One of ITV's Most Popular Antiques Experts

Mr Mac

You might want to consider this handy device if you are working from home. It is the Yealink MP50. It will connect with your mobile phone via Bluetooth and let you use the handset to dial or answer calls. It also connects to your Mac or Windows PC and lets you make calls using your computer. I have been using it now for nearly a month and have to say that this is one of the most useful devices I have bought in a long time. It is available from Amazon for £118.90

If you have been enjoying The Mandalorian on Disney Plus you might find this an interesting distraction. Available from lego. com directly or other resellers. I saw it on Amazon for 20% off recently. Great fun to build as are so many of their products no matter what age you are.

Once again, I return to the thorny subject of internet security. It has long been said that Apple’s Mac devices are not as vulnerable as machines running Microsoft’s Windows, who knows for sure. There are only a few Mac users I know that do have Anti-Virus software installed. I see it far more often on Windows machines although Windows own security software does a pretty good job of keeping them virus free but if you are unsure, you can now install Bitdefender for no payment. It has just been rated by Which as the best free antivirus software out there. It is not clear if it is free for Macs, it says free download on their website, that usually means free to download but pay to use! I should add that I would be inclined to advise Mac users to consider installing some protection.

Andy – Mr Mac 07392 552 592

Redundancies: tips for employers

The stark economic reality of the recent inflation and energy prices, together with the poor predictions from the IMF, mean some businesses are struggling. It is no surprise therefore that some are considering whether redundancies are one way to help the business survive and thrive. Employers preparing for redundancies should be mindful of the need to ensure they follow a fair redundancy process.

Employers are advised to seek legal advice before embarking on a redundancy process but a few additional tips for employers to consider are as follows:

• Look carefully at your groups, or ‘pools’ of employees when considering who may be ‘at risk’ of redundancy – consider not only what their title is but what they actually do day-to-day.

• Do not forget about accrued untaken annual leave – this could be an extra cost that employers sometimes forget about. Can your staff use up this leave or will it be accrued and untaken on termination? Best to plan ahead so you can give appropriate notice if you are wanting your staff to use up their holiday entitlement.

• Managing the shock of a redundancy process – consultation can cover more than just looking for alternatives to hopefully avoid the redundancy situation. It can also help to inform the employee about what the process looks like, how long it’s expected to last, and how the redundancy calculations are worked out if employees are made redundant. Employees often ask what they would be entitled to if they are made redundant.

• Check your employees’ contracts of employment but also their years of service – the contract you are using for your staff may be out of date or incorrect so may not reflect the correct notice period. Employees are entitled to minimum statutory notice periods unless their contract gives them more.

If you require advice on any aspect of a redundancy process or would like some guidance to take you through a process from start to finish, we are here to help.

Please do contact Linda Wilson on 01730 268211 or lsw@macdonaldoates.co.uk