.

They believe that candidates should always be appointed on merit alone.

Others express concern that women may feel undermined due to inferences that they were awarded their position not on merit, but rather to fulfil a quota.”

The research looked at the perceived advantages and disadvantages of boardroom gender diversity. Over a third of all respondents believe that a major benefit of gender diversity in the boardroom is broader visionary thinking (35 percent), while nearly a fifth (18 percent) think that diversity delivers better governance. Other benefits cited are more innovation (17 percent) and better risk management (14 percent).

However, nearly a third (30 percent) of those polled believe there are potential downsides to gender diversity in the boardroom, including conflict (11 percent); indecision (nine percent); blockages (eight percent); and lack of direction (seven percent).

O’Brien concluded: ”The lack of progress towards achieving boardroom gender diversity has brought renewed attention to the question of whether companies are taking appropriate measures to provide equal opportunity to women and whether failure to do so is putting their firms at a disadvantage”.

roles. However, just shy of half of all respondents (43 percent) believe that quotas would help to encourage more women into senior executive roles.”

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research shows that the vast majority of executives believe quotas would not be

helpful

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Executives Online’s research also looked at possible alternatives to quotas for achieving gender diversity in the boardroom. More than a quarter (27 percent) of respondents cite mentoring and guidance for highpotential female executives earlier in their careers as a potential option.

Just over a quarter of respondents (26 percent) mention continued discussion and visibility on the issue

“Our research shows that a significant proportion of top UK executives dismiss the idea that boardroom gender diversity provides value, helping to explain why so few senior executive roles are held by women.”

For the latest human resource news visit ADVO Group’s news feed at news.advogroup.co.uk.

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advogroup.co.uk | uk businesses risk losing talent

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advogroup.co.uk | uk businesses risk losing talent

uk businesses risk losing talent according to report from reed reed.co.uk The economic landscape may be improving, but with a third of workers setting their sights on a new job in 2014, businesses need to invest in their workforce if they are to win the race for talent – according to recruitment specialist REED. With pay remaining static and workers reporting fewer benefits, a new report which canvassed the views of 2,500 employers and employees reveals that it’s time for businesses to take action.

The REED 2014 Salary and Market Insight report shows that while the UK’s workforce is stable with more than three quarters (79%) of workers feeling secure or very secure in their roles, up 5% on 2013, 43% of employers are worried about losing talented individuals from their organisation.

Throughout the past 12 months, REED has been reporting on employment trends across the UK which has shown that a candidate’s market is reappearing, with the number of job opportunities up 28% year on year as the economy continues to improve.

Despite this, only 38% of businesses have a talent strategy and none of the organisations questioned had changed their approach or put new incentives in place to retain staff in this competitive environment.

saying this gap is having a negative impact on their business. What’s more, 1 in 10 organisations (13%) admit they do not do a good job of attracting talent to their organisation.

Tom Lovell, Group Managing Director at REED, comments: “Despite lacking rewards, the majority (70%) of employees are satisfied or very satisfied in their current role.

However, as the economy continues to strengthen and job opportunities rise, the competition for quality candidates will increase, and businesses can’t afford to lose out”.

“Despite a need to attract and retain talent within their organisation, many businesses aren’t investing in their workforce through pay or their benefits, such as training, and this will impact on the overall satisfaction rating for their workforce.

With two thirds (66%) of employees Businesses need to invest in both their not receiving a pay rise in the last employee brand reputation and talent 12 months and 37% receiving no management to attract people with the incentives at all, businesses need to act right skills to their organisation and now if they are to keep their top talent hold on to employees with the right according to REED. talent”.

Year on year, employees reporting to receive training, pay rises, bonuses and Drive your employee engagement staff entertainment are all down from with an employee benefits packaged last year. managed through ADVO Group. Speak to one of ADVO’s free and independent The report also highlighted a shortage advisors today on 0845 2578833. of skills with more than a third (37%) of businesses saying they have a skills gap in their organisation and 70%

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advogroup.co.uk |58% Think an Office Romance could Harm Career

58% Think an Office Romance could Harm Career monster.co.uk

Many chose not to create any overlap between their love-life and work-live for fear of the potentially damaging effects they believe this could cause on their career. A recent study from Monster tried to unearth just how many workers truly are opposed to the idea of starting a relationship with someone they might work with.

The globally conducted poll from Monster found that, overall, the majority of people do seem to be opposed to starting romantic relationships at work. 39% of respondents answered “Yes harmful and I would never date a colleague”.

19% of respondents answered “Yes harmful, but I would date a colleague anyway (especially if we were attracted to each other)”. 15% of respondents answered “Not harmful, but I would never date a colleague” and 27% of respondents answered “Not harmful and I would date a colleague”.

for the other or is in a more senior position, can be very controversial and many companies prohibit it. No one should jeopardize a good job for a quick fling. But, if you develop a very special connection with a coworker, remember that exploring other career options is easy; true love is hard to find.”

study also had the lowest rate of “not harmful and I would date a colleague” answers, at only 18%.

Sat at the opposite end of the findings, French respondents seemed most likely to throw caution to the wind: 72% of French respondents think an office romance would harm their career; but, if there was a mutual attraction, 49% would pursue a colleague anyway. This doubled the responses from Germany, a very much distant second place with only 24% stating they would pursue a colleague despite the perceived risks. Indian “The implications of dating a corespondents were found to be far worker are best examined on a more cautious. Only 9% would pursue case-by-case basis. Thoroughly an office romance despite believing understanding a company’s policies it would harm their career. Overall, and culture is imperative,” said Mary respondents from countries within Ellen Slayter, Career Advice Expert Breaking down the data from the study the EU tend to be more relaxed when for Monster. “If you’re interested in geographically, respondents from it comes to office romances; 35% pursuing a colleague, treading carefully America were the most opposed to believe they’re harmless and would is always the smart approach. An office romances. More than half (52%) date a colleague, and only 24% are equally important factor: seniority. believe office romances are harmful wary of office romances and would not Dating between employees at the and would never consider dating a consider one at all. same company, when either one works colleague. American respondents to the

“

If you’re interested in pursuing a colleague, treading carefully is always the smart approach

”

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find out how cash plans help everyday expenses speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | the unnecessary safety measures

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advogroup.co.uk | the unnecessary safety measures

the unnecessary safety measures according to the hse hse.gov.uk A new survey has revealed the lengths some small firms mistakenly go to trying to comply with health and safety. One business completed a risk assessment for using a tape measure and another introduced written guidelines for walking up stairs.

These bizarre and unnecessary actions were uncovered by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which is encouraging small and medium sized employers to use its free online tools and guidance, specifically designed to help them get their risk management right.

The H&S ABC provides simple information to help small firms save time, effort and money by identifying the things they really do and don’t need to do.

HSE’s survey shows how myths about health and safety could cause unnecessary confusion and flagged some of the most absurd things employers had been advised to do.

One in five people (22 per cent) surveyed believed they weren’t capable of managing health and safety themselves and needed to hire a specialist consultant. Eleven percent believed that a qualified electrician must test electrical appliances, such as kettles and toasters, every year – another persistent myth.

Nearly a third of small businesses surveyed classed themselves as ‘hopeful-have-a-go’s’ when it came to health and safety – aware they have to take some action but unsure where to start or if what they are doing is correct.

HSE’s small business lead Kate Haire said:

“Health and safety is all about taking reasonable steps to manage serious risks of ill-health and injury in the workplace. If something sounds completely unreasonable, more often than not it will be totally unnecessary

too.

“What’s great about H&S ABC is that it contains all the information smaller businesses need to know to manage health and safety sensibly and comply with the law. It highlights the real risks in a workplace and how to put reasonable precautions in place.

“We have worked with some key industry partners who have regular contact with SMEs to make them aware of the benefits of using the free online tools and guidance HSE has to offer. We hope employers will realise health and safety does not have to be complicated or cost lots of money.”

John Allan, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“The fear factor forces many businesses to adopt unnecessary health and safety procedures which costs time and money. So to introduce a new resource to give small businesses a way of clearly identifying guidance and information designed for them can only be a good initiative. It’s a tool which will not only help to sense check compliance, it will also avoid ‘gold plating’ and show how health and safety need not be a burden on their business.”

Whether a business employs one or two people, or is expanding to multiple locations, the free online guidance will help even complete beginners get health and safety right. Visit www.hse. gov.uk/abc to get started with sensible health and safety.

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advogroup.co.uk | INVESTORS IN PEOPLE SILVER

ADVO Group wins investors in people silver accreditation The ADVO Group has been presented with the prestigious Investors in People Silver award. ADVO was given the national award for demonstrating consistency of excellence in the way the business develops and supports Staff.

ADVO became one of the few UK employers to achieve the standard IIP qualification in 2004 and has since worked hard to become one of only 2% of IIP accredited businesses to achieve Silver.

The Investors in People Standard is awarded to well-run organisations which demonstrate sound management practice with emphasis on best practice and commitment to Staff development & support.

Recipients of the Silver award go beyond their minimum requirements demonstrating up to an additional 75 pieces of evidence needed to achieve the standard Investors in People accreditation.

Larry Bulmer, CEO at ADVO said: “To jump Bronze and go straight to Silver is an incredible achievement. We have always recognised that our people are our greatest asset and the key to our continued success. They have worked hard and have been rightly recognised.

We ask a lot from our people but always try to give them the tools to allow them to be the best they can be.”

“

To jump Bronze and go straight to Silver is an incredible achievement. We have always recognised that our people are our greatest asset and the key to our continued success

”

Gill Mateo, Operations Director said: “Everyone was absolutely thrilled with the Silver award. Our People have a fantastic work ethic and their commitment to Clients is brilliant. The Silver Award is well deserved.”

In a recent interview with ADVO’s Nadiya Hasan, we asked winning the Investors in People Silver Accreditation means for the company. Nadiya

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commented

“It demonstrates Advo Group recognise how important people within the business are to maintaining Advo Groups continuing success.

Additionally as an Employee Benefits advisor it demonstrates that we practice what we preach and that our employer really does understand how an employee’s wellbeing can affect their performance. Although we are divided in to teams the real feeling is that we are one big team and everyone is interested in each other’s successes and sharing knowledge so that we can all grow. “ Drive your employee engagement with an employee benefits packaged managed through ADVO Group. Speak to one of ADVO’s free and independent advisors today on 0845 2578833.

discover how working with advo impacts on employee engagement speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | the twelfth annual hr directors summit

advocate spring 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 24

advogroup.co.uk |the twelfth annual hr directors summit

advo group at the twelfth annual hr directors summit advogroup.co.uk Now in it’s twelfth year, the HR Directors Summit is one of the largest and most highly anticipated events within the HR industry. This year’s summit, hosted at Birmingham’s ICC, brought together an amazing array of more than eighty guest speakers, one-thousand HR Directors and over eighty exhibitors.

The event’s programme was tightly packed into a two day schedule and featured speakers from some of the world’s biggest brands such as BBC, Facebook, Nestle, Time Warner International and Coca-Cola Enterprises, to name a few. Many of the keynote presentations dealt with some of the biggest issues the HR industry faces today such as the changing future of HR, human capital management and attracting top talent.

One of the key exhibitors and sponsors of this year’s event were ADVO Group, a multi-award winning employee benefit consultancy.

Providing a set of employee benefits has undoubtedly become a vital component of HR strategy for driving employee engagement, wellbeing and staff retention. However, it seems there was a common issue felt by many at the event with regard to the management and communication of employee benefit packages, as ADVO Group’s Commercial Director, Colin Boxall explains “Meeting with a wide range of HR Directors it is apparent that the majority of employers face the same problem, the management and effective delivery of staff benefits. Money is spent but the staff appreciation in many instances is low”.

The relevancy and need for the supportive technology service that runs alongside ADVO Group’s managed employee benefit packages seemed apparent. Colin Boxall further commented “We saw the exhibition as an excellent opportunity to gage opinion on ADVO’s focus on delivering supportive technology. It confirms that there is increasing desire of employers of all sizes to use technology effectively to manage, deliver and communicate

benefits. Feedback we received however confirmed that this often comes at a prohibitive cost for SMEs and smaller / mid-sized corporates”.

The desire to enable such technology to be utilised across business of all sizes is something ADVO Group were keen to express. Colin Boxall commented “ADVO’s focus is the further development of our own unique technology. It is our aim to support our clients in all employee administration, in fact to support the whole journey with their employer”.

“Currently we provide online multibenefit management and employee access to benefits including Total Reward Statements with technology fees covered by traditional broking.

Although ADVO Online remains ‘cutting edge’ we want to take this further incorporating full flex, HR and payroll linking back to benefit management to make technology available to all employers and not just larger corporates”.

For more information about the event please visit http://hrevent.com/

To find out how an employee benefit solution from ADVO group can benefit your business speak to one of ADVO Group’s expert and fully independent advisors today on 0845 2578833 or email info@advogroup.co.uk.

advocate spring 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 25

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

thank you for reading see you in the summer for the next edition of advocate magazine! issuu.com/advogroup Thanks for catching up with us here at ADVO Group for this Spring 2014 edition of Advocate magazine. Advocate will be back once again in the Summer to provide you with the very best human resource, occupational health, employee benefit and private medical insurance news, interviews, features and more!

ADVO Group’s account on Issuu.com will continue to be the primary home for Advocate magazine.

The best way to stay in touch is by subscribing to the news section on the ADVO Group website. You can do this by entering your email address at news.advogroup.co.uk/subscribe.

The subscription process is incredibly simply and best of all; it’s absolutely free!

If you’ve got a story that you think belongs in Advocate magazine, whether it’s news focusing on private medical insurance, human resources, occupational health or if you’d like to be interviewed then don’t hesitate to get in touch. Send your inquiries to info@advogroup.co.uk

In case you missed our key contacts at the start of the magazine you can get in touch with any of them on the contact details below.

Larry Bulmer Chief Executive lbulmer@advogroup.co.uk

Chris Mc Cracken Director, Commercial cmccracken@advogroup.co.uk Colin Boxall Director, Corporate cboxall@advogroup.co.uk Kevin Drew Director, Advo SIS kcrew@advogroup.co.uk

Gill Mateo Just to remind you about who we are Operations Director and what we can offer, ADVO Group gmateo@advogroup.co.uk is a multi award winning employee health benefit advisory looking after the requirements of many customers, from small businesses right up to multi national corporations. Whatever your private medical insurance or employee benefit needs, we are here to help. We offer entirely indepent, free and expert advice so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a ring on 0845 2578833. You can also email us at info@advogroup.co.uk.

advocate spring 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 26

You can also get in touch by calling us on 0845 2578833, faxing us on 01622 769211. We also have three offices across the country.

Head office: ADVO House St Leonards Road Allington Kent ME16 0LS

Oxford Office: 8 Old Station Yard Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3LD

You can also get in touch through any of our social media channels. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+. Thanks again for reading and see you in the Winter for the next edition of Advocate magazine.

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

find every copy of advocate magzine online at issuu.com/advogroup Issue #8 spring 2013 An exclusive interview with Professor Greg Whyte, ADVO’s Nadiya Hasan’s fantastic health insurance award win and ADVO’s donation to Computers 4 Africa.

Issue #7 autumn 2013 Exclusive interview with Wahanda CEO, Lopo Champalimaud, the rise in cancer patients facing workplace discrimination and how flexible working could add billions to the UK economy.

Issue #6 summer 2013 Exclusive interview with Paul Farmer, CEO at Mind, an insight into the Chinese healthcare system, Microsoft appoints its first female CFO and much more.

make sure you don’t miss a copy by subscribing to our issuu channel... its 100% free! advocate spring 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 27

Maidstone Office ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Allington, Kent, ME16 0LS

Oxford Office 8 Old Station Yard Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3LD

Tel 0845 2578833 Fax 01622 769211 Email info@advogroup.co.uk Web advogroup.co.uk

ADVO Group | Employee Benefit Consultants ADVO Group Limited Registered Office ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS Registered in England No 4500663.

The ADVO Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.