Transform

As a Chamber member you have the power to influence key decision makers and play a leading role in tackling the issues that are preventing your business from reaching its potential, while an experienced team of lobbyists represents your interests in Whitehall.

JOIN YOUR LOCAL CHAMBER COMMITTEE

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce is made up of six local Chambers covering Cambridge & South Cambs, Ely & East Cambs, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and Stamford. Each local Chamber committee is made up of member companies from a wide range of sectors bringing their own experience and expertise to the group. You can play a leading role in tackling issues in your local area through joining the committee of your local Chamber. You can have an input into helping the Chamber lobby local MPs on matters of local, regional and national economic interest. If this is of interest to you, please email chamber@cambscci. co.uk and specify the local area you would like to join and we will arrange for the Chair of that Chamber to get in touch with you.

QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY

Thank you to all our members that took part in the recent Economic Survey. The survey submissions are being collated and once complete we will be able to share the findings in the next issue of connected and on the Chamber website. Don’t forget you can see the latest Monthly Economic Review on the local Chamber pages of our website. This briefing provides an easy-to-use commentary on the key domestic and international economic indicators for UK businesses.

BE PART OF OUR INTERNATIONAL SECTOR GROUP

As well as coping with Covid-19 and the restrictions imposed on businesses, we have also had to adapt to the changes that Brexit has enforced on companies trading internationally. We will be re-launching our International Sector Group over the next couple of months and are looking for individuals to join the committee to shape the group and discuss the events and seminars we should be running going forwards to support our local importers and exporters. If you have expertise in International Trade, or are an exporter or importer with issues that need support to resolve, and would like to be part of this group please get in touch with Karen Cash, Export Team Supervisor at the Chamber, who will be working with our existing Chair and committee to help move this sector forward. Please email k.cash@cambscci.co.uk or give Karen a call on 01223 237414.

SURVEY SHOWS MAJOR SECTORAL DIFFERENCES IN HOW FIRMS HAVE ADOPTED FLEXIBLE WORKING PRACTICES DURING THE PANDEMIC

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have released new figures showing that over two thirds (66%) of businesses surveyed were offering remote working to employees. The data, from a survey of over 900 businesses conducted in April 2021, also shows nearly three quarters of businesses expect to have at least one employee working remotely over the coming year, with the average expectation among those firms being just over half of their employees working remotely. There were some major sectoral differences in the results – 80 per cent of B2B services firms (such as finance and law) were able to offer working from home, while only 61 per cent of manufacturers and 54 per cent of B2C services companies (such as hospitality and retail) offered this. For manufacturers and B2C service firms 21 per cent were not able to offer any of the flexible working options proposed, in comparison to only seven per cent of B2B service businesses.

A new BCC survey of more than 900 UK firms shows that remote working was by far the most common form of flexible working offered at 66% - however only 54% of B2C services firms could offer it, against 80% of B2B services firms

Flexitime or staggered hours were offered by 38 per cent of firms and part time hours by 36 per cent, while working from different locations was on offer from 32 per cent. Only 15 per cent offered all jobs flexible as standard and the proportions offering options such as job sharing (8%) and self-rostering of shifts (7%) were low. When asked what they considered barriers to implementing remote working in their businesses 55 per cent of firms said staff morale or mental health and well-being. In addition, 30 per cent of respondents pointed to fairness to staff whose roles cannot be performed remotely. Firms also cited monitoring productivity (28%), poor internet connectivity (26%) and issues with IT (24%) as barriers to implementing remote working. There were further sectoral divides in the responses. For instance, 53 per cent of manufacturers cited requirement for physical presence to operate equipment, whist in B2C service firms the proportion was 35 per cent and B2B service businesses only 16 per cent. 39 per cent of manufacturers also cited fairness to staff whose roles cannot be done remotely, the figure being 29 per cent for B2C service firms and 25 per cent for B2B services. British Chambers of Commerce Head of People Policy, Jane Gratton, said: “During the pandemic, many employers have learned how to manage and motivate people working from home. They’ve also experienced the advantages of an agile workforce, in terms of diversity, skills and productivity. It’s vital that businesses have access to clear guidance, information and best practice resources to help them embrace the broadest range of remote, workplace and flexible working options as we emerge from the pandemic. “These results show that nearly three quarters of firms will now continue to benefit from a remote working option during the coming year. But it’s clear that some firms and individuals are facing barriers to remote working with many employers concerned about the impact on team morale and employee wellbeing. “Working from home is by no means the only way in which people can work flexibly. There are a great deal of flexible options available to all businesses including those which require onsite presence, for example, job sharing or selfrostering of shifts. Businesses need to attract the best people with the skills they need to be successful and flexible working enables employers to unlock new pools of talent. Offering flexible working opens the door for businesses to find the talent they need to fuel growth and rebuild our economy.”

72% of businesses say they will have at least one member of staff working remotely over the next 12 months, with those firms expecting an average of 53% of their workforce to be working at least some of their hours remotely

Mental health and wellbeing of employees were cited by 55% of respondents as a barrier to remote working. Others mentioned requirements for face-to-face contact with staff or customers (41%) and requirements for physical presence to operate equipment (33%) as barriers