January 2023 Member's Monthly

Message from the CEO

Dear member,

By early January, we should know how easy is has proven for businesses to avail of the Government’s TBESS scheme to mitigate energy costs If there are problems with the operation of this scheme, we would appreciate it if you would drop a line to us to let know, at press@isme.ie

If you have not already taken account of this in your payroll, please remember the National Minimum Wage increased to €11 30 per hour from 1st January This represents an 80 cents increase, or 7 6%, on the 2022 National Minimum Wage of €10 50 per hour, and it will of course influence the wages of workers not on the NMW also

In addition to this increase in the NMW, Government intends to introduce a "Living Wage" over the next three years to 2026. This represents a 16% increase over the 1st January rate of the NMW. We expect this to have a significant impact on employers in the grooming, leisure, childcare, distribution, retail and hospitality sectors.

The Department of Enterprise announced the launch of their White Paper on Enterprise on 7th December. ISME made its views known on enterprise policy in our submission to the consultation here and in our follow-up letter to the Enterprise Minister here. While we welcome the Government’s ambition for a green and digital economy, we considered the white paper to be an opportunity for a radical reappraisal of our industrial direction. While Ireland’s policy of attracting foreign multinationals has been hugely successful, and while the FMC sector is now thought to employ approximately 300,000 Irish workers, we see a huge divergence between the domestic economy and the “multinational economy ”

We see the widening gap between our domestic enterprise sector and the big multinationals most clearly in the ever-widening gap between GDP (which includes the activities of the multinationals) and modified gross national income (GNI*) which removes these from the national accounts. At the end of 2021, GDP stood at €426bn, while GNI* was €231bn. This enormous difference means that our domestic economy, (when we exclude the net profits of companies that have been sent abroad) is just 54% the size of the multinational economy We know of no other country in the world with such a large divergence between the economic activity of domestic and foreign firms within its own borders

To balance this, we sought a far greater emphasis on scaling local businesses, on assisting SME with learning and capital, and on employee rewards. We also sought a dedicated agency focusing on the small enterprise sector.

Instead, the White Paper will allow the local LEO network to work with small businesses We have yet to see if this will work, or if the LEOs have the capacity to expand into this part of the business demography We will continue to apply pressure to our (new) Enterprise Minister in pursuit of our policies.

Don’t forget- If you need money, use the ISME FINANCE FINDER!

On behalf of all in ISME, may I wish you and your staff a prosperous 2023.

ISME news

Bank Watch Survey

We are now conducting our Q3 Bank Watch survey. We want to hear from businesses about their experiences in accessing and managing their finances during July-September 2022. Please take the Q3 Bank Watch Survey here.

ISME Business Crime Survey 2022

We will be publishing our annual ‘Business Crime’ report for 2022 in Q1 2023 based on the results of the ISME Business Crime 2022 survey. Please share your experiences with business crime during the 12 months of 2022, including any issues you’ve had with cybercrime here.

ISME Finance Finder

Working on plans for 2023 and beyond, then explore the funding options available to SMEs with the ISME Finance Finder powered by Swoop Funding. This online tool offers loan choices to SMEs in minutes, streamlining the funding application process.

View our new series of Q&A videos with Andrea Reynolds, CEO with Swoop Funding about the online portal that explain how it works, the funding available and more here.

Watch out for new features and products in 2023.

Your funding journey starts now by going to www.isme.ie/finance-finder

Statuary Sick Pay

The Sick Leave Bill was passed by the Oireachtas in July 2022. The new scheme will start with 3 days paid sick leave per year in year one, rising to 5 days in year two, 7 days in year three, and employers will eventually cover the cost of 10 days in year four.

Sick pay will be paid by employers at a rate of 70% of an employee’s wage, subject to a daily maximum of €110. It can be revised over time by ministerial order in line with inflation and changing incomes.

Get full information and updates on the Statutory Sick Pay Scheme here.

ISME news

Some of the areas we will cover in the webinar are:

Employment Law Update Advisory

In response to the number of important employment cases that have been delivered recently in the context of unfair dismissals, redundancy and employment equality, ISME will host an Employment Law Update webinar with Katherine McVeigh, Ba rrister-at-Law on Friday 20th January, 8.00-9.30am.

• Whistleblowing and the Protected Disclosures legislation

• The recent changes to remote working

• The status of employees (whether someone is a contractor or actually deemed an employee with employment rights)

• Compensation trends for the Equal Status Act, which is garnering much media attention lately

• Illegality in employment contracts with new decisions on this

• The gender pay gap reporting- what do the new rules mean for employers in practical terms?

This will be followed by a Q&A so please send questions to skillnet@isme.ie. The price is €65 per person for non-members but ISME Members can receive a 10% discount by quoting ISMEMember in the Coupon Code when you book here.

ISME in the news

ISME featured in the media this past month speaking some about the following subjects:

• Universal Basic Income

• Business Concerns for 2023

• Energy Costs

• Irish Economy & Government Spending

• Economic cost of introducing living wage

• Shop, Spend & Support LOCAL

You can view and listen back to a selection of ISME’s media coverage here.

ISME news

Energy Supports

ISME has created an Energy section on the website with information, updates and advice to help your business during the cost of energy crisis You can view here.

Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS)

The TBESS will assist businesses with their electricity or natural gas (energy) costs during the winter months. The scheme will be open to businesses that:

• are tax compliant

• carry on a Case I trade or Case II profession (including certain charities and approved sporting bodies in relation to certain income) and

• have experienced a significant increase of 50% or more in their natural gas and electricity average unit price between the relevant bill period in 2022 and the corresponding reference period in 2021

Revenue will administer the scheme, which is being designed to be compliant with the European Union (EU) State Aid Temporary Crisis Framework. This means that EU Commission approval will be required for the scheme before any payments can be made to businesses.

A claim period is a calendar month from September 2022 to February 2023. A reference period is the corresponding calendar month in the previous year. For example, September 2021 is the reference period for the September 2022 claim period.

To apply for the TBESS, claims must be made through Revenue’s Online Services (ROS), following these steps:

1. Login or Register for ROS

2. Then register for the TBESS

3. Complete a claim in respect of a claim period

When registering for the TBESS, the business is asked to acknowledge a request to take steps to understand and reduce its energy use by completing the Climate Toolkit 4 Business. The completion of the Climate Toolkit 4 Business is not a legal requirement and will have no impact on the assessment of a business’ eligibility for the TBESS. Information on the scheme is available from Revenue here and read the guidelines here.

ISME news

Energy Supports

Starting your Energy Efficiency Journey

There are a number of government supports and resources available to help businesses mitigate the impact of energy price rises and become more energy efficient - whether you are beginning your journey to sustainability or at an advanced stage, find out more here

Reduce Your Use and Fund you Renewable Energy Transition.

Watch back SEAI’s recent business briefing webinar called ‘Reduce Your Use and Fund you Renewable Energy Transition here.

The next workshop Introduction to Energy Management: Creating an Energy Action Plan will take place on the Thursday, 12th January at 2.00pm-4.00pm. You can register here.

Read the SEAI’s Energy in Business for 2022 December ezine for news & updates available here.

SEAI Energy Efficiency Guide for Retailers

The SEAI Energy Efficiency Guide is for Irish retailers aims to introduce simple and effective energy-related advice to help businesses use and manage energy more efficiently The guidance outlined will help retail businesses start their energy efficiency journey and point them towards SEAI resources to help ensure successful long-term energy management practices.

The guide is available on the SEAI website here.

Offer to ISME Members

Taking place on Thursday, January 26th, Croke Park, Dublin, the summit will explore the forms pensions schemes may take in the future; developments in pensions policy; regulation and enforcement; the wider social implications; and new ways of communicating with members. Its interactive format is designed to encourage delegate participation and facilitate discussion about critical DC issues.

It’s a full agenda hosted by Ivan Yates, an address by Minister Heather Humphries, panel discussions and case study reviews. ISME’s CEO Neil McDonnell will join the panel discussion Auto-enrolment: what employers need to know at 12 noon. Full details about the agenda can be found here.

ISME Members can get a 30% discount by adding code ISME30 whey you book. To find out more and book your place click here.

To help the organisers prepare for the conference, they invite you to answer a few short questions on pensionssummit.ie/survey. One lucky participant will win a €500 Blue book voucher.

ISME news

HSA Supports for SMEs

The HSA provide a wide range of support for small and medium size enterprise in Ireland and have launched new publications and topic areas including:

High-visibility clothing are vital and a necessary requirement in any workplace where work is carried out near or and around moving vehicles. Please read their guidance on High visibility clothing for use around moving vehicles.

Silica dust is a serious hazard in particular to construction workers. Working with silica creates a fine dust that can very easily be breathed in, which can cause sever short- and long-term health issues if not properly managed. Please see Silica Information Sheet. In 2023, this information sheet will be available in the following languages: Irish, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Portuguese, Lithuanian and Czech.

Workplace health and safety doesn’t just apply to the physical wellbeing of employees, it also applies to the psychosocial well-being. As part of this, it is important to manage all areas of the psychosocial wellbeing of employees, especially work-related stress.

Work-related stress refers to stress that is caused or made worse by work. It occurs when a person perceives the work environment in such a way that his or her reaction involves feelings of an inability to cope. It may be caused by perceived/real pressures/deadlines/threats/anxieties within the working environment. Not all pressure is negative. Pressure when properly managed can result in peak performance and can be motivating. However, over time and if not properly managed the positive motivational experience reduces and the experience can become negative. It is important that employers acknowledge that pressures can be increased as the year ends, and the positive pressure can become negative stress. The HSA invite employers to visit their section on managing work-related stress, click on the links below.

Work-related stress

Work-related Stress Information Sheet for Employees

Work-related Stress A Guide for Employers

January Events

SEAI: Energy Management: Creating an Energy Action Plan workshop, Thursday 12th January, register here.

National Showcase Ireland, 22nd-24th January, RDS details & book here.

BioPharma & Lifesciences Connected Live, 25th January, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Cork, book here.

The National Pensions Summit 2023, 26th January, Croke Park, book here.

ISME news

Save with ISME

We offer many ways for ISME Members to reduce their costs and get added benefits for their business including

• 35% discount on AA membership for Roadside Rescue, Home Start & Rescue Plus Cover - for company membership only

• 30% discount on website development and design subscription from XYZ

• 20% discount on a range of HR Services from MSS ‘The HR People’

• 10% discount on dental services with Dublin Dental Clinic

• 15% discount on Vodafone Mobile Broadband – Simply Broadband 4G & 10% discount on Vodafone Simply Broadband

• 22% discount off Big Red Cloud Annual subscription & Big Red Book Payroll –for new customers only

• 15% discount on HRLocker Annual License Fee

• 10% discount for advertising with Jobs.ie – for new customers only

• No administration fees and free delivery and more with One4All

• Merchant services on a no contract basis, no termination fees & more with PaymentPlus

View all our Affinity programmes here.

Want to be in the media?

We frequently get requests from local and national media to talk to our members about their businesses or key issues that are impacting them. If this would interest you, please contact marketing@isme.ie

A valuable support for your employees

ISME partners with Laya healthcare and their health & wellbeing provider, SpectrumLife to provide 24/7 Mental Wellbeing Support Programme (EAP) for ISME Members. We offer unlimited access for your employees and their families to a 365 freephone EAP service, accessible via website, app, or live chat. The cost for up to 30 employees is €500 + VAT and each subsequent employee €9 per employee. Find out more here.

Learning & Development

Could you benefit from a free business mentor in 2023?

We are delighted to be able to run our free mentoring programme for ISME Members again in 2023. Over the past two years we successfully delivered a powerful programme providing mentoring and coaching to small and medium sized businesses.

The engagements completed focused on several critical business areas, including improvements to operations (HR, Recruitment, Finance), the introduction of new technologies, the use of social media for sales and marketing, introducing new products and services, and assist with geographical reach and open international markets.

Each mentoring session consists of six hours of face-to-face coaching and mentoring. We will provide a suitable business advisor with either domain or sector experience (or both).

Some areas our mentors covered in 2022 & 2021 include:

• Digital and Automation

• Growth and Finance

• People and Leadership

• Business Improvement Strategies

• Business Processes

Apply for your free mentor here.

ISME Member Feature

Member Feature: KRA Visionary Project Partners (KRA)

KRA Visionary Project Partners (KRA) was established in 2020 and provides a complete range of building surveying and project management services to clients throughout Ireland.

With a strong focus on sustainability, KRA offers forward-thinking professional advice in the areas of retrofit, sustainable design, sustainable fitout, and sustainability planning. Through their sister company, KRA Renewables, they offer a full spectrum of renewable energy and energy efficiency services including feasibility studies, energy audits, renewable energy design and project management, monitoring and verification and asset management.

Krystyna Rawicz, Managing Director of KRA was a speaker at Bank of Ireland’s ‘Building our Future’ event in November in the House of Lords, College Green, Dublin. In attendance were property professionals spanning development, construction, planning and funding. The event was organised and hosted by Bank of Ireland, with an opening address by Paul McDonnell, Interim CEO, Bank of Ireland Corporate and Markets. Speakers included David Duffy, Director, Property Industry Ireland; Tom Dunne, Chairperson, Residential Tenancies Board; John McCartney, Adjunct Associate Professor, UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy; Michael Murray, Senior Director, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking; Loretta O’Sullivan, Chief Economist, Bank of Ireland; Tom Phillips, Managing Director, Tom Phillips + Associate; and Krystyna Rawicz, Managing Director, KRA Visionary Project Partners and KRA Renewables.

The recurring message from the speakers was that given our growing and varied population, we need to plan for, fund and deliver a more diversified range of property to facilitate the appropriate mix of tenure into the future.

Addressing the theme of sustainability, Krystyna Rawicz (photo below) said: “The homes of tomorrow will be more efficient than those of today; providing spaces where occupants are assured of adequate comfort, air quality and low running costs all year round.”

She adds “Improved regulations mean that new units will have to be low or nearly zero emission standard, and both new builds and retrofits will consume far less energy than they have done historically. With space heating accounting for most of the energy demand of the average Irish home, we have to end our reliance on fossil fuels by using less coal, oil and peat and moving toward the enhanced electrification of our homes. Doing so, in conjunction with the installation of renewables such as solar PV and the procurement of renewable energy from energy suppliers, will ensure that the occupants can reduce their own energy bills while simultaneously curbing their carbon emissions.”