In his regular blog for Caerphilly Observer, Andrew Diplock, chair of Caerphilly Business Forum, looks back at the effect on the recent bank holidays.
We’ve just had probably the best April ever with so many holidays coinciding with what could turn out to be the best weather of 2011.
It was a mixed blessing for businesses though. While consumers generally spend more in good weather and industries such as tourism, leisure and horticulture got the kick-start to the season they wanted, others found business virtually ground to a halt as hardly anybody was in work.
While I certainly appreciated the fine weather I’m not used to having so much time off and, though it’s a long way off yet, it got me thinking about what I’d do when I eventually do retire.
There are a lot of changes currently being made to that very important aspect of our working lives, from the removal of the default retirement age to wholesale pension reforms.
We’re putting the latter under the microscope at Caerphilly Business Forum’s Business Breakfast on May 25. The changes in both state and private pension provision are profound and will have an impact on every one of us who expect to draw a pension at some stage in our lives.
But for employers, it means we have a raft of new responsibilities, from ensuring everyone who qualifies is enrolled on a scheme to paying contributions into that scheme. And businesses which don’t meet their responsibilities face compliance or penalty notices and even fines.
The details of these changes will be outlined by experts from Ideal Financial Planning Ltd with support from AEGON, who will show us the tools we need to get it right.
And crucially, they will offer advice on how to do it with minimum impact and maximum efficiency … which hopefully will be enough to persuade those complaining of more time-consuming changes and regulations not to opt for early retirement themselves.
Andrew Diplock
Chairman, Caerphilly Business Forum
For more information about Caerphilly Business Forum and its events call 029 2125 1395 or email leah@cbforum.co.uk