The b News

USEFUL EVENTS FOR SMES

InterTradeIreland

Funding Advisory Workshops 8th & 17th November, 10.00am11.00am Go-2-Tender Cyber Workshop 10th & 11th November, 9.30am1:00pm Seed Finance Workshops 16th, 23rd, 30th November, 10.am-12.00pm Go to Tender Supplies & Services Workshop 17th & 18th November, 8th & 9th December 9.30am - 1:00pm Equity Advice Clinics 9th, 14th, 16th December, 8.30am3.30pm Book events from InterTradeIreland here.

National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Exhibition and Conference 2021 23rd – 24th November, 9.00am-4.30pm RDS, Dublin Register here. EU Cyber Summit 30th November, 10.00am-4.00pm Dublin Convention Centre. Book here.

COVID 19 Government Guidelines Update

The Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) published an updated Guidance note on 20th October designed to assist employers and workers to plan for the phased return to the workplace. A technical update of the Work Safely Protocol has been prepared with some minor changes to reflect both the most up-to-date Public Health advice as well as the LEEF Guidance note. This updated Protocol remains applicable to all sectors of the economy. It sets out the minimum Public Health infection prevention and control measures required in every place of work to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19 following temporary closures and in the ongoing safe operation of workplaces

The Shed Distillery Experience

On 8th October, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar officially opened The Shed Distillery Of PJ Rigney, a €3.5m investment by the makers of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin. The Shed Distillery Experience in Drumshanbo is expected to attract 30,000 visitors by 2023 and would be creating a further 25 new jobs this year, bringing the total employed in the visitor centre and Jackalope Café to 75. To find out more click here.

Upcoming events from InterTradeIreland

Through their Go-2-Tender Workshops, InterTradeIreland is offering a series of practical, sector specific workshops to give firms across Ireland the edge when it comes to applying for public tenders. Workshops will take place in November and December. Find out more about tendering opportunities for SMEs on page 32. In association with Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland is hosting Seed Finance Workshops in November offering free advice to earlystage companies seeking to raise business angel or venture capital advice. Delivered by Grant Thornton, their Funding Advisory Workshops can help SMEs who are looking for new or alternative sources of funding to grow their business. These are taking place on 8th and 17th November. The Equity Advisory Clinics are one-to-one clinic aimed at companies seeking Equity Investment. Companies can receive advice on their fund-raising activities including a business plan review and investment pitch practice. These take place in December. For all events please see here.

Lifting of suspension of employees right to claim redundancy

From 30th September, the suspension of the right of employees to claim redundancy during lay off or short time as legislated for by the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid 19) Act 2020, section 29 has been lifted. Prior to March 2020, employees placed on lay off or short time for in excess of four consecutive weeks or for six weeks in the previous 13 weeks, had a right to serve a notice on their employer claiming a right to be made redundant and consequently claim a redundancy lump sum payment. This rule was suspended in March 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic so that employees on lay off or short time could not claim a right to be made redundant. This was designed to avoid high numbers of redundancy pay-outs during the pandemic. Once lifted, this means that employees who are still on lay off when the suspension is lifted will be able to serve written notice on their employer claiming redundancy. Read full details here.

ASA Marketing rebrands to ASA

Ireland’s leading promotional gift company, ASA Marketing, has rebranded to ASA with an iconic new look that reflects its position as industry leaders committed to sustainably sourced corporate gifts. The newly branded ASA (A Simple Answer) offers seamless gift solutions to its clients both locally in Ireland, as well as globally, through its formal co-operative partnership. As the sole Irish partner within IGC Global Promotions, ASA has access to an exclusive network across 46 countries worldwide. There is a strong drive to source and supply recycled materials such as RPET, mix recycled fabrics and recycled paper and to use materials (i.e. types of plastics, glass, stainless steel, aluminium) and finished products which lend themselves to a recycling process. To this end, ASA provides sustainable products and branding techniques to clients seeking to reduce their carbon footprint.

To learn more about ASA and their sustainable products see www.asabrands.ie

HR QUERIES FROM SMES

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRISTMAS FALLS ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY?

Many members think that when a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is treated as a public holiday. However, this is not the case. This year Christmas falls on a Saturday and St. Stephens day is on a Sunday. If a public holiday falls on a weekend, employees do not have any automatic legal entitlement to have the next working day off work. When this happens – some employers might treat the following Monday as a public holiday but an employer can require employees to attend work on that day. If a public holiday falls on a day that is not a normal working day for a business, employees are still entitled to the benefit for that public holiday. When this happens, employees are entitled to one of the following: • A paid day off within a month of the public holiday • An additional day of annual leave • An additional day’s pay The benefit given is at the discretion of the employer.

Sligo to welcome a new Digital Gaming Hub

A new Digital Gaming Hub is planned at Strand Campus in Strandhill, Co. Sligo. It received €1.9m in funding under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund. A new c1,200m2 building is to be constructed adjacent to the existing Strand Campus Enterprise Hub. It will provide a flexible workspace for companies working in the digital gaming sector. Ambitious targets are in place which will see the creation of 100 new jobs on site in 20 companies and a further 40 companies supported through the establishment of a digital games cluster in the North West, created around Strand Campus. Find out more here.

Podcasts for business – want to be featured?

Your Business Waste – Easily Sorted!

For great guests and interviews with Conall O Móráin, tune into That Great Business Show. In a recent show ISME Vice Chair, Marc O’Dwyer, Big Red Cloud was interviewed and you can listen back to him on show 58 here. If you would like to have your business featured, contact producer@thatgreatbusinessshow.com. For regular updates you can sign up to their mailing list here. Be My Guest with Dr Mary Honan is available on LiR Media TV’s YouTube channel. If you would like to be interviewed you can contact Mary on dr.mhonan@ A new government-funded initiative designed gmail.com or mobile 083 3002695. to take the uncertainty out of waste segregation for businesses has been launched by MyWaste, Ireland’s official guide to waste. This new toolkit will assist Irish businesses achieve greater Circular Economy performance through increased recycling and composting. A waste characterisation study in 2018 by the Environmental Protection Agency (report available here.) found that almost 70% of materials going into general commercial waste bins is recyclable or compostable. Materials suitable for recyclable SEAI Awards accounted for only 60% of the contents of mixed Each year the SEAI Energy Awards showcase dry recycling bins, with food waste among the excellence in sustainable energy across all sectors contaminants. The study found that by improving of the economy. This online ceremony displayed waste segregation practices, businesses could the incredible work and inspiring energy action together divert up to 350,000 tonnes of waste being achieved in Ireland right now. from the general waste stream annually. MC Andrea Gilligan presented 10 awards, with Speaking on behalf of the Regional Waste addresses from William Walsh, CEO of SEAI, Management Planning Offices, Kevin Swift, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Connacht Ulster Region Waste Office, said, “With Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, and Duncan clear language and visuals, the materials will Stewart, who won the Outstanding Contribution make it easy for businesses to quickly understand to Sustainable Energy Award. You can watch the what waste goes in what bin. This should help ceremony here. significantly increase the amount of recyclables and food waste diverted from the general bin and correctly placed in the recycling and food waste bins.” The toolkit is free to download or order from www.mywaste.ie/business.

Have your say about COVID-19

Please take a few minutes to complete our last COVID - 19 flash survey of 2021 here. This survey has been vital to our lobbying activity on your behalf during the pandemic.