Employers across Croydon, London and the south of England received the latest insight on the government’s employment and economic interventions from industry experts during a White Label business webinar this morning.

White Label directors Katharine Glass and Jo Gumb were joined by Carol Squires, Head of Economic Development at Croydon Council, Fintan O’Toole, Director/Owner of The HR Dept (South London), Matt Sims, Croydon BID Chief Executive and Rajan Amin, Business Owner of Coversure, to discuss the help out there for businesses amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

The webinar was set up by White Label, with Mrs Glass explaining the webinar was part of the company’s continued commitment to Croydon and supporting and promoting the borough’s business community.

More than 75 attendees joined the panel for the discussion, asking questions and taking part in business surveys about the government interventions they would be taking up and their confidence in their business’ chance of survival.

Mrs Squires told guests her team, who specialise in inward investment, business growth and support, had been spending the past fortnight ensuring the economic interventions announced by the Government were clear and making themselves well-placed to deliver funding while also formulating a business-led response and gathering insight on what is happening in Croydon and how it will affect the borough going forward.

Mr Sims informed attendees that Croydon BID was working with its 545 businesses it represents, but also taking away boundaries and providing support across the borough as businesses “desperately” need help and support in these unprecedented times. The BID is also part of the GLA’s strategic coordination group for businesses and is ensuring business critical communications are there and support is on hand.

Mr O’Toole said The HR Dept has been inundated by employers who are “desperately concerned” about keeping their employees and that there was “palpable relief” when the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced economic measures last week. He did however add there was only 15 lines of text explaining how the job retention scheme may work, and that he was working very hard with HR experts across the country to work out how the new legislation complies with current employment laws.

Mr Amin said businesses were still in uncharted waters and Coversure had been inundated with calls and texts from clients. He advised business owners to speak to their insurance broker as circumstances continue to change. Coversure has also been making it mandatory to speak to clients and assist them through this uncertain period.

Taking questions from business owners, including a nail bar in central Croydon that traded for less than a month, Mrs Squires urged people to apply for the Croydon Enterprise Loan Fund and discretionary rate relief, which support Croydon businesses. Mrs Squires said the situation was “tragic” for all businesses, but told attendees the CELF was “ready and waiting.”

She added the council was working as quickly as it could to start delivering the economic interventions announced by Government.

Mr O’Toole was asked about the process of furloughing and how it was going to work, whether they could still work in a reduced capacity or whether employees could be laid off. He said: “If you have no work and need your business to survive, the option is to lay off your employees and then in April furlough them.

“We can only watch this space. There’s only 15 lines. Government guidelines say furloughed cannot work for the company.

“There are 101 questions that some very big legal brains are working on at the moment. As employers, keep as calm as you can.”

There was some positivity during the discussion too, as attendees were asked about the implications the coronavirus pandemic could have on students finishing their education.

Mrs Squires said: “We do have to be positive. There are lots of opportunities that won’t disappear overnight. Employers are looking at attitude, it’s not just about the exams. My advice would be grab hold of these opportunities, make yourself stand out. There’s a real opportunity to put different things on your CV.”

Mr Sims spoke about the night time economy, saying: “In Croydon we stand together. We have always stood together and stood together in the harshest of times like these.

“The response the BID and local authority take and other partners is absolutely key. It’s very much reactive at the moment and we’re not only looking at comms from government but working very closely with the local authority and others to put together a proactive response so we are ready reboot the town centre and the borough as I think that’s what it going to take.

“It’s very very difficult for businesses. Many are over the £51,000 mark and financial support isn’t necessary there so we have to work for how we can support them in the future.”

There were also questions about statutory sick pay and how people can certify sick notes to ensure they get sick leave when they’re unable to get to a GP and whether they would be able to get rent holidays from their landlords during a sustained period of remote working.

Mr Sims asked landlords to do as much as they can, and not to forget the larger businesses, who have been affected by issues on the high street, the night time economy and other topics before the coronavirus crisis.

Employers were asked to remain calm as help from government is available and that the detailed information was being worked up as quickly as possible, adding: “There will be hardship, but it is clear there will be support.

“Don’t forget the health of your employees too – direct them to support.”

Mrs Squires also reassured employers Croydon Council was working as quickly and efficientently as possible to get the support out to businesses as quickly as possible, adding she had been impressed by businesses getting involved in volunteering and supporting their local community.

Mr Amin reminded employers to check their insurance policies, especially when places of work could be closed for a long time, and inform their insurer. He also said to ensure company-owned equipment that has been take home with employees would also need to be insured and that employees, despite working remotely and maybe feeling more relaxed, need to be more vigilant than ever in remaining digitally secure.

The BID is also in contact with the Met Police to ensure streets remain patrolled and asked employers to adapt their business model, if possible, and to stay calm.

Mrs Glass finished the panel discussion by thanking the guests and the local authority for their work they are doing. She said: “I hope we can continue to collaborate, which is how we built our business. We can remain positive. In terms of the local authority, they’re going an amazing job – but it’s really easy to be negative. We must remain positive and help.

“I’d also like to give a huge thank-you to my team – without you we don’t have White Label. And also thanks for the people sending messages and support. People are relatively confident and we’ll continue to get that barometer.”

White Label will be looking to host another webinar next Wednesday (1 April) at 10am. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. If you would like to speak, please contact jleggatt@wlcreative.org.uk