< PreviousBentley Continental GT Mulliner W12 A symphony of luxury, performance, and craftsmanship East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk AUTOLINKT he Bentley Continental GT Mulliner is not so much a car as it is a symphony of luxury, performance, and craftsmanship that’s set to leave an indelible impression. The exterior design of the Continental GT Mulliner W12 is a testament to Bentley’s commitment to attention to detail, sculpted with precision, resulting in a silhouette that’s both elegant and commanding. The Mulliner variant showcases Bentley’s most exquisite features, boasting unique 22-inch wheels that command attention and a distinctive Double Diamond front grille that exudes an air of exclusivity. It also has many customisable options that set it apart in the Continental GT range. Nestled under the hood, the Mulliner is propelled by a 6.0-litre twin- turbo W12 engine, churning out a staggering 659PS and 900Nm of torque. This powerplant is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, ensuring a seamless and efficient transfer of propulsion, resulting in a car that’s as thrilling to drive as it is to look at. Venture inside the Continental GT Mulliner, and you’re greeted by an interior that’s a masterclass in lavish luxury. The diamond-quilted leather upholstery is visually stunning and incredibly comfortable, making every journey pleasurable. The ride comfort is unrivalled, courtesy of the advanced air suspension that effortlessly absorbs road imperfections. However, it’s adjustable by selecting a driving mode to adjust the bias between softness and agility in the bends. Furthermore, the boot space measures 358 litres, which is more than enough for a few suitcases or a golf bag. The Continental GT Mulliner is not just about luxury and performance, or perhaps accommodating the odd set of golf clubs; it’s also equipped with a wide range of safety features to ensure that you and your passengers are always protected. For instance, a head-up display provides crucial information without requiring you to take your eyes off the road, while a night vision feature enhances visibility in low-light conditions. In conclusion, the Bentley Continental GT Mulliner is an opulent, potent, and meticulously crafted vehicle that stands in a class of its own. Fast Facts Max speed: 208 mph 0-62 mph: 3.5 secs Fuel economy: 20.6mpg Engine layout: 6.0 Litre twin-turbo W12 Max. power (PS): 659 CO2: 308 g/km Price: £270,700 www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link AUTOLINKwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY Trouble at the partywww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link CORPORATE HOSPITALITY © stock.adobe.com/Ekaterina_Molchanova Christmas parties are designed to be fun and are important for maintaining staff, but there are a lot of things that can go wrong – it’s best to be aware of these in advance. O ver two-thirds of companies throw a ‘Christmas’ or year-end party in the UK and it’s important it goes well. Success mainly depends on how people are left feeling after the event, especially as the period over Christmas and New Year is a key time for staff to consider whether they want to apply for another job, often at another company – so the party shouldn’t leave anyone with a bad taste in their mouth. There is a lot of risk involved, however, and problems can occur when alcohol flows. Staff need be aware that the party, even though outside of office hours and often office workspace, is an extension of the working environment, both from a PR point of view and in legal terms and here lies an expectation for all to behave accordingly while having fun. Any staff members’ behaviour at an event can give rise to claims or disciplinary action so it’s essential to communicate expectations by circulating a considered email, a staff meeting and notices in staff rooms. The CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development) states, “make your expectations clear - remind people of the behaviour that’s expected of them beforehand, including communicating your policies on dignity and respect and on drugs and alcohol misuse.” When people know what parameters are in place they feel safe and can relax and enjoy the event. Many attendees may worry what to chat about at the office party. Politics should be avoided and although it’s tempting to vent about the state of the country there are many more pleasant topics to discuss such as next years’ vacation plans, favourite foods, bands or video games. Keeping topics light and general stops attendees feeling anxious or aggravated. Ensure official talk is kept in the office and employers remain aware of expressing opinions about employees too or making promises of promotion at a party that aren’t kept as if the promotion falls through, it can end up in an Employment Tribunal based on ‘breach of trust’. Other considerations are whether social media postings are permissible, staff need to be informed on this topic beforehand as selfies are here to stay! The obvious issue that can cause problems at a party and 54 Á East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY upset others is when people drink too much, whether it’s a free bar or not – avoiding hard spirits and limiting the number of drinks per person can help this as well as providing non-alcoholic drinks such as mocktails, juices, water and tea or coffee. Also, drinking on an empty stomach is not recommended so providing finger food, a buffet or sit down meal is ideal, depending on your budget. A DJ or band can help as well as getting people moving further averts extreme drunkenness and allows people to enjoy themselves dancing, and others enjoy listening to some good tunes and watching others dance. As well as drunkenness other problems could be if an argument or fight breaks out. If this happens staff members, two or more preferably senior staff or HR personnel, should intervene adjourning to a quiet corner and offering a listening ear and non-alcoholic drink to calm a situation down, reassuring an upset attendee they are being heard. As always, if necessary, issues can be discussed in the clear light of day especially as an employee can be fired for aggressive behaviour or complain about unfair dismissal, so if in doubt about matters HR or management should offer a clear course of action. Unwanted contact, offensive or lewd remarks can also cause consternation at a party. Sneaking a consensual kiss under the mistletoe might be OK but groping and inappropriate touching can be classed as sexual harassment which could not only lead to criminal charges and could result in dismissal. In this ‘Me Too’ era, employers need to remain vigilant at all times during the festivities as the company can also be held liable. As many employees argue ‘it’s not fair being fired for actions at a company party’, so all staff should be treated equally and it’s important for a company to acknowledge when HR or an employer is to be involved in a situation as well as keeping an open dialogue for any employee wishing to discuss things they felt uncomfortable with. Luckily, many complaints are easily dealt with but for ones that aren’t, again, proper protocols must be followed and all concerned be made aware of them. Employers should ensure they distance themselves from any unofficial ‘after- party’ and highlight to staff when the company event starts and ends. No employer wants to be seen as curtailing on-going enjoyment but staff should be reminded of their expected ‘after-party’ behaviour, for example, not drink driving. This can be actively discouraged by offering secure overnight parking, taxi company and public transport information or the company providing transport. Finally, a consistent policy regarding post-party absenteeism and behaviour, if it’s a workday following the party, should be decided on beforehand to avoid arguments - how lenient or not a company is going to be regarding lateness or absenteeism needs to be communicated to staff so they are aware of the consequences and can make suitable arrangements beforehand so they can then relax and enjoy the whole night. Coming into work drunk from the night before can lead to dismissal, especially if in your work role you drive or operate machinery and nobody wants that to happen. © stock.adobe.com/deagreezFEATURES End Of Year Round Up Invoice & Finance Solutions Health & Safety Logistics Engineering REGULARS Commercial Property Motoring Corporate Hospitality Watch out too for the latest news from across the region in every sector Next month in December 2023 - Deadline 15th November Visit us at www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inbox East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk raising you and your business’s profile and generating you more customers. For more information visit www.businesslincolnshire.com/events/eve nt-details/ ?id=4254&navigatedFromSearch=true Enterprising Women – STEM Breakfast Panel Wednesday 8 November Chesterfield College, Chesterfield Join the Enterprising Women network as co-chairs Jean Mountain and Eileen Perry host a breakfast panel around women in STEM. For more information visit www.emc- dnl.co.uk/events/enterprising_women_- _stem_breakfast_panel2413964471/ Lincolnshire Construction & Property Network November Tuesday 21 November Sleaford Moor Enterprise Park, Sleaford From sole traders to large housing Derby Manufacturing Network Tuesday 7 November Enterprise Centre, Derby The Derbyshire Manufacturing Network forms part of the umbrella East Midlands Manufacturing Network which is led by East Midlands Chamber. It unites local manufacturers, enabling members to harness the cross-industry, business, engineering and manufacturing knowledge necessary to evolve and expand. For more information visit www.emc- dnl.co.uk/events/ derby_manufacturing_network2197247746 / FSB Business Bootcamp: Marketing Mastery Wednesday 8 November Brackenborough Lakes Resort, Louth This free event of Marketing Mastery for your business will be covering all aspects of marketing from concept and strategy right the way through to practical steps on how you can elevate your brand online, in print, video and more - all with the aim of events associations, construction and property businesses come together to talk business at the Lincolnshire Chamber’s Construction Network. Meet up to 60 construction related businesses in one room. Attending the Construction Network for two hours every month is one of the most productive ways that you can keep up to date with project news and new business and tendering opportunities amongst contractors and suppliers. For more information visit www.lincs-chamber.co.uk/ events/lincolnshire-construction-property- network-november/ Modern SEO Wednesday 22 November The Grand Hotel, Mercure Leicester If you want to outrank your competitors and get more free traffic from Google, this is the workshop for you! From choosing the right target keywords to getting other websites to link to yours, you will learn all about search engine optimisation (SEO) and how to use the techniques on your own site. For more information visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/modern-seo- tickets-731866019967?aff=oddtdtcreator © stock.adobe.com/ J.M. Image Factory © stock.adobe.com/ ImageFlowwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link How to Become a Disability Confident Employer Wednesday 22 November Online The Department of Work and Pensions will be hosting this webinar on how businesses can encourage long term, behavioural change. You will be provided with the resources, to be empowered as an employer, to improve your recruitment, retention and development of disabled people in your workforce. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/the-department-for-work- and-pensions-how-to-become-a-disability-confident-employer/ The Autumn Statement – How Might it Affect You? Thursday 23 November Online Following Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday 22 November, colleagues from Streets Tax and Streets’ financial services team will present on the announcements made along with providing an update on topical issues affecting business clients and private individuals during this tax year 2023/24. Whilst the Autumn Statement will most likely focus on measures to bring down inflation, it will likely provide some indication as to the treatment of taxation and potential changes that might occur in the Spring Budget 2024. For more information visit www.streetsweb.co.uk/ about/events/the-autumn-statement-how-might-it-affect-you/ Midlands Energy Summit Thursday 30 November University Park, Nottingham Held in partnership with the University of Nottingham’s Energy Institute the 2023 Midlands Energy Summit will explore how businesses, academia and policy makers can come together to ensure that clean growth underpins our future economic landscape. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events/ midlands_energy_summit425494664/ © stock.adobe.com/ ovelyday12 Carbon Footprinting: the Next Steps Tuesday 21 November Online So you’ve produced your first carbon footprint, now what? This webinar will help organisations use the available information to prioritise the areas of focus for reducing their carbon emissions and the associated financial benefits. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/ events/carbon_footprinting_the_ next_steps4224963616/ Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. And finally The world of Frazer 58 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Jargon-busting In an age where it seems younger generations are constantly making up new terms to the confusion of their elders, concurrently almost half of Gen Z and Millennial employees say workplace jargon is making them feel left out. Research from LinkedIn and Duolingo, surveying 1,016 respondents in the UK between the ages of 18 and 76, found that over two-thirds of young people believe their colleagues are using too much jargon at work, while 54% of them are changing how they speak to fit in. Meanwhile 60% say jargon is coming across as a different language, has seen almost half make a mistake because they didn’t understand a term, and has even seen workers look up words in meetings to follow the conversation. With ‘blue sky thinking’ and ‘low-hanging fruit’ among the most annoying phrases, in your next meeting consider how much jargon is peppered into conversation. Infidelity-prone professionals Are you more likely to have an affair if you work in a certain profession? According to a new study that recently made its way across Frazer’s desk that may indeed be the case. With 85% of affairs reportedly beginning in the workplace, a new RANT Casino survey has revealed that people who work in sales are the most likely to cheat, with 14.5% of those questioned admitting to having workplace affairs out of 1,644 respondents who confessed to infidelity. Following closely with 13.7% guilty of cheating on their significant other, the second most common cheaters are in education. In third place are healthcare workers, with 12.5% owning up to having cheated with a colleague, while those in transport and logistics are the fourth most likely to engage in infidelity, and hospitality and events management takes fifth place. On the flip side, partners of those working in science and pharmaceuticals, business management, and law enforcement can breathe a sigh of relief, with the three being the most faithful professions among 25 industries analysed. Coffee badging A new trend is hitting the workplace in protest of return to the office mandates and is joining an expanding range of business vernacular: ‘coffee badging’. After a couple of years of remote working for many employees, with lockdowns now a thing of the past, leaders have started pushing for their staff to come back to the office, often in a hybrid capacity. Following on from ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘bare minimum Mondays’, ‘coffee badging’ has emerged as a way for workers to meet required in-office attendance, but spend as little time as possible there. It involves staff going into the office briefly, to grab a coffee or chat with colleagues and be noticed, before leaving again to work from home. Across the pond an Owl Labs survey of 2,000 full-time workers in the US showed 60% of hybrid workers admit to coffee badging. So, as you pull employees back to the office and see them floating around, perhaps do a little scan during their on-site days to see if they simply came in to take advantage of the coffee machine. © stock.adobe.com/ (JLco) Julia Amaral © stock.adobe.com/ Asier © stock.adobe.com/ KMPZZZArmstrong house Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE Tel: (01472) 310301 Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Superb Location - - Close to the ports of Grimsby & Immingham - Great motorway links - Close to the town centre Secure off street parking High speed internet availability A range of affordable office sizes 3 3 3 3 Last remaining office suites Prime location in Grimsby Offering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House on Armstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports of Grimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre, off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors, meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming offices are located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. At Armstrong House, when it comes to affordability and with a range of office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. If you require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 per month. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements call 01472 310301.Next >