Lunch with Bite

Working Lunch, BBC Two's award-winning daily business, personal finance and consumer news programme, gets the thumbs up from APA as a valuable source of current information for PAs.

APA DG, Gareth Osborne, admits “I may be a late adopter of this daily update on all matters influencing business but I am now an addict. I tend to watch it on BBC I Player and catch up on missed shows at weekends but I rate the show highly and particularly like the presentational style.”

The programme has been on air since September 1994 and bills itself as providing "Business news you can use" and boasts presenting it with a sense of humour and sharp insight - accompanied by the funniest graphics on BBC Two (according to them). Presenters Declan Curry and Naga Munchetty manage a fine balance between in-depth interview and informative banter and demonstrate a good grasp of commercial issues.

And their Biogs may give an insight into why they have such a good understanding of business; or more correctly that old northern assertion of ’where there’s muck, there’s brass’, as Naga plays jazz trumpet (and classical piano) and Declan plays the trombone – together they make a perfect team to track down those ‘on the fiddle’.

Members thoughts would be appreciated.

APA

On the other side of the road

To those who know me, it will comes as no surprise that I love America. Having just returned I thought I would share some of those things I think work or amuse me most.

Anyone who drives in the US must love the law that lets you turn right on a right light; it would be left in our case. I think this is inspired and really enables traffic to flow, especially at busy times. I love the current deal from Chevrolet that offers you a 60-day no-quibble, money-back guarantee on all of its cars and any country that can insist that if you want to advertise pharmaceuticals, then you have to include all the side effects; now that makes for amusing television.

I like David Beckham; yes, that well known Californian, who came 7th in the list of people Americans' most admire (and highest of all the sportspeople on the list), after Brad Pitt (1st), Bill Gates, Barrack Obama, Donald Trump, Hugh Hefner and George Clooney (6th). Don’t let anybody tell you the Beckhams are not going down a storm in the US.

And the public address announcement heard while shopping in a high-end department store that said “Ladies, why not visit our shoe department today and take advantage of our 10-day money-back guarantee, if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase.” Now that’s marketing!

Gareth

Royal Ravings

I have to agree with those who say the Royal Family would be well advised to stay away from business; despite them becoming increasing savvy in their own commercial ventures.

I was appalled to learn, as I returned to the UK, that Prince Andrew is defending burgeoning bonuses in the Banking Sector. Talk about being out of touch with the real world! Has the recession completely passed him by? And this, in the same week that President Obama announced that the US will impose severe restrictions on salaries paid to senior executives of organisations it was forced to rescue during the financial crisis; suggesting some could see salaries cut by up to 90%.

The Prince is reported to have suggested that we should not demonise the banking profession and describing bonuses as ‘minute’ in the grand scheme of things. I was previously of the opinion that they had done a pretty good job of demonising themselves by demonstrating the very worst of unprofessional traits, that of institutional greed overtaking professional ethics.

I recognise and acknowledge that not all employees of the UK Banking and Financial sector have access to such lucrative remuneration packages; especially our PAs employed within it, but I do feel that those responsible for strategic policy relating to salaries and benefits have some way to go before they have completed their ‘community service’ and are released to return to near normal life. If Prince Andrew disagrees I suggest he should meet some of the small businesses currently suffering at the hands of the banking nightmare or those trapped with negative equity in a terminally sick property market. Or is he himself insulated from reality in a recession proof job?

Members’ thoughts would be welcomed.

Gareth.

Cutting ''Red Tape

The Association of Personal Assistants (APA) has added its voice to calls for a limit to business regulation, which is said to be damaging the prospects of small firms across the UK.

Gareth Osborne, director-general of APA, said red tape is affecting British firms, meaning action is needed now to safeguard productivity as the recession shows signs of recovery. He echoed claims made by other bodies that regulations have cost businesses £76 billion since 1998 and it is the responsibility of politicians to set them free.

Gareth said: "Given the current economic climate and the need to let business create jobs, there should be a moratorium on new employment laws."

His comments came after shadow chancellor George Osborne told the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester that no new business regulations would be introduced without a compensatory cut elsewhere should the Tories come to power at the next general election.

Meanwhile, Richard Lambert, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry and David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, also welcomed the shadow chancellor’s proposal.

Gareth, APA.

Recruiting? Consult the Oracle!

There is no doubt the current economic conditions have changed the views and opinions of business towards all functional processes, and recruiting strategy is high up most organisation’s agenda.

The days of placing an ad in the local regional or even national newspaper or trade journal are numbered, with job boards becoming the staple diet of job seekers, recruitment agencies and more commonly corporate business. Many businesses are also looking at the cost of using recruitment agencies and again contemplating bringing as much recruitment as they can in-house.

Even using job boards is becoming ‘so last week’ given the prolific and explosive entry of business and social media platforms (digital media) such as LinkedIn and Facebook, which are now seen as key resourcing channels for recruiters and progressive corporate’s.

So where do you start and how many of you are saying, hang on we haven’t even looked at job board advertising yet, let alone digital media? Well a good place is APA. As well as Technology Director for the APA, I am a specialist in modern day recruiting practice so if you want some quick advice or even a comprehensive day’s consultancy, you know where to find me - colin.minto@paprofessional.com.

Colin, APA

Increase to Minimum Wage

The Government announced this week (1st October) that the adult minimum wage rate has been increased from £5.73 to £5.80 an hour, the youth rate for those aged 18 to 21 has increased from £4.77 to £4.83 and the rate for workers aged 16-17 years would increase from £3.53 to £3.57.

It has also been announced that the main national minimum wage rate will be extended to apply to 21 year olds from October 2010. The main rate currently applies to workers aged 22 and over.

Commenting on the rise, Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA said ““The Government is working to maintain a minimum wage inline with economic needs. It is also tightening up enforcement of the minimum wage with new measures, including:

• A fairer way of dealing with national minimum wage arrears, calculated to ensure that employees do not lose out as a result of underpayment.
• Tougher penalties for employers who break the law, increasing the maximum penalty for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage from £5,000 to an unlimited fine.
• Serious cases of non-compliance will in future be tried in a Crown Court.

The Government also suggested that it would draw up plans based on the LPC recommendation that employers who show ‘willful disregard for minimum wage laws’ should be named and shamed."

Gareth, APA.

The PA Elite

A number of senior PAs gathered in London this week to commence work towards the award of their APA Diploma in Personal Assistance (DipPA); currently the professions highest qualification and award.

Gareth Osborne, Director General of the Association of Personal Assistants, who led the group himself, said, “We have seen a particularly impressive group of PAs register for training this year and their thirst for knowledge, combined with a passion to provide outstanding support to their Bosses, is inspirational. At this level we are dealing with highly talented and professional individuals, managers in their own right, who need to be challenged and their skills deployed for maximum effectiveness. A Diploma level PA is definitely not an administrator; s/he is a major player in the achievement of corporate strategic goals and the ‘power beside the throne’. Businesses that have realised the true potential of a world class PA are empowering them to do more at a managerial level to support and represent their Boss.”

Many of this cadre of PAs will complete the work-based exercises, training days and test in time to celebrate the New Year with DipPA after their name.

Gareth, APA.