Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce is recognised as being the voice of local business in Staffordshire but what does this really mean? We’re here to represent our members’ views on the local, national and global issues affecting their businesses.

Our nine Chamber policy forums are a great way for member businesses to meet and discuss issues critical to their sector.  These forums enable our members to share knowledge and best practice but also help us to represent them better in our dealings with the media and government. Our forums are recognised by the British Chambers’ of Commerce as being among the most influential in the country.

We deliver nine policy forums, covering the topics of:

• Digital
• Employment, HR and Skills
• Energy, Environment and Sustainability
• Manufacturers’
• Money Matters
• Planning & Infrastructure
• Responsible Business
• Rural Business
• Transport

Each forum is made up of representatives from our Chamber member network and meets up four times a year.  Key topics for discussion are identified, guest speakers are brought in and our forums pick up that role of highlighting the matters that concern our members, at both a regional and national level.   Each forum has its own Chair, who will steer both the meetings and objectives of that particular forum.

We welcome new faces in all of our policy forums but what’s in it for you and your business?   You’ll get informative updates related to the theme of each forum, helping to keep you “in the loop” with local, national and global changes/news.  It’s a chance for your views to be heard and the opportunity to work collaboratively with your fellow Chamber members in influencing our policy role on specific topics.  

You also get the chance to grow your networking contacts in similar sectors.   It could also be a perfect development opportunity for one of your team, helping to empower confidence.  Some of our forum members have gone on to join British Chambers’ of Commerce (BCC) policy groupings, getting their voices heard at a national level.

Being a part of our policy forums is not a huge commitment with no more than four meetings a year.  Meetings typically start at 9AM and last no more than an hour or so.   Each forum meeting will have the option to join remotely on MS Teams, so you don’t need to travel.

2025 will see the launch of our brand-new Staffordshire Chambers’ website and this will include dedicated webpages for each of our policy forums.  These webpages will capture discussions from past meetings and become a ‘go-to’ source of useful information/news in bite sized chunks, with the aim of educating and upskilling our members.

Being the voice of business is what we do but why not get involved and play your part in shaping our policy ad lobbying work.

For further details on our policy forums, please get in touch:

declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is excited to introduce an innovative online training platform exclusively available to its members. Designed to help local businesses support employee development, recruitment, and retention, the new initiative provides members with access to over 220 CPD discounted accredited courses in vital areas such as Compliance, Leadership, Mental Well-being, Inclusivity, Sales, and Customer Service. The platform also allows businesses to evidence their commitment to investing in their people by helping business leaders to build a tailored learning curriculum for each employee.

Mark Jones, Principal Training Consultant at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce said: “This isn’t just about providing training—it’s about supporting our local businesses by helping them build skilled, resilient, and motivated teams. Our flexible platform allows every business to develop staff, while still meeting specific industry requirements. It’s fantastic value for money, offering a full year’s training for only 25% of the typical development spend.”

Members have access to “hot topic” courses designed to meet today’s workplace challenges, including Harassment/Sexual Harassment, Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Mental Health Awareness, and Corporate Social Responsibility. With full reporting flexibility, businesses can track progress and compliance of their staff members with ease.

Chris Plant, Deputy CEO of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce said: “Investing in people is one of the most impactful steps an employer can take, and Staffordshire Chambers is committed to making that investment accessible and meaningful. We’re proud to launch this programme and offer our members high-quality training that meets both current and future business needs. With over 220 courses available, there’s something here for every one of our members.”

Members are encouraged to book a free one-to-one consultation with Mark Jones, who will help outline a tailored training plan specific to each business’s needs. To book a one to one, please contact mark.jones@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

To view the full list of courses click here.

The Employment Rights Bill was introduced to Parliament last month and it’s been described as “the biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation”.  The Bill sets out 28 measures from the proposals in the Government’s plan to Make Work Pay (MWP).  Other changes in MWP will come in under existing powers outside of the Bill.   Immediate consultation on four areas will inform Government amendments to the Bill at Committee Stage in January 2025, whilst consultation on other measures will continue during 2025.  The changes are expected to come into force from 2026.

Let’s look at the key changes:

1. Zero hours contracts: The right to reasonable notice of shifts, compensation for cancelled shifts, and right to be offered a contract with guaranteed hours.

2. Flexible working – The 8 reasons for refusal of flexible working requests remain, but there’s a higher bar for employers to justify it.

3. Statutory sick pay – Will be a day one right.  The Bill will remove the three-day waiting period and the lower earnings limit test for eligibility.

4. Family leave – Removes the qualifying period for paternity leave, parental leave, and gives wider access to bereavement leave.

5. Protection from harassment – Expands employers’ duties to prevent harassment of staff, including by third parties.

6. Unfair dismissal – Removes the two-year qualifying period (so employees are protected from unfair dismissal from the first day of employment), subject to a statutory probationary period.

7. Fire and rehire –Unfair to dismiss workers because they refuse to agree to a variation of contract unless the employer can prove it would result in insolvency.

8. Sectoral collective bargaining on pay and conditions: starts with Adult Social Care.

9. Trade unions – Introducing rights for trade unions to access workplaces and repealing the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and most provisions of the Trade Union Act 2016.

10. Enforcement – Bringing together powers of existing labour market enforcement bodies, along with some new powers, under the Secretary of State and enforcement officers

Looking beyond The Employment Rights Bill, the Government has recognised the complexity of the Single Status of Worker proposal, which aims to improve pay and conditions for working people.  This is not included in the Bill, although the Government remains committed to this as a longer-term priority and plans to consult on a simplified framework in due course.   The Right to Switch Off has probably caught the eye of many but this will now be delivered through a statutory code of practice. 

The Government’s own Impact Assessment estimates that the changes outlined within The Employment Rights Bill, could be an additional cost to business of up to £5bn per year.  There will be an expected disproportionate impact on smaller businesses and low pay sectors such as social care, hospitality and retail.  The net impact on growth is predicted to be ‘small’.  Suggested benefits include improving workforce participation and wellbeing, incentivising higher productivity and creating a more level playing field for good employers.

At a local level, what will the changes mean to your business?  What is the risk and/or impact of these changes for employers and employees across Staffordshire?  These are significant changes to the employment rights landscape and we want to hear from you and how the changes could impact your business.

Please send me your feedback/comments to :

declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

if you’re a member of Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce with an interest in employment law, skills or HR, why not join our next Employment, Skills and HR forum, which meets again on Friday 6^th December at 9AM.  Click below to book your place:

As the political party conference season heads to a close, we’re taking the opportunity to meet with our local Members of Parliament.  As the voice of our members, we’re here to lobby and represent the views of the local business community, connecting them with key political leaders and decision makers. 

It’s almost three months since the General Election, with the results helping to reshape the political landscape in our county.  In North Staffordshire, four out of the five constituencies changed colour, with only Dame Karen Bradley retaining the Staffordshire Moorlands constituency.  Of the four winning MP across Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle under Lyme, three are completely new to the role, with only Gareth Snell having past experience as a Member of Parliament, in recapturing the Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency.

Prior to the General Election, we launched our Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce Business Manifesto and this was shared with all prospective Parliamentary candidates.  Our Manifesto rests on five key themes:

• Connected Staffordshire
• Digital Staffordshire
• Global Staffordshire
• Green Staffordshire
• Skilled Staffordshire

You can view the Manifesto by clicking the link:

Business Manifesto 2024 – Flipbook – Page 1 (paperturn-view.com)

Not surprisingly, our discussions with the Members of Parliament will align with these five themes, as well as opening into wider conversation around levels of business confidence, devolution and what could be a critical Budget for business, due to be announced on Wednesday 30^th October.

Last Friday, we sat down with Leigh Ingham, newly elected MP for Stafford.  The shape of this constituency has changed and now extends as far north as Eccleshall.   In the space of an hour, we had a really positive discussion around topics such as bringing high quality and well-paid jobs into the area, which will help to retain graduates and other learners, to drive the local economy.  Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) will be unveiling a new Institute of Technology (IoT) at its Stafford campus in 2025.  A welcome boost for the area.

With exceptional rail connectivity to four of the UK’s largest conurbations and two junctions to the M6, Stafford (along with the rest of the county), is very well connected.

Like many towns the length and breadth of the UK, Stafford’s town centre has struggled to cope with a drop in footfall, largely influenced by how we choose to shop in 2024.  A number of initiatives are being delivered to pump prime one key development in town, ready to incentivise much needed developer financial support but we discussed how other measures such as hosting outpatients’ treatment in the town centre, will give more of us a purpose to visit Stafford and spend our cash in local shops.     We agreed that we can play our part in amplifying news about positive developments such as the IoT. 

Our meeting moved on to the topic of business confidence, with our most recent Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), suggesting a fall in the number of businesses who are investing in plant, machinery and equipment.  Anecdotal feedback suggests that many businesses are holding back on commitment, until the Chancellor announces her Budget next month. 

Our round of ‘Meet the MP’ meetings continues when we meet David Williams, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North (today – 30^th), Sir Gavin Williamson (MP for Stone, Great Wyrley & Penkridge – 11^th October) and Dame Karen Bradley, MP for Staffordshire Moorlands (15^th November).   You can meet your MP for a 1:1 meeting but there is a real synergy when we bring you together as a group of member businesses.  Why not join us at a future ‘Meet the MP’ meeting?   You can book your place through the events page on our website: https://staffordshirechambers.co.uk/events-calendar

A new survey has been launched to explore the rapid growth of the digital and IT sector in North Staffordshire. Led by Staffordshire University and the University of Manchester, the research aims to gather insights from businesses operating in Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and the Staffordshire Moorlands to better understand the region’s emerging IT landscape.

Early findings from the research indicate a strong and expanding IT sector, with businesses showing high levels of productivity. The survey seeks to capture a more detailed picture of this growth, and organisers are encouraging all digital and IT businesses in the region to participate.

All businesses that complete the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win one of five £100 Love to Shop vouchers, redeemable at over 90 popular retail brands.

To take part in the survey, businesses can visit survey link