I want to give mention to a great initiative which has been launched by one of our management consultancy clients, Edengene.

In 2001 Edengene worked with Sir John Harvey-Jones to produce a guide to working in a downturn. (Note to younger readers: the late Sir John was a Chairman of ICI who starred in a highly-watchable BBC series, The Troubleshooter. He dispensed pithy business turnaround advice in an extrovert, straight-talking style. Think Sugar + Trump + Dragons’ Den + wild hair and wide ties).

Edengene is updating that guide, using the views of the current business people to make it relevant for today’s recession. You can get involved by completing a 10-15 minute on-line survey. The survey leads to an instant diagnosis of your readiness to manage your business in a downturn.

Let’s beat the recession. Take part, and find out how.

What is the government doing to help the unfortunate people who have lost their jobs? The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, laid out three proposals in his pre-budget speech earlier this week, worth a combined £1.3bn, to prevent a temporary job loss becoming permanent unemployment.

His measures include the expansion of the Rapid Response Service to include all redundancies, not just those at the largest workplaces. And to complement this, he will offer greater provision of pre-redundancy re-training through the Train To Gain initiative.

The Chancellor also told us that there are still over half a million unfilled vacancies in the UK and he announced a new initiative to help fill them, through national cooperation, with the country's major employers. The National Employment Partnership will be chaired by the Prime Minister. So far, 20 of the largest employers, including Tesco, Centrica and Royal Mail, have agreed to take part. Together, they employ over 2 million people.

Are these measures going to be enough to reassure people facing redundancy? What can employers and employees do to reduce the redundancy threat? We’d love to hear your solutions to this ever increasing problem…

Following on from the success of last year’s private shopping event at the LK Bennett’s flagship store in Covent Garden, BLT couldn’t resist a little retail therapy again in 2008. With the cold nights drawing in, what better excuse to get all of the ladies together for a night of champagne, delicious canapés and, of course, some shopping! With 130 clients joining us for the evening, it was the perfect excuse to put faces to names and make new contacts along the way. And for those strong-willed ladies who managed to resist the call of the handbags and shoes, there was a wonderful goodie bag to take home which included a beautiful LK Bennett necklace, a silver BLT compact mirror and some tasty Green & Blacks chocolate.

Not only was it a great chance to catch up, but it was also for a good cause. This year we introduced a charity raffle in aid of Breast Cancer Care, which raised over £400. This raffle was a roaring success, despite a few hiccups along the way; namely, the embarrassing scenario that occurred when name after name of BLT employee was pulled out of the hat! But eventually the great prizes from our sponsors went to good (non-BLT!) homes.

We were delighted with the sponsorship we received from some of our key contacts/suppliers and want to take this opportunity to thank them once again.

• Whippet – www.whippetmail.com Agency specialising in Branding, Campaigns and Communications
Donated Hotel Chocolat Hamper
Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Red Wine

• Realise - www.realise.com Web based Solutions Company
Donated Chancery Court Luxury Spa voucher (£100)

• Equiniti - www.equiniti.com Integrated service in Share Registration, Retail Investor Services and Employee Benefits
Donated Moet & Chandon Champagne

• Carve Consulting - www.carveconsulting.com London engagement specialist that helps organisations build and manage their brand - at a corporate, employer or product level.
Donated Molton Brown, Luxury Gift Box

• The Bleeding Heart – www.bleedingheart.co.uk Fine French Restaurant noted as “choice of the corporate aristocracy”
Donated Exclusive Meal for Two with Wines

• IHC - www.ihc.co.uk specialising in Medical and Health Insurance Broking
Donated Space NK Vouchers (£50)

• Telanova - www.telanova.com IT Systems and Services
Donated Veuve Cliquot Champagne

Without their support the raffle would not have been possible.

We must also congratulate our prize winners:

Caroline Johnston, Siobhan Kinsella, Helen Jenkins, Faith Pengelly, Anna McLaren, Lorraine Boyle, Roz Benson, Jackie Fox and Aarti Bhasin

And just like last year we also offered a business card prize draw, with the lucky winners receiving a 1st prize of £200 and 2nd prize £100 LK Bennett vouchers to spend in store. Congratulations to

1st = £200 Caroline Drake

2nd = £100 Julie Seeney

BLT would like to thank everybody that came along and made the evening such a success. It really was a wonderful, fun and feel-good occasion and we look forward to seeing you all there again!

And on that note, let’s share a few thoughts from those who were there… a little taster for those who are already anticipating next year's event!

‘Thank you for the lovely evening last night and for the goodie bag which I thoroughly enjoyed rifling through on the train home!’ Ruth Nicholson, UK Project Manager @ Diageo

‘A fabulous evening, shoes, handbags, clothes and a prize draw - what more could a woman want? An extremely well attended and enjoyable evening, well done BLT!".’ Laura Jackson, Assistant Company Secretary @ Trinity Mirror

‘Thank you so much for a very elegant evening. We enjoyed it very much.’ Head of People Services @ Booz & Company

‘It was the ultimate shopping and networking experience!’, Aarti Bhasin, Senior HR Consultant @ Institute of Directors

‘Thanks for a most enjoyable evening at LK Bennett, it was good to shop and chat!’ Faith Pengelly, Deputy Company Secretary @ Royal London Asset Management Ltd

A legal expert last week provoked fury by advising employers to make redundancies on Christmas Eve. Mark Bestley, partner at Cheshire law firm SAS Daniels Solicitors, said 24 December was a day for swinging the axe rather than filling stockings.

"I would actually recommend that people who may be a nuisance or disruptive to a business are actually told they've lost their job as close to Christmas as possible," he said.

Making people redundant on Christmas Eve seems a particularly callous move. Merry Christmas, here’s your P45 doesn’t somehow seem to fit in with the Christmas spirit of goodwill to all men. And what affect would it have on the remaining employees? Surely such a move would do nothing to boost staff morale.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Surely there has to be a more appropriate time for businesses to undergo cost cutting exercises?

The big news in today is the proposed 2.5% temporary cut in VAT in an effort to get the nation shopping before xmas to boost a flagging retail sector.

As Indirect Tax hits the headlines, we would love to hear your thoughts on how this will affect us all in the world of Indirect Tax.

What will be impact of this so-called 'fiscal stimulus'? Will it work?

How will this tax relief affect the Indirect Tax profession? Is it good news or bad news for your archetypal VAT specialist? More work or less work? Perhaps you are more worried now about job security? Or will it just be a storm in a teacup?

These and a myriad of other questions spring to mind, so this blog is where you can let off steam. Remember a hamper to the best blogger!

BLT were delighted to sponsor the inaugural Tax Journal Indirect Tax Awards 2008, held at Glaziers Hall, London.

We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winners and shortlisted candidates.

The winners were:

Outstanding Contribution to Indirect Tax – sponsored by McGrigors

Alan Buckett, Day Smith & Hunter

Special Commendation: Outstanding Contribution to Indirect Tax

Steve Williams, Lancashire County Council

Rising Star within Indirect Tax – sponsored by BLT

Anbreen Khan, Deloitte

Indirect Tax Writer of the Year – sponsored by the Tax Journal

Chris Reece

We would also like to thank everyone who attended and supported the event – an amazing turn out meant that a truly excellent evening was had by all. For the photographic evidence, please visit www.indirecttaxawards.co.uk

Thanks as well to the organisers and our co-sponsors for a great evening!

After reading Christine’s post the other day about office Christmas parties, it occurred to me that some people might be wondering why the British Greyhound Racing Board would be carrying out a poll on the Christmas bash. It may come as a surprise to some people to discover that greyhound racing is now the second most popular UK spectator sport after football.

An evening ‘at the dogs’ has become a popular alternative to the traditional restaurant/hotel Christmas dinner party. With 28 stadia around the UK, all offering great value for money Christmas packages, 'going to the dogs', has never been more attractive. You get a three course meal, there’s a race every 15 minutes to stave off boredom and there’s no need to dress up to the nines to impress your fellow workmates.

As an owner of two retired greyhounds myself, I would be delighted to give some of our Xmas party fund to the Retired Greyhound Trust. The Trust works within the greyhound racing industry and provides a fantastic service in re-homing the thousand of racing greyhounds that ‘retire’ (through old age, injury or lack of ability) from the sport each year.

Approximately 9,000 greyhounds retire from racing each year, typically between four to six years of age. Some never make the grade, or retire at a much younger age as a result of a minor injury. Greyhounds make fabulous pets and as any owner will confirm, the benefits of sharing your life with one of these beautiful creatures are immense.

If you’re still struggling for a solution to the Christmas party dilemma, why not contact your local dog track and find out about their festive packages. While you’re at it, don’t forget to make a donation to the trust, or better still adopt a greyhound!

Have you enjoyed a night at the dogs? How do you feel about giving a portion of the office Xmas party fund to charity?

A new executive compensation model unveiled earlier this week by troubled Swiss bank UBS AG could form the blueprint for industry wide reforms to pay practices in the financial sector.

UBS announced a policy to link pay to long-term profit using measures that take into account the amount of risk taken in earning the income. Under its model, UBS executives will be paid only one-third of their cash bonuses in the year they are earned. The other two-thirds of the money will go into an escrow account and paid out over the subsequent two years.

The balances in the escrow account can be reduced under various scenarios; such as if the company loses money or if there is a breach of “risk parameters.” UBS said executive pay will also include restricted performance shares that will vest after three years.

The FSA is calling for banks to abolish bonus structures that encourage excessive risk-taking, and it could force those that don't comply to increase their capital by billions of pounds to make up for perceived risks. The agency is under political pressure to rein in the types of imprudent investment decisions that contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The USB plan sounds like a good idea in principle, but will it catch on throughout the financial services sector as a whole? U.K. bankers shared in more than 31 billion pounds of bonuses over the past four years, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

Will these same bankers be happy to receive a greatly reduced bonus this time around, knowing that the amount they eventually receive is in fact a gamble on their company’s future success? Maybe they will, because these whiz kids have been gambling with their financial institution’s money for years. Somehow I doubt if they will embrace that perspective.

What is the solution? Shouldn’t we be thinking of a bonus as a privilege, not a right? Isn’t this the ideal opportunity to re-evaluate the entire bonus structure?

As the festive season draws ever closer, most people are already eagerly anticipating the office Christmas bash. Or are they?

A recent news item on the Reuters UK website suggests that almost a third of office workers actively hate the office Christmas party.

A poll of 1,000 British office workers, carried out by the British Greyhound Racing Board, suggested that the biggest problem with the office Christmas bash was that it forces people to socialise with people that they have nothing in common with other than work.

This news came days after initial findings from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) annual reward survey found that 60% of organisations will still throw a party for their staff this year, despite the impending recession.

Their poll of more than 500 employers found that private sector companies are still the keenest to embrace the Christmas festivities with the vast majority (77%) still likely to provide a party or lunch this year (down from 84% in 2007).

Similar to previous years, public sector organisations are the most reticent to offer this seasonal perk, with only 24% likely to provide a Christmas party or lunch (compared with 26% in 2007).

Never forget that this annual event doesn’t come cheaply. Most firms will already have allowed for the expense in their annual budget projections. But should we forego the office bash completely this year and if so, what could employers do to reward their staff’s efforts over the past year?

One option would be to take all or part of the party budget and give employees a cash bonus or a seasonal hamper to help with their holiday expenses.

If that idea doesn’t appeal, why not poll the employees and find out what they want. They may still want to go-ahead with a party, but agree not to bring along their spouse, in a bid to minimise expenses.

What about your company? Is the annual bash going ahead as always or has your employer adopted a different approach this year? What do you think is the most appropriate way of showing appreciation in these troubled times?

Its fair to say that the Indirect Tax job market in the UK is currently slower than its been for a while. Many individuals feel reluctant to move jobs in uncertain economic times, and the whilst there are still plenty of roles around, many organisations are content to wait until their 'perfect candidate' arises.

Spare a thought for the first casualty of these times - those arriving in the UK from elsewhere round the globe and who are looking to continue their Indirect Tax careers on these shores. These individuals are armed with a couple of years' Indirect Tax experience, have gained great client exposure, often strong technical knowledge, and many of them speak better English than I do. Most don't have work permit issues. Commonly these individuals are arriving from Central/Eastern Europe and Australia. Whereas in the normal scheme of things, such candidates would be readily absorbed into employment, those arriving in the UK recently have been faced with alarming indifference from potential Indirect Tax employers.

Why is this? When the market for VAT candidates in the UK is so tight, surely employers shouldn't be so dismissive about looking to those with overseas backgrounds to help source their roles? All thoughts welcome - and of course if you are an employer prepared to consider such applicants, give me a call - I will have a fair few interested (and excellently qualified) Indirect Tax specialists to show you!

Never mind the credit crunch, if you're feeling sick then don't come to work, with employees in the banking sector particularly reluctant to stay at home, British bosses say.

Those working in the banking sector on average took the fewest number of days off sick in the last year, followed by staff in the hotel and restaurant industry.

Almost three-quarters of employers said staff should stay at home if they feel ill according to a survey of 1,000 bosses, carried out by the BBC and medicine maker Benylin, on Tuesday.

More than 80% of the employers surveyed believe that illness makes a worker less productive. Their other big concern is the “domino effect” where a sick employee comes to work and spreads their germs to other staff.

British employees have a different view, saying they feel guilty if they take a day off, and 57% of them admitted they would have to be severely ill before deciding to stay at home.

So why do employees feel the need to become martyrs when they are unwell. Are they afraid of what the boss might find in their Email In-Box or the paperwork on their desk? A day or two in bed has to be better than dragging yourself into work just to sit there feeling lousy all day. Or are staff worried that they’ll lose their job? Possibly. But think logically about it. No employer is going to dismiss a good worker just because they had a couple of days off sick!

Maybe employers should reassure their staff by drawing up a set of “sickness guidelines”. But at the end of the day, we’re all supposed to be mature adults. It sounds like we need to act as such and use a bit more common sense when it comes to dealing with health issues.

Do you feel guilty taking time off for sickness and why? What could your employer do to reassure you?

National Breast Cancer Awareness day came to BLT on Monday. In order to raise money for Breast Cancer Care everyone at BLT wore something pink for which they were charged £1 for the privilege. This wasn’t entirely altruistic because the fine for anyone turning up for work sans pink was a massive £3. So it was that the BLT offices looked like a flock of flamingos had turned up for a business meeting.

Lunch brought the big event of the day: the baby photo guessing game. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring mine, perhaps because doing so carried no financial penalty, and so my photo was of a 3 year old catalogue model posing on a beach. Despite this, many of my colleagues guessed that the photo was me – I suppose they must have thought I lost my looks some time during primary school.

The photos that were really of BLT consultants revealed childhoods that had involved knitted tights, very large hands, spiky haircuts and red dungarees. Despite these familiar features, it was still a challenge to match the right photo to the right person. The ones that showed most ability were Nicola and Lorraine who both got 10 out of 18 correct. After a tense celebrity tie-breaker they still could not be separated and so both took home the star prize of a bottle of rosé wine.

So, Pink Day at BLT: the rules of fashion were broken, reputations were ruined, secrets were revealed and £70 was raised for charity. All in all, a good day.

After 21 months of tireless campaigning and just over 4 hours after the first polls closed, Barack Obama was confirmed as the future 44th President of the United States. His official term of office will commence on January 20th, 2009.

The US people have voted for change and they've done it in a big way. By the time Obama came onto the stage to make his victory speech, he had secured 338 electoral votes to John McCain's 155.

In his victory speech, the 47 year old president designate told the waiting masses that "change has come to America". He stressed the enormity of the task that lies ahead, mentioning the worst financial crisis in a century and the 2 wars that the US are involved in.

He told us "the road ahead will be long, the climb will be steep" but "we as a people will get there".

It will indeed be a steep climb to restore prosperity and create the new jobs he has promised. But as he said several times, with the help of the American people, "Yes, we can".

Now that all the hype is over, will the currency markets settle down, shares bounce back and his sense of optimism spread throughout the world?

What impact do you think his victory will have on the people of the UK? And what decisions would you like to see him make in order to restore consumer confidence and pull the world out of recession?

Has health and safety really gone mad? Does Europe really make all our laws? There have been many reports of HSE, and health and safety law, being responsible for banning all sorts of things. For example, flip flops at work, knitting in hospitals, school sports days, a charity Christmas swim and even cuddly toys on dustbin lorries.

In November 2007, it was widely believed that the HSE had banned workers from putting up Christmas decorations in the office. Last month’s myth of the month stated that health and safety laws had banned bonfires. Other well circulated HSE myths include forbidding children to play conkers and a ban on hanging baskets.

Actually, HSE has banned very little outright, apart from a very few high-risk exceptions (e.g. asbestos which kills over 4,000 individuals a year). HSE believes that health and safety should be about taking practical steps to manage real risks, not bureaucracy leading to the banning of everyday activities.

The British press is also responsible for spreading a wide range of ‘Euromyths’. This year they have told us that the ACRE is to be banned from 2010, combine harvesters can’t be used on wet soil and even suggested that the EU has a plan to abolish Britain!

Both the HSE and the EU have myth busting websites set up to dispel these ideas. Enjoy a laugh reading some of the things they have been unfairly blamed for!

Then cheer us all up by sharing the seemingly crazy ‘laws’ that you have heard. Are they really fact or fiction?

Company secretaries need to be aware they now play a defining role in corporate governance matters says new guidance from ICSA.

An updated version of an ICSA guidance note, Corporate Governance Role of the Company Secretary, argues that the role of company secretary has changed significantly in the last few years.

The most effective company secretary is one who is regarded by the Board as its trusted adviser and who:

• keeps under review legislative, regulatory and governance developments that may impact the company and ensures that the board is appropriately briefed on them;
• wins the confidence of and acts as a confidential sounding board to the chairman and other directors on issues of concern; and
• provides, where appropriate, a discreet but challenging voice in relation to board deliberations and decision making, drawing in particular on his or her professional experience and historical knowledge of the company.

How has your CSS role evolved over the years and do you anticipate more changes to come in the future?