Shoppers urged to ‘ be kind , be patient and wear a face covering ’
The Federation of Independent
Retailers ( NFRN ) recently launched a poster campaign to help protect its members and their staff during the Covid-19 pandemic .
The first poster appeals to shoppers to respect those working in shops by being “ patient , kind and to wear a mask ,” while the second explains why both shop staff and customers should cover up their faces while shopping .
NFRN national president Stuart Reddish said : “ Independent retailers have gone out of their way to support their communities by ensuring a safe environment .
“ In the main , customers have adhered to the guidelines , but some members have experienced hostility and frustration and , sadly , in some instances have even been subject to abuse and threats .
“ We hope that by seeing these posters , customers will treat independent retailers and their staff with greater understanding and respect , which means protecting everyone ’ s health and safety – customers and those working in the shops – by covering their faces and maintaining social distancing at all times .”
The NFRN continues to lobby the government to provide effective legal protection for shop workers , amid rising levels of abuse and violence against those working in the independent retail sector .
Mr Reddish added : “ I get calls from hundreds of retailers who are crime victims . The impact of retail crime can be devastating and long-lasting – not just in terms of physical injuries , but on anxiety and stress too .
Plea – Federation of Independent Retailers national president Stuart Reddish is pleading with customers to treat shop staff with understanding and respect .
“ Retailers need the government to act and tackle retail crime once and for all , so everyone working in shops has confidence in their workplace and that should a crime incident occur , they will receive the response and protection from the government , police and justice system that they deserve . “ Find out more about the Federation of Independent Retailers at thefedonline . com .
Alchemists are
HR heroes
Jo Davies and her team at human
resource specialists HR Alchemy have proved invaluable to many Teesside businesses since Covid lockdown changed our daily lives .
When the crisis hit , the Middlesbroughbased firm faced a deluge of calls from clients needing guidance on how best to look after their staff .
“ We had to become experts on Covid and the furlough scheme very quickly ,” admits managing director Jo .
“ Keeping my staff safe and happy was a priority for me . Luckily , the business was built on the team being able to work flexibly , so it was quite natural to establish a routine of working from home and communicating via Zoom .”
HR Alchemy has gained clients as more and more companies have realised the value of good HR support .
“ I can ’ t put into words how amazing HR
Alchemy have been ,” says Wander Films ’ creative director Chloe Clover .
“ They updated us every day during Covid and we felt so lucky to have their support through some very scary months .”
Mabo Media managing director Lee Mableson has been equally impressed , saying : “ I couldn ’ t rate them any higher .
“ I see HR Alchemy as a massively valued extension to Mabo ’ s own personnel , which is very reassuring when you need to know what your options are and where you stand as an employer - and quick !
“ Their response times are great and they ’ re always on hand to answer any of the many questions that can pop up - their experience is invaluable to us .”
Of course , it ’ s not just the bad times that HR Alchemy are there for .
“ They are exceptional during the good times too ,” says Chloe .
Rising to the challenge - HR Alchemy ’ s Jo Davies .
“ They have helped us double our team and given us the strength and support to grow during such uncertainty - they are next level !”
Jo is humbled by the praise from her clients and is convinced that , as a region , we can emerge from what has been a devastating situation .
“ HR Alchemy just needs to keep offering great customer service , support and value for money and hopefully we will bounce back and go from strength to strength ,” she adds .
hralchemy . co . uk
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